My Holy Grail Eyebrow Products
Thursday, October 05, 2017These days, people often comment on how good your makeup is just by looking at your brows. It’s true. I get complimented with my makeup, but they first look at how well I shape or did my brows. Makeup techniques have definitely evolved over the years but one can’t deny the fact that when you have good eyebrows, your whole makeup game perks up.
Even if you don’t have a full makeup on, you will still look put-together just by having brows that are well-groomed and well-shaped. Over the years, I tried a TON of different eyebrow products to make my #browgamestrong. From affordable to high-end ones, I narrowed them down to these four types of holy grail eyebrow products.
Eyebrow Pencil
My favorite eyebrow pencil of all time is Etude House Drawing Eyebrow Pencil. It has a flat, slanted tip on one end and a spoolie brush on the other. It’s an automatic brow pencil that’s convenient to use and easy to carry when I travel. It easily glides on my skin to shape my brows and to fill them in. I use the attached spoolie to comb my brow hairs and to diffuse the product to make my brows more natural-looking. As compared to other automatic brow pencils, this Etude House Drawing Eyebrow Pencil has less chances of breakage if you accidentally drop it.
For years, I’ve been changing from one brand to another (mostly Korean brands), from regular pencil type to automatic ones, but I came back to my first love Etude House when I grew my brows once again. I currently have full brows, but there was a time when I first got into plucking that I kind of over-plucked my brows. What I like about this pencil is that the flat, slanted tip helps to frame my brows easier as compared to slim, pointed brow pencils. It’s the best brow product you can use for a quick brow makeup.
If you’re a newbie when it comes to doing your brows, this is a very good product to start with. The product doesn’t even dry out even if you haven’t used it for months. Best part of all, it’s cheap!
Price: Php 178 in Etude House Philippines, US$ 3.60 in EtudeHouse.com, or KRW 2,800 in Etude House Korea
Shade I use: #1 (Brown)
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| Benefit Brow Zings in 03 - Medium. I've been using it for months, but the kit remains 90% full. |
Eyebrow Powder
When I’m not in a hurry, I pick up my Benefit Brow Zings to sculpt, shape, and fill in my brows. If you’re transitioning from brow pencil to powder, it might take a few tries before you get the hang of it. Plus, you will need an angled brush with stiff bristles that can perfectly make a clean line or hair-like strokes.
It’s been a long time since I wanted to try Benefit Brow Zings but I just can’t justify spending Php 1,700 (about US$ 34) for a brow powder and wax combo. So when my rewards card reached a certain amount close to the retail price of Brow Zings, I took advantage of purchasing it. Of course before I bought the product, I had it tested on my brows first. (Btw, Benefit Cosmetics already increased their price for Brow Zings, considering I only bought mine about 4 months ago!)
The first thing I liked about Benefit Brow Zings is that it’s very slim and compact which makes it easy to carry when I'm on the go. Second, Brow Zings has 6 cool-tone shades that will suit every complexion and hair color. Third, it’s got an extendable, dual-ended brush to apply wax and powder (the brush applicators are in good quality, too). Fourth, the brow kit comes with mini slant tweezers which can be used for emergency grooming. Lastly, it will probably take you two years (or more) before you completely empty your Brow Zings kit.
I use my Brow Zings everyday because I like my brows to look as natural as possible. Plus it’s easy to do a gradient effect using powder, wax, and the brush that comes with the kit (in my case). If you want to try a brow powder to see if it’s your cup of tea, you can try a drugstore or Korean brand first. However, you will notice that some drugstore brands dry up easily and the Korean branded ones have limited shade selection.
Price: Php 2,000 at Sephora.ph and Benefit Philippines, US$ 32 at Benefit.com
Shade I use: 03-Medium
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| Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown |
Eyebrow Pomade
I only have one eyebrow pomade in my makeup collection and that’s Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade. It’s THE must-have product for anyone who loves doing their brows. I never understand why makeup pros and amateurs rave about this product until I finally got my hands on it. Seriously, if you want to up your brow game, ABH Dipbrow Pomade should sit in your makeup kit ASAP.
