Brow Pencils & Gels | My Hits & Misses

May 8, 2020

Hi Everyone!

Today, I’m sharing my favourite brow products!

Check out my other Hits & Misses posts!

MAKEUP || Primers | Foundations | Powders | Concealers | Mascara

SKINCARE || Eye Creams

BRANDS || Bobbi Brown | Burt’s Bees | L’Oréal | Maybelline | Nude by Nature | NYX | TULA | Volition Beauty

Before you read this post, please remember that we all have difference preferences and skin types. These are MY hits, misses and likes. You might love something I don’t like or dislike something I love.

My brow products of choice are pencils and gels. A few times I’ve used an matte shadow as eyebrow powder, but I prefer pencils. I’m not patient or skilled enough to use pomades.

Two years ago, I wrote a similar post reviewing brow products I’ve tried (read my post). I’ve tried quite a few products since then and found some that I like more.

I’ve also written a few comparison posts (with swatches), check them out below:

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

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

I don’t think they sell the Dior Diorshow BoldBrow anymore, they came out with a new product to replace it.

HITS

Colourpop Brow Boss Clear Gel – My friend recommended this clear gel and it’s my favourite clear gel that I’ve tried. It comes out of the tube white, but dries down clear. It leaves my brows feeling soft and not crunchy at all!

Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel in 5 Deep – One of my favourite tinted brow gels.

Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define in 6 (read my review) – This has been one of my favourite brow pencils I’ve tried.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Black – A great drugstore micro brow pencil. This is a fave of mine as well.

LIKES

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel – This brow gel does get a bit crunchy, but it keeps my brows in place. I just wish the wand wasn’t so huge. It’s like a mascara wand. I would prefer a thinner one.

Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil in Soft Black 09 (read my review) – I liked this brow pencil, but it felt like a waste to sharpen so much of it away. I prefer retractable pencils that you don’t have to sharpen. This pencil is nice for a natural look.

Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow Pencil in Dark Brunette – I wanted to try a different brow pencil, so I grabbed this Kevyn Aucoin one. It’s the first product I’ve tried from the brand. The shade is a good match for me, but it wipes off more easily than other brow products. I wouldn’t repurchase it.

NYX Fill & Fluff Pomade Pencil in Ash Brown – In my NYX Hits & Misses post, I put this in the HITS, but this is going into the LIKES section for this post. It’s a HIT for the products I’ve tried from NYX, but there’s other brow products I prefer. This is another pencil that I like from NYX. Although I prefer the Micro Brow pencil because it comes with a spoolie. This one comes with a little oval/paddle brush so you can diffuse what you drew on. You get a more filled in look with this pomade pencil.

MISSES

Benefit 24-HR Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel (read my review) – I don’t know if it was just the sample I got of this, but it was kind of tacky. When you pull the wandout, you would see a string of product from the wand to the tube. It kind of reminded me of clear lash glue in that way.

Benefit ka-BROW! Cream-Gel Eyebrow Color in 5 Deep – I got a deluxe sample of this and it’s just too intense for me.

Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill in 5 Deep – I prefer micro pencils so this was too thick for me. I prefer hair-like strokes instead of the filled in look.

Burt’s Bees Natural Brow Pencil in 1610 Brunette* – This only comes in two shades and the darker shade is too light for me. It was too waxy for my liking.

Maybelline Eye Studio Brow Precise Shaping Pencil in Deep Brown – This pencil was way too waxy for my liking and it never sharpened nicely.

Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brows Eyebrow Gel in Perfect Brown – I just wanted to try some Charlotte Tilbury products so I bought this during the sale. I love the size of the brush and the colour was nice. It’s a nice product, but I don’t think it’s anything special and it’s the most expensive gel I’ve tried.

