• NYX Micro Brow Pencil vs. Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil

    Dupe It Out | NYX Micro Brow Pencil vs. Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil

    September 21, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Last month, I received the Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil from Topbox Circle. I thought I would compare it to my fave, the NYX Micro Brow Pencil. Keep reading to find out which one I prefer!

    NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black (brown-black)

    Available in 8 shades, twist-up & retractable pencil with a spoolie on the other end.

    Build full beautiful brows with our ultra-thin Micro Brow Pencil. So precise it coats even the finest hairs with color for a natural-looking finish.

    In the picture, I don’t have a cap on the spoolie, but it does come with a cap.

    Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6 (cool soft black)

    Available in 8 shades, twist-up & retractable pencil with a spoolie on the other end (mini doesn’t come with a spoolie).

    This ultra-fine eyebrow pencil draws incredibly natural-looking, hair-like strokes that last 12 budge-proof hours.* A few strokes of the rich yet blendable colour will transform brows from shapeless & undefined to filled & defined eyebrows.

    Top is the NYX Micro Brow Pencil (you can tell it’s slightly more brown).

    I have the darkest shade for both pencils and the NYX pencil looks darker and more brown while the Benefit pencil is more gray-black.

    For both pencils, they are available in 8 shades. No need for a sharpener, you twist it up and you can retract if you need to. They both come with spoolies on the other end (although the Benefit mini size doesn’t have a spoolie).

    WINNER: Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil

    It was a very close competition, but I have to give the win to Benefit. They are known for their brow products and they just came out with more shades for each of them!

    My brows are black (and my hair has grown out since I last dyed it), so when I use a brow product that has brown, it looks like I’ve obviously filled them in with a pencil. The Precisely, My Brow looks more gray and looks more natural on me. My brow pencils last a long time because I’m fairly low maintenance when it comes to brows. I only fill in the gaps and nowhere else and then I’ll go in with a brow gel to keep them in place. So, for me, I’m okay with spending a bit more on brow products because they last so long.

    If you don’t want to spend $30 on a brow product, then NYX is a great alternative, but I personally think the Benefit pencil works better for my brows because it’s not as harsh-looking. I think the NYX pencils cater more to blondes and brunettes whereas the Benefit ones just came out with more shades and they have the different undertones (warm, neutral and cool). I haven’t tried the Anastasia Brow Wiz, but I’m interested to see if it’s better than or performs the same as the Precisely, My Brow. Once I finish some of my current brow products, I will probably pick up a Brow Wiz pencil to compare (especially since it’s cheaper and you get a little more product).

    I have a new review up! I compared the Benefit Precisely, My Brow with the Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil (click here)!

    What’s your fave brow product?

    Love,

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  • makeup collection concealers fooundations primers

    Makeup Goals | A Streamlined Makeup Collection

    July 20, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    When I was doing my mid-year makeup inventory, I realized just how much makeup I had. It’s kind of ridiculous how much makeup I’ve accumulated in the past two years. 2016 was when I got more into makeup and it was only last year that started buying products like highlighter and bronzer. I went through my collection and counted how much I have of each type of product. I didn’t want to do a mid-year makeup inventory on all of them because let’s be honest, it would’ve taken a long time to swatch and write a mini review for each one. Especially when I don’t necessarily love all of the products I own.

    I’ve decided to set some goals for myself in terms of buying makeup going forward. As I was doing my makeup inventory, I decluttered a few products that were past their expiry date and/or I just wasn’t using (basically just taking up space). Here are some goals that I have decided to apply:

    Goal #1 | For primers, foundations, eyeshadows and makeup brushes – only buy high end ones

    • Foundations
      • Find a few favourite ones with different finishes (powder, cushion, sheer coverage, medium coverage)
      • For liquid foundations- I need to have sampled it a few times and put it through a testing period (like I did with the Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation- read my review) before I take the plunge and buy it.
      • Test them out in-store and see how they look in natural lighting and how it wears for the day

    For the other makeup products, I feel like a mix of high end and drugstore are acceptable. There are some amazing drugstore products that I absolutely love and drugstore foundations are great, but I have trouble finding shade matches and there aren’t always testers in store.

    Goal #2 | Cut down on impulse buying

    I’ll admit that 50% of the time, I am an impulse buyer (especially if there’s a sale). Luckily, most of the items I’ve bought on impulse were okay.

    Goal #3 | Read or watch 3 (or more) positive reviews before making a purchase

    I know this isn’t the best way to tell if I will like something because I might not like something that someone else loves, but it will help cut down the impulse buying too. I’ve bought a few duds (that were planned purchases) because YouTube or Instagram made me buy it (*cough* L’Oréal Lash Paradise *cough*). Before buying a product from now on (especially a drugstore item because you can’t return it once it’s been opened), I will check out some reviews online. Usually, I look at Influenster to see what it’s rating out of 5 is and if it’s rated on their list (i.e. Lash Paradise, the non-waterproof one, is rated #1 in mascaras and 4.56/5). Personally, it’s not my #1 mascara, but I don’t hate it.