Although I don’t use it everyday, I use Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade for special occasions when I want to achieve that “eyebrows on fleek” look. In addition, I also use this product when I need to be in outdoor locations where it could be hot and humid. Because the Dipbrow Pomade is water-proof, smudge-proof and long-lasting, I don’t have to worry about sweat running down my brows. You need a stiff angled brush for this product and you have to work fast as it dries down in seconds. Once it’s completely dried down, it won’t budge even if you rub your brows.
Many people might find this product difficult to use as compared to pencil or powder form because you can’t afford to make too many mistakes with this pomade. The trick here is to dip your angled brush in as little product as possible so you don’t end up having brows that are too bold and angled. If I got too much product from the pot, I just wipe my brush with a tissue.
If you have little to almost non-existent brow hairs, I suggest you practice using this Dipbrow Pomade from Anastasia because it will give you the illusion of having full and real brow hairs. While a small pot can last you for a year (or more), my only gripe with the Dipbrow Pomade is that it dries up easily, so make sure you screw the lid tight.
Price: Php 1,000-1,600 (online resellers), US$ 18 in Anastasiabeverlyhills.com, Sephora.com, and Beautylish.com
Shade I use: Medium Brown
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| Different mascara wands that properly coat and color the brows. From left to right: Benefit, The Face Shop, Etude House |
Eyebrow Mascara
Because I have full brows, I need an eyebrow mascara to set my brow hairs in place. I have two tinted mascaras and a clear one which instantly became my favorite the moment I combed it through my brows.
My first choice for tinted eyebrow mascara is Etude House Color My Brows in 01 Rich Brown. It has a slightly thick, creamy texture that holds onto hair strands quickly, making it easy to coat the brow with a hint of color. It sets the brow hairs in place without making the hair strands stiff. I use Etude House’s Color My Brows whenever I have dark hair.
Price: Php 378 for 4.5g at Etude House Philippines, US$ 7.80 at EtudeHouse.com
Shade I use: 01 Rich Brown
My second choice for tinted eyebrow mascara is The Face Shop Designing Browcara in 04 Brown. Unlike Color My Brows, The Face Shop’s Designing Browcara is less creamy and more watery so I have to re-apply several coats before my brow hairs are completely tinted. It easily sets the brow in place, too although the Etude House one lasts longer. I use this Browcara whenever I have light brown hair or highlights.
Price: Php 395 in The Face Shop Philippines, $3.82 at ibuybeauti.com
Shade I use: 04 Brown
What I like most about Etude House and The Face Shop’s eyebrow mascaras is that both products have small wands, making it easy to apply product all over my brows. If you have less brow hairs, you can do precision application with their tapered mascara wands.
Now for my holy grail clear brow mascara, my pick is Benefit Cosmetics Ready, Set, BROW! Clear Brow Gel (now renamed to 24-Hour Brow Setter Clear Brow Gel). If I want to do feathered brows, I use less brow pencil, powder or pomade, and use more of this invisible brow gel. This one from Benefit Cosmetics holds the brow hair in place and dries easily so I can comb my hair upwards to achieve fuller, messier, and younger-looking brows (like Cara Delevingne and Liza Soberano!).
Ready, Set, BROW! Clear Brow Gel has a unique wand applicator. The long bristles of the wand coats the hair evenly with gel, while the short bristles shape the hair in place. Unlike the brow mascaras from Etude House and The Face Shop, this Ready, Set, BROW! can make the brow hairs feel stiff so you either like it or hate it. I love it, to be honest. Again, I only use this when I do feathered brows and you can only achieve a neat, feathered one if you use a clear brow gel that’s strong enough to keep your hair strands neatly messy (the irony!).
Price: Php 1,400 at Benefit Cosmetics Philippines, Php 1,500 at Sephora.ph, US$ 24 at Befitcosmetics.com
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| Eyebrow products from The Face Shop, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Etude House, and Benefit Cosmetics |
Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored post. I bought these makeup with my own money and my thoughts on these products are 100% honest and based on my experience.
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