Brow Gels

Product	Price in CAD	Size	Cost per gram	# of shades available
Colourpop Brow Boss Clear Gel	7 USD = 8.85 CAD	3.10g	2.2	clear, 4 tinted
Anastasia Strong Hold Clear Brow Gel	29.50	7.85g	3.8	clear
L’Oréal Brow Stylist Boost & Set Volumizing Brow Mascara	13.49	3.2g	4.2	4 tinted
Benefit 24-HR Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel	32	7g	4.6	clear
Anastasia Clear Brow Gel (mini)	12	2,5g	4.8	clear
Benefit 24-HR Brow Setter Shaping & Setting Gel (value)	51	6g	8.5	3 tinted
Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel (mini)	19	3.5g	5.4	clear
Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel	32	3g	10.7	10 tinted
Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel (mini)	18	1.5g	12.7	10 tinted
Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Brows Eyebrow Gel	30	1.33g	22.6	4 tinted

Brow Pencils/Pomade Gels

Product	Price in CAD	Size	Cost per ounce	# of shades available
Benefit ka-BROW! Cream Gel Eyebrow Color	32	0.1oz	320	8 shades
Burt's Bees Brow Pencil	13.99	0.04oz	349	2 shades
Mini size Benefit ka-BROW! Cream Gel Eyebrow Color	19	0.05oz	380	3 shades
Maybelline Eye Studio Brow Precise Shaping Pencil	10.99	0.02oz	550	4 shades on Maybelline, 2 shades on Shoppers Drug Mart site
NYX Fill & Fluff Pomade Pencil	12.49	0.007oz	1784	8 shades
Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill	32	0.01oz	3200	12 shades
Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill (mini)	19	0.005oz	3800	3 shades
NYX Micro Brow Pencil	12.49	0.003oz	4163	8 shades
Anastasia Brow Wiz	28	0.003oz	9333	10 shades
Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow Pencil	32	0.003oz	10667	4 shades
Lancôme Brow Shaping Powdery Pencil	35	0.003oz	11667	9 shades
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define	32	0.02oz	16000	12 shades
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil Ultra Fine Shape & Define (mini)	19	0.001oz	19000	12 shades

To Try

I have the Anastasia Brow Wiz in my collection, but I haven’t tried it yet. I bought it earlier this year and wanted to finish my Kevyn Aucoin pencil first.

Dior Diorshow Brow Styler Ultra-Fine Precision Brow Pencil
Dior Diorshow Pump ‘N’ Brow
Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler
Hourglass Arch Brow Micro Sculpting Pencil
Hourglass Arch Brow Shaping Gel
Milk KUSH Fiber Brow Gel
Nudestix Eyebrow Stylus Pencil & Gel

What are your fave brow products?

Love,

Products marked with (*) were sent to me.

Dupe It Out | Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge vs. Sephora Total Coverage Sponge

August 3, 2018
Hi Everyone!

I’m back with another Dupe It Out. It’s been a while since I’ve done one. Today’s duel: Real Techniques vs. Sephora! Recently, I purchased a 4-pack of the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponges at Winners for $20. I was already using the Sephora Total Coverage Sponge, so I thought I would compare the two. I know Sephora wasn’t the first to come out with a beauty sponge and the Real Techniques one isn’t a dupe for it, but they’re both makeup sponges and they have similar textures and density.

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge – If you pick up the sponge from the drugstore, this sponge could be $10 each, but if you pick it up at Winners, and get the 4-pack, it’s $5 each.

This versatile beauty tool was designed with a revolutionary foam technology to evenly blend makeup for a smooth, enhanced finish. Use damp for a dewy glow or dry for a full coverage.
- rounded sides blend large areas of the face with a dabbing motion
- precision tip covers blemishes and imperfections
- flat edge for contouring around the eyes and nose
- ideal for liquid foundation
- latex-free
For best results, replace your makeup sponge every 1-3 months.

Sephora Total Coverage Sponge – I bought the sponge that comes with the bar soap. Before buying this one, I had only bought ones from Winners that are $4-6.

This sponge is specially designed to give makeup an expert boost. The wide base can cover the larger surfaces of the face, while the pointed tip is perfect for contouring around curves, and precision application around the nose, chin, and under the eyes. This sponge is intended to be used wet. The wetter the sponge, the more sheer the coverage. It is formulated without natural latex.

Both have the same feel and density (how squishy they are when wet). I’ve used some sponges that are denser and basically bounce off your face because they’re so hard. Most sponges I’ve picked up at Winners have the same feel and density (if you want a cheaper version of the Sephora one).

I tested out both sponges with liquid and stick foundations and they both performed the same; blending the foundations beautifully. The only thing that sets them apart are the price, shape and size.

