Let’s talk about brows. Ever since I weaned myself off the tragic pencil-thin brow life (thank you, 90’s/’00s), I’ve felt pretty good about my brows. They’re an okay shape, I maintain them myself and they’re basically middle-of-the-road. And then someone filled them in and I realized how much a great brow can really transform your face. Now I’m a brow convert.
Benefit recently launched a collection of 10 brow products that is a mix of reformulated and brand new products, all in shiny new packaging and with an expanded shade range! I received the full set for review and, to be honest, I’ve been waffling on writing this post because I keep finding new favourites. This collection truly has a brow product – or brow product combination – for everyone.
I’ve become so obsessed with (so many of) the products that I don’t leave the house without at least one of them on now. Buckle up – this is going to be a long one. But, I promise you’re going to find your perfect brow product as you scroll through.
THE NEW PACKAGING
I’m a fan of the sleek new makeover Benefit has given their brow range. As much as I love the cheeky packaging of the past, the silver, mirrored-look packaging feels sleek and oh-so-pretty sitting on my vanity or in my makeup bag. The boxes themselves were so pretty that I didn’t want to toss them. I love good typography!
THE PRODUCTS
BROWVO! Conditioning Primer
Let’s talk about this for a second. This primer is meant to pull double duty and encourage brow growth while also priming your brows so product lasts longer. I don’t find myself reaching for the primer at all: the products in this range do a really great job at staying on all on their own. And I’m not convinced you need a brow primer. This is one of those things that if you want to give it a go, why not…but it’s also $36. Make of that what you will. ($36)
Goof Proof Brow Pencil
My first love from this collection was the uniquely teardrop-shaped Good Proof Brow Pencil. It’s a thing of beauty: you can go from sparse to full brows in a matter of seconds with little-to-no effort or know-how. The wide end covers quickly while the pointed end defines. It’s perfect for beginners or to keep on hands for mornings when you really don’t have much time. It gives your brows a nice, soft-but-defined look. ($30)
Precisely, My Brow Pencil
If you’re looking to perfect your brows with tiny, hair-like strokes, this is the brow pencil for you. Precisely, My Brow Pencil features a precise, no-sharpening-required tip and a spoolie on the other end of the pencil to help blend the product. As much as I love this product on its own, I also love to pair it with ka-BROW! or even the Goof Proof Brow Pencil to help futher define and fill in the shape. This is *always* in my makeup bag. ($30)
3D BROWtones Instant Color Highlights
Think of this one as brow gel on steroids. Not only is it water-resistant and brow-shaping, but you’ll also get the added benefit of brow “highlights”. Yes, highlights. It’s not quite shimmery, but it does add a bit of contrast (this is where the 3D comes in) to your brows. I’ve worn it over other products to blend them out and tone them down, in the case of ka-BROW!, but it also looks lovely on its own. ($30)
Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel
For the sparse-brow’d among us, Gimme Brow is a saviour not to be overlooked. This volumizing gel has tiny micro fibres meant to adhere to your skin and hair. It works like those “extensions” fibre mascaras without the mess and creepy ‘hair’ particles. It simply brushes on and builds up to a voluminous, fuller brow. Although it can be worn on its own, it really shines for those with sparse brows when layered over brows already shaped with a precise brow pencil. ($30)
ka-BROW! Cream-Gel Eyebrow Colour With Brush
This is my current favourite product. The cream-gel formula completely transforms your brows and it sticks. With 24-hour wear time, this product will last a full day and beyond. The cap transforms into a full-length brush that actually works well with the product. I use ka-BROW! to shape and then fill in my brows – after a bit of practice, it’s really easy to build a perfect brow. ($30)
Ready, Set, Brow! 24-hour Setting Gel
Ready, Set, Brow! is a transparent brow gel that claims to set your brows for 24 hours. While I can’t tell you if that’s true, I can tell you that it makes my brows feel a bit crunchy, if not nicely groomed in appearance. It’s possible that I over-applied – I’m not a brow setting gel kinda gal – but I do think this is one of those products where you could go for a drugstore version. ($30)
High Brow Pencil + High Brow Glow Highlight & Lift Pencil
The quickest way to brighten up your look is using one of the High Brow pencils. These chubby, creamy sticks of awesome are perfect for highlighting under the brow bone and making your brows look polished without much work at all. I also love to use them on the cupid’s bow and in the inner corners of the eyes for an extra bit of pop. High Brow is a matte, linen pink shade while High Brow Glow has more of a champagne, glowy hue. I love both equally and, should you be tempted by both…they seriously last forever. I wasn’t even a third of the way through my original one when I received the new formulation! ($29 each)
Brow Zings Tame & Shape Kit
One of Benefit’s iconic brow products, Brow Zings is a purse-friendly powerpack, containing a brow wax, powder, tweezers and brush in a mirrored compact. This isn’t my favourite product – I find even the #4 shade is too light for me and I find the wax + powder combo hard to work with. But…many people really love this one. It will really depend what you prefer in a brow product! For me, that’s a pomade, gel or pencil texture. ($42)
My Picks:
OK. Now this is a tough one. As you can tell, I really love a lot of the products in this range. But, if I absolutely had to choose…I’d get ka-BROW!, High Brow + Precisely, My Brow.
These brows look alright, but what you really want is the brows below. Hubba-hubba, those brows look polished! To get the brow I’m wearing in these photos, use ka-BROW to fill in and perfect your shape and then go in with Precisely, My Brow to further define along the brow line – especially the more feathery inner corners. Brush through to blend the product with the spoolie on the back end of the brow pencil. Use High Brow along the underside of the brow to make it look absolutely perfect. Ta-da!
Thank you for sticking with me until the end! It’s been awhile since I reviewed an entire collection, but as someone who has spent way too much money on brow products, I felt like I should give you my best-possible opinion on this entire range. Plus…as a whole, it’s pretty awesome.
