Benefit, the brand that’s not only known for wanting to perfect your brows but will forever be linked with the most fun retro-kitschy packaging on the planet, also produces some pretty amazing beauty products. A while back, I was sent these two cases with each bearing a prelaunch version of 2 new & upcoming products for 2017: four they’re Real! Double the Lip shades and a trio of they’re Real! Duo Shadow Blender hues.

So what exactly are these things, you may be asking? Well in a nutshell, the lippies — which come housed in packaging that’s a slimmer version of the brand’s best-selling they’re Real! Mascara — are a combo lipstick & liner in one. The unique teardrop shape has the liner portion at the tip and is quite effective at “grabbing & defining” the lip line, filling in lips with colour and a complimentary liner at the same time. The eyeshadow duos come with a unique ball-shaped sponge applicator that is meant to be swiped along two shades at the same time and then deposited along the lids, effectively creating a “bigger, wide-eyed” look with the complimentary colours. Sounds simple enough, no?

EDIT: as I sat down to write this post, I actually received the most generous package from Benefit that came complete with all 8 shades of both the lip and eyeshadows! How’s that for timing?!

they’re Real! Big Sexy Lip Kit (CAN $38.00/A $52.00 value) | The unique teardrop shape of the bullet has in effect combined both a lip shade and a complimentary lip liner hue in one product, to help provide the appearance of an instantly fuller pout. The formula is said to give 8 hours of wear, but I’m guessing that claim will probably hold truer for the deeper tones, with the lighter shades most likely falling short of that. The texture is quite creamy and glides easily along the lips and while there’s a slight learning curve in manipulating the tip to effectively outline the lips, it’s actually pretty easy to use once you’ve got it down pat. The only issue is in keeping the tip sharp (if anyone knows how I can do this, let me know in the comments) but even that isn’t a deal-breaker for me, since I don’t mind having the two shades combined anyway.

• Flame Game – tangerine with a deeper orange tip
• Pink Thrills – hot pink with a deep rose tip
• Revved-Up Red – pink red with a deep rose/red tip
• Lusty Rose – dusky rose with dark pink tip

they’re Real! Big Sexy Eye Kit (CAN $47.00/A $94.00 value) | The three trios in this set can also be used as 6 individual shades, although the deal is to actually apply each duo simultaneously with the help of the unique spherical sponge applicator. Said to provide “12 hours of crease-resistant” wear, I still need to apply primer first as my lids lean on the oily side (ugh) – something to consider if you’re like me. As with the lippies, there’s a slight learning curve here too but once you get the hang of it, it’s actually not only easy, but fun.

All you have to do is hold the applicator firmly and in one even stroke — keeping even pressure the entire time — swipe it across your chosen duo. You should clearly see both shadow colours upon the applicator, which you then apply to your lid using the same even-stroke method … just ensure you do this by also following your eye shape’s unique contours.What you should wind up with is the two shades deposited at once, with one running along the lid and the other at crease-level. Of course, this isn’t set in stone; feel free to use whatever brushes you prefer and whichever shade you like to mix & match at will. Personally, I feel that who can really benefit (lol) from this system will be anyone who’s not that adept at applying multiple eyeshadows (this take the guesswork out of the equation) or anyone in a rush and just wants to slap something on quickly. Boom. Done.

• Beyond Nude – soft tan with champagne shimmer
• Naughty Neutral – mauve taupe with pink pearl shimmer
• Bombshell Brown – pale brown with oyster shimmer

What saves either of these products from being gimmicky, is the fact that the quality is spot-on, the shades are all lovely & wearable, and they more or less function as per the claims. As to convenience, I like the idea of the two lip shades in one but the texture is quite soft which means the tip will round out rather quickly. Again, I don’t mind because instead of a sharply lined look, you then get more of an ombré effect — something I like even better, in fact. As to the eyeshadow duos, I find the textures to be quite good and the colours very complimentary, but I’ll definitely stick to using my own brushes for application; keeps my inner control-freak happier that way.

Available at Sephora/individual shades will be available February, 2017

PR samples/As always, all opinions are my own