    Goal #4 | Keep Track of My Makeup Purchases and Set an Annual Makeup Budget

    This sounds kind of scary, but I think I should set one. Last year, I became a VIB Rouge member at Sephora and I have no idea how that happened. The majority was skincare or makeup tools, but there was a fair share of makeup which is surprising because a lot of my makeup is from the drugstore or Winners. For a lot of products (like makeup brushes or foundation), they may seem expensive, but they last a long time. The initial cost may sting, but once you have it, you don’t need to buy more for a while.

    For my blog, I have a monthly budget ($25) to spend on products that I buy for the blog. I prefer to get drugstore products because that’s the most accssible to everyone. I mean, there are tons of beauty lovers who are students- they can’t necessarily afford to get a Dior foundation or a high end palette.

    GOAL #5 | A Streamlined Makeup Collection

    I was going to plan on a Minimalist Makeup Collection, but after writing the numbers down, I wouldn’t consider what I plan to be a Minimalist Collection. So, we’ll go with a streamlined collection of what I have now. I want to find some favourites that I can always rely on so that I can just buy good, high end products (foundations, concealers, etc.) and not worry about buying all these different products to see what works with my skin type.

    I’ve already shared some of my makeup collection in my mid-year makeup inventory. So, I thought I’d share the numbers with you for the rest of my products. Some of my numbers in this list may be different than the mid-year makeup inventory. This is because I was only counting the products that I had opened at the time. Since then, I have opened a few things and gotten a few deluxe samples. Please keep in mind that not all products are full-sized, but I still counted them as ‘1’. So, here are the inventories for each category:

    • Primers: 12 (includes an under eye primer and eyeshadow primers)
    • Foundations: 13
    • Concealers/Colour Correctors: 11
    • Setting/Finishing Powders & Face Mists: 5
    • Illuminating Powders/Creams: 4
    • Bronzers: 4
    • Blushes: 13
    • Highlighters: 14
    • Brow pencils: 3
    • Eyeshadows: 37
    • Eyeliners: 12
    • Mascaras: 6
    • Lipstick: 25
    • Lip Liners: 7
    • Lip Glosses/Tints: 10
    • Makeup Removers: 10

    I know these aren’t makeup, but I’m going to include them too:

    • Perfume: 5
    • Nail Polish: 43

    I was going to total the whole number of products, but some are double-counted i.e. Bobbi Brown palette has blush, highlighter, bronzer and eyeshadow. Give or take, there are 200 items.

    NEW MAKEUP GOALS & FAVOURITES

    I want to streamline my makeup so that I don’t have 200 items in my drawers. I only have so much space in my room if you include makeup, skincare, hair and nail products. The following numbers are what I hope my collection will go down to once I find favourites in each. Under each category, I have included favourites that I think will be included in my Minimalist Collection.

    • Primers: it’s hard to say a number for this one because you want different primers for different uses (mattifying, illuminating, hydrating, eyeshadow, etc.). I’ll say less than 10 for sure!
    • Foundations: 6 at the most (that should be enough for different finishes and coverage)
    • Concealers/Colour Correctors: 5
    • Setting/Finishing Sprays/Powders & Face Mists: 5
    • Illuminating Powders/Creams: 2
    • Bronzers: 2
    • Blushes: 3 (1 with shimmer, 1 peachy, 1 pink)
    • Highlighters: This is hard to decide because there are so many amazing highlighters out there that are different shades and they can double as eyeshadows (6?)
    • Brows: 3 (2 pencils, 1 gel)
    • Eyeshadows: This is hard to decide too because singles count as 1. I will say that I want at least 2-3 good palettes with matte neutral shades and shimmery shades and I like cream shadows and sticks, so maybe 4-5 of those.
    • Eyeliners: 5
    • Mascaras: 3
    • Lipstick: 10
    • Lip Liners: 2
    • Lip Glosses/Tints: 3
    • Makeup Removers: 3
    • Perfumes: 3
    • Nail Polish: 5

    For all of the categories, they’re estimates of what I think I should own and adding all of those up, it’s about 80 products. So, my goal for next year is to cut my collection in half and maybe I can aim for an even smaller collection for 2020.

    Would you ever streamline your makeup collection?

    Love,

    jen

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  • benefit precisely my brow lancome brow shaping powdery pencil diorshow bold brow

    My Brow Routine

    January 28, 2018

    Hi Everyone!

    Let’s talk about brows! First, a little history of my brows. You can skip ahead if you want to see what products I use!