WINNER: Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge won for the following categories:
- More budget-friendly
- Faster blending because it’s bigger
- Easier for baking because of the flat side
- Better blending for stick foundations
WINNER: Sephora Total Coverage Sponge won for the following categories:
- Easier to blend under eyes because tip is smaller
If I had to choose, Real Techniques would win. I can’t say if it would win against the beauty blender because I’ve never tried one (and I don’t really plan to spend $20+ on a sponge in the near future), but it wins in more categories than the Sephora sponge. If you like smaller sponges, I also saw another Real Techniques pack that had 2 of the regular orange ones, 3 mini ones and 1 pink one that’s shaped more like the Sephora one, but it also has a flat side too.

OVERALL WINNER: Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

Which makeup sponge is your favourite?

Love,
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Dupe It Out | MakeUp Eraser Makeup Remover Cloth vs. Danielle Creations Erase Your Face Cloth

September 8, 2017

Hi Everyone!

It’s time for another Dupe It Out! Today, I’m comparing The Original MakeUp Eraser Makeup Remover Cloth by Makeup Eraser and the Erase Your Face Cloth by Danielle Creations. Both cloths remove makeup by just adding water, no makeup remover needed! I put them both to the test and here are my findings. I’ve already written a review on the Makeup Eraser, click here.

MakeUp Eraser Makeup Eraser Makeup Remover Cloth

Remove smear-proof, waterproof makeup and mascara with The Original MakeUp Eraser®. Free of chemicals, this makeup remover gets rid of all types of makeup, including stage, sports, and theatrical makeup. Each cloth will last a thousand washes, and you only need to add warm water and then remove makeup. This ultra-soft, woven polyester-blend cloth gets rid of tough makeup without leaving behind a residue—just a fresh, healthy feeling.

Danielle Creations Erase Your Face Makeup Removing Cleansing Cloth

The Erase Your Face Makeup Removing Cleansing Cloth is a reusable cloth that removes all traces of makeup from your face without harmful chemicals

For sensitive skin

Removes all types of cosmetics, including waterproof mascara

No harmful chemicals or synthetic makeup removers

Just add water

Machine wash with cold water

WINNER: It’s a tie!

The Erase Your Face (top) has a rectangular shape with rounded edges, while the Makeup Eraser is rounder. The Erase Your Face has a bit more material since it isn’t as rounded. Both cloths have two different sides; one is similar to a plush material, while the other is more like a soft towel where the fibers are shorter. I’ve tried using both sides and the shorter side did a better job at removing my eye makeup. They both took off the face makeup well, but I don’t think either cloth does a good job at removing eye makeup that’s waterproof. You would have to scrub at your eye and that’s not ideal since the skin around your eyes is thinner and more sensitive. I usually use the cloths if I have light eye makeup on, or I use the cloth for my face and then use my regular eye makeup remover. It still saves you some money because you don’t use makeup remover or a cleanser for your face. You could probably find a cheaper microfiber towel that will do the trick of removing your makeup. If I had to choose, I would get the Erase Your Face because you get four of them for $15.

Love,

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Dupe It Out | Tangle Teezer The Original Detangling Hairbrush vs. Claire’s Detangling Brush

August 24, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to my first post in the Dupe It Out Series. Today, I’ll be comparing hair detangling brushes: The Original Detangling Hairbrush by Tangle Teezer and a Mint Detangling Hairbrush dupe from Claire’s. I’ve already written a full review on the Tangle Teezer brush.

Tangle Teezer The Original Detangling Brush

The Original is the ultimate detangling hairbrush. Using our innovative two-tiered teeth system technology, it detangles with minimum fuss, breakage and damage, leaving hair smooth, soft and shiny.

Claire’s Mint Detangling Hairbrush

Look after your hair by getting through all those stubborn knots with our super soft detangling hairbrushes!

WINNER: Tangle Teezer’s Original Detangling Brush

The Claire’s one wasn’t ergonomically designed to fit into your palm. I have a fairly large palm and I kept dropping it because it’s so slippery. I’ve had a few close calls where it almost fell into the toilet. I have dropped it on the floor a few times. I bought a Forever 21 detangler with a handle, but it was rock hard and hurt to comb my hair. The Claire’s and Tangle Teezer are much softer on the scalp.

I was blow drying my hair and using the Claire’s detangler, but I got a bit too close to the heat. The dryer melted the detangler into my hair! I had to re-wash a section of my hair to get the little bits of mint green plastic out.

*At the time of writing this, the Tangle Teezers with handles didn’t exist yet. I would definitely choose a Tangle Teezer with a handle over the no handle ones.

Have you tried hair detanglers?

Love,

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