Tuesday, April 30, 2013

My Perfect Brow Trio

Products Purchased By Me

My Perfect Brow Trio

Brows are a facial feature many women overlook when applying makeup. Sometimes we get hung up on images of women with tattooed on eyebrows, or become too afraid to just plain do the wrong thing. However, a perfectly filled in brow can really help frame the face and add a polished look to even the most simple makeup look. I've been on a quest for the perfect brow products for a long time. My hair is currently brown.  Sadly, I've found many brow powders and pencils on the market intended for brunettes to be too brassy, too dark or too light.  Until recently, I just couldn't find the perfect color or texture of brow product to meet my needs. 

There was a time when I was younger, that I never filled in my brows. I naturally have a fuller brow shape, and luckily never succumbed to over tweezing as so many do.  As I got a little bit older, grooming my brows simply consisted of brushing them up with a little bit of brow gel.  I've tried several different brow gels on the market, both drugstore and high end.  The one that I keep coming back to is Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel. This gel doesn't make my brows too stiff, nor does the product flake mid day. It simply holds my brows in place as any good brow gel should. This product is both long wearing, and natural looking. It's a clear gel housed in a metallic tube with a mascara-like spoolie wand for application.

Oddly, I found my perfect brow trio in reverse order. After finding my perfect brow gel, I came across my beloved Kelley Quan Wave Brush sometime in 2012. This synthetic brow brush has a unique patented design that makes it unlike any other on the market. The bristles are made of synthetic fibers meant to mimic red sable "hairs," minus the cruelty. While most apply their brow powder with a traditional angled brush, I've found the shape of this brush helps in creating the most natural looking brow. 

Then, sometime in recent months, while browsing Sephora.com as I often do, I came across Illamasqua Brow Cake in the color Motto (taupe).  This highly rated brow cake comes in a pressed powder format similar to an eyeshadow. What makes this product so unique for me, is the color. There is no hint of red or brassiness anywhere to be seen. It is a true matte taupe brown, something very difficult to find in a brow powder for some reason. It is also the perfect shade of brown, just slightly lighter than my natural shade. The powder is highly pigmented and long lasting, so I don't have to worry about a disappearing brow act mid day. This eyebrow cake is available on Sephora.com in 5 shades: Thunder (dark brown), Vehement (soft black), Motto (taupe brown), Peek (golden brown), and Gaze (dark slate grey).  What's nice about this line is that they offer brow colors that are not easily found. I have heard many women complain about not being able to find a black brow powder. While some makeup artists argue that no one should use a black brow powder, I disagree. Some women do have truly black hair naturally or otherwise, and to use a brow color other than soft black would simply look unnatural. 



 Illamasqua Brow Cake in the color Motto (taupe brown)


My Brow Routine:

I begin by brushing my brows up and out with a clean spoolie. Next, I pick up some of the brow powder on my Kelley Quan Wave Brush. Then I tap the excess off on the back of my hand. As I've mentioned, the powder is quite pigmented, so I make sure to apply just a tiny bit first, then apply more as needed. With the brush, I lightly stroke the powder though my brow hairs, taking special care to fill in any sparse areas. Once both of my brows are filled in to my liking, I comb through with a clean spoolie once more to blend the product through my brows. Finally, I apply my brow gel to set. Anastasia has cleverly packaged her brow gel in a metal container, so should the clear gel become discolored with brow powder, you won't see it. However, if you use a brow gel in a clear tube, simply wipe off the spoolie onto a clean paper towel before putting it back in the container. When using a brow gel on others, I always use disposable mascara wands for hygiene purposes.

 Below, the brow on the left (my right) is freshly filled in, while the one on the right is not. Note the difference filling in the gaps makes.

Pictured above, the brow powder has now been blended through and then set with brow gel.



I wanted to share these items with you because it has taken me so long to finally find a trio of products that work together to create my perfect brows. I feel confident each day knowing that I can easily define my brows, creating a full, yet natural looking shape. With this winning combo of brow products in my arsenal, I won't be looking for new brow products anytime soon!

How do you groom your brows? What are your holy grail brow products?

2 comments:

  1. i've been alternating between the ELF and MUA brow pencils, and the MUA brow powder. i'm obviously not in love with any of them but i need to find something because my brows are very light and very sparse. i've now placed the Illamasqua brow cake on my shopping list.

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  2. I've been loving the Tarte Brow Architect lately. It's a great pencil, but I have trouble finding good powder that actually works to fill in the bare spots. The Illamasqua Brow Cake looks perfect! Looks like a great color and, if it's like the other Illamasqua products I've tried, it's SUPER pigmented! My brows need a lot of help, so it's definitely going on my shopping list! :)

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