    My Brow History

    010_nr.jpgMy brows have gone through a lot over the years. I only started using brow products in 2016. Before I started grooming them, my brows were very thick (they were shaped like triangles, I had the arch where it was supposed to be, but then there were lots of hairs that needed to be tweezed underneath). Look! Triangles! →

    I started tweezing them in grade 8 (aged 12/13). I overplucked them, and I don’t mean they were too thin, I mean I plucked them so they were too far apart (wide gap between brows). They were like that in my high school years too- they got closer though. I don’t know when the first time I got them professionally waxed was, but I assume high school or university. Twice I’ve gotten them done where the lady waxed them and they were too thin. The head of my brows are a bit sparse and in pictures, it makes my eyebrows look farther apart than they are in person. The tail of my brows sometimes has gaps if I overpluck or trim the hairs too short. In the past, I used to overpluck underneath the head of my brows and it would look like the head of my brows had a hook. My eyebrows are arched, so when I overpluck and have a hook, my brows had a ‘C’ shape.

    I may need to just let them grow out and then get them done professionally.

    Captureas.PNG

    2010- they’ve started to grow closer together

    2013- too thin and far apart

    2016- eyebrows have a hook

    2017- success at last! No hook and not too thin

    Brow Products

    There are so many different brow products out there: Pencils, Mascaras, Gels, Pomades, Powders and more!

    Micro pencils are the most natural, in my opinion, because you can do feather-like hair strokes. They’re great for filling in gaps.

    Brow mascaras/gels are good if you want to darken your brows, but don’t want them filled in.

    Tips: For tinted ones, make sure to only touch your hairs and not the skin, or it will tint your skin and you’ll get random spots filled in that you don’t want. If you like clear ones, Maybelline’s Clear Great Lash Mascara is great because it’s duo purpose (brows and lashes in one) and good for throwing in your bag.But I prefer using a tinted gel though because it has a matte look. I’ve used a clear gel that hardened and made my brows feel crunchy.

    Powders are good if you want to fill in the brows, but still have a natural look.

    Tip: You can use a matte eyeshadow, just use an angled liner brush

    Pomades and cream gels give you the most colour. They’re great if your brows are non-existent or if you want a more dramatic look.

    NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – The spoolie side comes with a cap too, but I took it off because it was annoying taking it off everyday. The cap is useful if you throw it in your purse though, it keeps the shape of the brush intact.

    Build full beautiful brows with our ultra-thin Micro Brow Pencil. So precise it coats even the finest hairs with color for a natural-looking finish.

    Maybelline Eyestudio Brow Precise Shaping Pencil in Deep Brown – I bought this because I heard good reviews on it and it was on sale. I don’t like this, I don’t like the waxy feel. Now I know what I don’t like and won’t be buying anymore wax pencils. I use it for taking makeup selfies.

    This natural wax pencil creates fine, hair-like strokes while the grooming brush blends and softens for a natural finish.

    Benefit ka-BROW! Eyebrow Cream Gel Colour in 5 Deep – This is a deluxe sample size, the full size looks different. I should’ve just saved this for a giveaway or given it to someone. It’s so dark, but it’s good if you like to fully fill in your brows.

    Brush on rich, buildable colour! This all-in-one eyebrow cream-gel easily fills, sculpts and defines brows.

    Here’s an idea of what the three different products look like. Obviously the cream gel is the darkest, while the micro brow pencil is the lightest.

    media-20180128eeeeeeeaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
    From Top: Maybelline Brow Precise, NYX Micro Brow, Benefit ka-Brow

    Maybelline Great Lash Clear Mascara – This is a great 2-in-1 product. You can use it for your lashes and brows.

    The classic Great Lash brush cnditions, grooms, and separates eyelashes and brows.

    Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Fibre Gel in 5 Deep – This was recalled back in 2017 (I was able to return mine). Since recalling it, they’ve reformulated it and released more shades.

    Our cult-favorite gimme brow tinted eyebrow gel contains tiny microfibers that adhere to skin & hairs, creating natural-looking fullness and definition. The custom, tiny tapered brush blends easily while the precision tip shapes hairs into place.

    My Brow Routine

    I personally prefer using a pencil or tinted brow gel. I use a pencil to fill in gaps and the brow gel to tame hairs that are unruly.

    My favourite is the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black and the Benefit Gimme Brow in 5- Deep. My eyebrows are dark to begin with and I just need help with the gaps. I’ve tried samples of pomades and cream gels, but I just look scary because they make my brows so dark. The only time I would use them is if I’m trying out a look and taking a picture for Instagram.

    My routine is fairly quick since I’m just filling in gaps here and there. I comb out my brows with a spoolie and then I use the NYX pencil. Then go over with a spoolie to soften any darker lines. Sometimes I will use the brow gel if my brows are being particularly unruly. At the very least, I use the pencil.

    I’ve written a few comparison blog posts on brow products, check them out:

    Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil vs. Benefit Precisely, My Brow

    Diorshow BoldBrow vs. Benefit 24 Hour Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel

    What brow products do you use?

    Love,

    jen

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