Eyebrows

I don't really know where this post is heading, but I just wanted to talk about eyebrow products because I love them so much. Sad, but true. 

When I first started filling my brows in, I used a NYX Brow Powder Duo in Taupe/Ash. I think I won it in a giveaway, and then proceeded to buy my next one from eBay because NYX was extremely difficult to get hold of back then. Then, for years, I used ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit (now £4.50). I went through a few in Medium, then found that Light was a better match for me. As you can see from the photo above, it's still very much loved, and I even have a back up in my drawer.

My favourite eyebrow product formulation now, though, has to be the pomade. I bought the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Soft Brown a couple years ago for £15 because there was nothing else like it on the market. By the time it started to dry out, other, more affordable, brands had released their own versions. Freedom Makeup's Eyebrow Pomades are just £5 (and their Duo Eyebrow Powders are only £3), and I have them in Soft Brown and Medium Brown. I also have the Illamasqua Precision Brow Gel in Strike, which was in a set I bought for a bargainous price. I haven't used this as much because it's quite dark, but it'd probably suit my eyebrows now that I've dyed them a darker colour.

My second favourite eyebrow formulation at the moment is gel. Not a solid gel, and not the gel which comes with a wand, but the almost liquid gel that comes in a squeeze tube. I have the Makeup Revolution Ultra Aqua Brow Tint in Light (£3) and NYX Eyebrow Gel in Brunette (£5.50). The NYX one is more intense than the Makeup Revolution one, and you have to work quicker, but with a small amount and the right brush, it's easy to use. I tend to just put a little on the back of my hand or the wipe I'm using to spot clean my brushes.

I'm still getting used to pencils. I'm used to using a brush for a softer finish, so find that pencils can look a little harsh sometimes. I have the Makeup Revolution Arch & Shape in Medium (£3.50) and the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Brunette (£7). The NYX one has high ratings and so many positive reviews, so if you're looking for a pencil, I'd recommend checking this one out.

I've recently bought two eyebrow mascaras. One is the new Soap & Glory Archery Volu-Boost Brow Fibre Gel in Talk of The Brown (£8), and then I dyed my brows darker a few days later, so bought L'Oreal's Brow Artist Plumper in Medium/Dark (£5.99). Both do a similar job, but you receive more than twice the amount of product in the L'Oreal one, which happens to be cheaper. Brow mascaras are probably my least favourite brow product, just because I prefer ones which do more, but they're good for layering on top to keep the hairs in place. You really need to have hair there in the first place, though.

In the photo above, I'm wearing Freedom's Eyebrow Pomade in Soft Brown, which is my go to product at the moment. Excuse the lack of makeup on the rest of my face!

I'm wearing the same product in the bottom photo of these two, but because they were taken on my phone, the colour is coming up cooler. I just wanted to show you some before and after shots of filling my eyebrows in.

I would love to know what your favourite eyebrow product category is, and if you prefer a natural or defined brow.

Tinting My Eyebrows With Moustache & Beard Dye

I've never felt the need to tint my eyebrows, especially since I'm happy to fill them in every day. Then, out of the blue, my sister mentioned that she wanted to get her eyebrows tinted, so we paid a visit to the Benefit Brow Bar the very next day. She doesn't wear a lot of makeup, and does nothing to her brows, but wanted them a little more defined. Since it was her first time, she wanted to go somewhere well known. I caught the eyebrow tinting bug from watching her get hers done, but wanted to do it myself. Partly because I thought I could find something cheaper than £10.50 a time, but mostly because I don't trust anyone with my eyebrows.

It's advised to avoid hair dye on your eyebrows because it's too harsh for the skin, and there's not many eyebrow tinting kits available. The ones I did find weren't that much cheaper than Benefit's option either, and they didn't have great reviews. After a little research, I came across women using the Just For Men Moustache & Beard Dye. It's around the £6-7 mark, and contains enough product for multiple applications.

As a warning, it tells you to perform a skin allergy patch test 48 hours before using. I didn't, but this was at my own risk. Also, as with any product you use around your eyes, be extremely careful. It contains hydrogen peroxide as well, which isn't good for hair. I also read in the comments of another post that the ingredients in this could react with any dye you already have in your brows. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but you may want to do some more research into this if it applies to you. My eyebrows had never been dyed, so I went ahead and bought a box of Medium Brown. I have dark auburn hair with eyebrows on the light side of medium brown, for reference.

I applied vaseline to the skin around my eyebrows to prevent staining, and then I mixed a pea sized amount of both the colour and developer together. I then applied this using a small angled brush and left it on for 4 minutes, before washing off. It was as simple as that. The results are the same as my sister's, so I'll be doing both of ours again when they fade in 3-4 weeks time. I do think it could have done with being lighter, though, so I'll leave it on for less time next time, or purchase the Light Brown.

I didn't feel like I needed to dye my eyebrows before, but them being darker is already proving to save time when filling them in, and I don't look as washed out without makeup on now. I don't have anything in my brows in the photo above, or the ones below. Speaking of which, the ones below are before and after shots, but the quality is terrible because I wasn't planning on writing a post about them, and I couldn't wait 3-4 weeks to take more! Also, I've since given my eyebrows a little more shape, so they're not quite as straight (to me anyway; they probably look the same to everyone else).

Some people may not like the idea of this, but people have the freedom to make their own choices. I'm simply sharing my experience of a product. If you tint your eyebrows, do you get them done professionally? Or do you do them yourself?

ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium and the tools/products I use on my eyebrows

ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium - £3.50.

I started filling in my eyebrows three years ago, after receiving an eyebrow powder in a giveaway prize. Now, I cannot leave the house without filling them in - it's just as important as applying mascara to me. For about two years, I used an eyebrow powder from NYX, but because it is not easy to get hold of in the UK, I thought I'd find an alternative. I put off buying the ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit for months because I didn't know what shade, if any, would suit me. I decided to go with Medium. At first, I thought the kit was too light for my eyebrows, but I now think it's perfect. For a while, I just used the powder, which is a lighter, warmer shade than the wax. Now though, I use the wax and then apply the powder where I need extra coverage. I love everything about this product: the price, the packaging, the mini brush that comes with the kit, the actual product and how long the product lasts on my eyebrows (all day!). Eyebrow products seem to last an age. I've been using this every day for about six months, and I'm no where near hitting pan.

Before and after: Natural eyebrow and eyebrow with the wax and powder on (looks much better in 'real life').

ELF Studio Small Angled Brush - £3.50, ELF Eyelash and Brow Wand - £1.50, MUA Clear Mascara - £1.

These are the other tools and products I use on my eyebrows (as well as a cheap pair of tweezers). The brush in the kit is good, but I prefer to use a brush with a longer handle, so I use the Small Angled Brush to apply the wax and powder. I then use the Eyelash and Brow Wand to comb my eyebrows through. Sometimes, I also use the MUA Clear Mascara to keep them in place.

NYC Browser Brush-on Brow Powder with Grooming Wax and Tweezers

^ Now that's a mouthful!

I bought mine on eBay for £2 and the shade I chose was Brunette.

The brush is firm but am going to purchase a longer one just for convienience.

The powder is.. well a powder? It does it's job haha and the wax keeps your brows in place nicely.

This shade is slightly too dark for me. I was apprehensive to order Blonde as my hair is nowhere near to being Blonde but I just have (£2 again) as the powder is still a brown.

The perfect shade for me would be a golden brown as I have brown eyebrows but warm tones of brown (I have Auburn hair; basically brown with golden sheens of orange and red - Go ginge!)

This is great for achieving natural looking brows and it has a bargain-ness price tag!

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