Personally, I hated the whole concept of the “humblebrag' before it got its own hashtag and was lost forever as a Twitter- thing. I tend to feel that if you don't own your own praise, nobody's going to do it for you. Which brings me to the point: I have been asked several times in my life if my eyelashes are real. At drugstore makeup counters, by close friends, acquaintances, by oddly curious strangers. I don't have My Little Pony length or anything—yet they ask. And they are real. I have my parents to thank (genetics!), but you know what's helping right now? Benefit They're Real! Mascara. (Cute and apt, right?)

Even long, dark, and thick eyelashes need a little somethin'-somethin', and Benefit's staggered-bristle brush—which extends over the top of the wand to get the little guys in the corners, much like the mace-like tip of Givenchy Phenomen'eyes—catches lashes at the base for maximized lift and volume, while the silky, strong formula makes mine stand up at attention (if slightly curved—remember, a Shu Uemura curler also does wonders). It doesn't bleed, smudge, clump, or dry out and keeps my fringe looking pert until the moment I take it off.

They're Real!'s reigning top-10 status at Sephora implies that it works even for those less-satisfied with what nature gave them. In fact, one Sephora sales associate who saw me lingering around the mascaras told me that they can barely keep it on the shelves. “Everybody wants to look fake-real,” she said, pausing to pass a customer a pot of MAC pigment in Magenta Madness before adding, “or real-fake,” And then I lost her forever when she went to help another customer who was in hot pursuit of a Clarisonic. (I'll never forget you, Kim!)

As for how I get down with They're Real!: I swipe on a coat or two in the morning, and if I'm going out later or need a boost, I'll curl them again, but no more product is necessary (in fact, more product will only make them look over-done). It's just that easy to look just that maybe-fake. So, two very enthusiastic thumbs way up—yes, they're real, and thank you so much for asking (it actually does kind of make my day).

—Alessandra Codinha