Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara vs Benefit They're Real!

Picked up some things with my 20% off at Ulta today and since I've been hearing some buzz about it I decided to try the new Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara. The brush reminded me of Benefit's They're Real! mascara's brush and once I tried it on I realized the formula is exactly the same too. 

It's hard to see because the Revlon wand is white but the brushes are pretty much exactly the same, rubbery, spiky and kind of narrow with what I call the "mace ball" tip (Benefit calls it a "custom-domed tip with precision bristles"). The concept of this brush is that you first apply the mascara holding the wand horizontally and then turn it vertically and use the mace ball tip to separate and define the lashes more. In my experience this usually just puts too much mascara on my lashes and I have to work extra hard to keep it from being ridiculously clumpy. But if you wipe off the bristles first (which I hate doing, makes me feel like I'm wasting product) it does a pretty good job applying mascara to the bottom lashes and outside corner.

Now on the the performance comparison.

For starters, I give you my naked eyelashes (right) vs the Revlon (2 coats on top lashes, 1 coat on bottom lashes). I used the shade blackest black and did not curl my eyelashes first.

And here we have the Revlon (still left) vs Benefit They're Real! (right). I can't tell a difference between these two both in the photo and in real life. They applied exactly the same way and feel the same way once they're dry.

Dupe status: dead ringer

Pros: the Revlon is significantly cheaper (about $9 vs $22 for the Benefit) and more easily accessible since it is a drug store brand. Plus it also comes in 3 shades (blackest black, black and blackened brown) while They're Real! only comes in one shade (black). Also, one of my biggest gripes with They're Real! is that no matter how much I tried to remove it it lingered and gave me black smudgy raccoon eyes for days after wearing it. I am happy to report that despite the formula similarities the Revlon is so much easier to remove and comes off cleanly with makeup remover and a rinse after washing your face.

Cons: The Revlon packaging is a lot cheaper looking and feeling, but really that's not an issue. Neither are available in a waterproof formula.

Overall: I'm not actually a fan of either of these mascara formulas, they're a little too goopy/clumpy for my tastes but if you have been wanting to try Benefit's They're Real! mascara, definitely save yourself some money (and frustration removing your makeup) and get the Revlon Photoready 3D Volume Mascara instead.

Hope this helps some of you out!