Bringing oneself to swipe on a lip color is hard enough before even flirting with the idea of too-often-overlooked lip liner. It's hard out there for a woman perpetually pressed for time and always on the go. That's why I'm kissing the ground that Benefit co-founders Jean and Jane Ford walk on because as per usual, they've dreamed up another product that just gets us AKA is a hack in and of itself.
Ever since I added one of their They're Real Double the Lip pens to my repertoire, my pout has been "done" all day long. A personal feat, because more often than not I can't be bothered. The big draw is that it's a 2-in-1 situation, with a lipstick and liner blocked onto one teardrop-shaped tube. The darker-hued liner is at the tip, while the lighter full lip color makes up the body.
At first blush, I thought the cross-bred formulation was way to be good to be true. Surely the application wouldn't be as precise as two separate steps. But I was wrong. The shape makes it easy to pivot around every contour of the lips as if you were using a skinny pencil. Plus, the semi-matte finish packs the right amount of punch while ensuring that application gaffes won't be fatal. A few smacks of the lips and everything blends nicely.
For a long time, I didn't want to subscribe to Team Overline Your Lips, but doing so slightly with this hybrid really did make me feel like I'd enhanced my lips twofold. I'm officially cool with some ever-so-slight VLL (visible lip liner) à la Brigitte Bardot. And to that end, my BB-inspired shade of choice was "Criminally Coral" a dusty rose pink with slight peachy undertones and a dark berry liner. There are eight dual combinations in total ranging from classic red lip "Flame Game" to hot fuchsia "Pink Thrills."
The individual pens go for $20 a pop and you can also opt for the kit, which includes a set of four miniature shades (Flame Game, Pink Thrills, Revved-Up Red, and Lusty Rose) for $29.
Benefit They're Real! Double the Lip, $20; benefitcosmetics.com.
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