NEW BUY: Bobbi Brown Dark Brow Kit & Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner Duo Set

~AG~

Bobbi Brown Dark Brow Kit (S$62)
This eyebrow kit includes a mini Tweezer and mini Brow Bush. The shades, Saddle and Mahogany, are for black and brown hair. One of my aunts who is good at doing her own makeup recommended this eyebrow kit. She said that Bobbi Brown's brow powders are more natural than the wax and powder combo of Benefit Cosmetics Brow Zings. It is pricey for an eyebrow kit. An innisfree eyebrow powder kit only costs less than S$20. Bobbi Brown's brown kit is THREE times the price of an innisfree brow kit! Hope the price tag is worth it!
 
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner Duo Set (S$59)
This duo set includes the gel eyeliners in Black Ink and Sepia Ink, with a mini Ultra Fine Eye Liner brush. Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner is Bobbi Brown's bestselling product. This award-winning gel eyeliner is a staple of many makeup artists. While doing my eye makeup for an event, I realized that having a gel liner is critical when tight-lining the eyes. I was using a felt-tip liner and it took a while to tight-line my waterlines. Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner is not a new product. Previously, I had tried it when I was living in the States. But somehow, this gel eyeliner seemed to smudge off. However, last year, when a makeup artist used it on me on two occasions, this gel eyeliner did not run or smudge off at all. So, I am going to give this Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner another chance. *cross fingers*   

Stay tuned for my review of Bobbi Brown Dark Brow Kit & Gel Eyeliner Duo Set! 

REVIEW: innisfree Eco Eyebrow Kit

Compact packaging with a tiny brush

 A lighter reddish brown shade and a darker grey-brown shade

~AG~
Bought this innisfree Eco Eyebrow Kit last year when I was in Seoul. Heard good reviews about this affordable eyebrow powder from the online community. Being a big fan of the innisfree brand, this Eco Eyebrow Kit was added into my shopping basket without any hesitation. This dual-color powder kit comes with a stiff eyebrow brush. It retails for S$16.50 on innisfreeworld.com, though I cannot remember how much it retails for in Korea. 

Thick and stiff brush does not work well

Today's confession: I am a noob (beginner) on eyebrow makeup. Despite experimenting with brow mascaras, eyebrow pencils and eyebrow powders, my eyebrow makeup skills are not that competent. Based on my experience, eyebrow powder is the easiest eyebrow product to apply with. Eyebrow pencils - I find the most difficult to work it. Since eyebrow pencils require more precise strokes and a more skilled hand. It is easy to overdraw brows when using eyebrow pencils since it goes on stronger. Brow mascaras work great to keep the brows in place, though they do not give much definition to the brows. You cannot shape your eyebrows using brow mascaras. Eyebrow powders are natural enough for everyday use. Brow powders give a nice definition without looking too overdone. The main reason why brow powder is my No.1 choice for eyebrow products is because of the ease of use. Brow powder works as a crayon that you use to fill in the spare areas of the eyebrows. 

On the left without brow powder,  on the right with brows filled in

The pigments of innisfree's brow powders work great for those with dark brown to black hair. Since there are two shades of the brow powders, you can mix and match to create your own color. The powders are finely milled, and blends in easily with my brows. Though, the staying power of the brow powders are not fantastic, it does not lasts all day. The lasting power is about 4-5 hours. The in-kit brush is horrible. It is too densely packed and thick, which results in too much powder on the brush. For those that want a highly defined eyebrows, this innisfree Eco Eyebrow Kit might not work for you, as the powders are soft and natural. This Eco Eyebrow Kit might not work on special occasions where you will be photographed.

REVIEW: Benefit Brow Zing

~AG~

I'm pretty low maintenance when it comes to my eyebrows. I try to go to the salon to thread my eyebrows once a month, and in between that I occasionally tweeze any hair re-growth. Most often, I let my eyebrows grow back naturally without much tweezing. 

For my everyday makeup, I don't do much to my eyebrows. When I find my eyebrows are rather messy I use Benefit Brow Gel to keep it in place. 

For my friends who are of fair complexions, I find that they make the effort to "dress up" their brows everyday. I saw one of my friends using Benefit Brow Zing and it made her eyebrows looked very well-groomed. That got me interested in this product. But I was afraid that this eyebrow wax and powder combination would be difficult to use. Before using this Benefit eyebrow kit, I used eyebrow pencil but I find that it was difficult to create a soft and even eyebrow look. 

I bought the Medium shade which is supposedly for medium brown and red hair. Because I find the Dark shade will look too strong, and wanted a more a natural look. 

I only use Brow Zing for special occasions - when lots of pictures will be taken - because I find that my eyebrows are quite dark as it is. 

How I use it: I usually brush my eyebrows with a brow brush first and then use the angled brush provided to apply the wax. The wax keeps the eyebrows in place and makes it look neater. Then I use the powder brush to apply the eyebrow powder on areas where there needs to be shading, which is usually the front and tail of the eyebrows. 

I find Brow Zing easier to use and gives a more natural finish compared to eyebrow pencils. It is a worthy eyebrow product to buy. It is very useful, and also comes with a pair of tweezers which comes in handy when traveling. Even though it is a mini tweezer which I rarely use, it is convenient to have on-the-go. The compact and sturdy packaging makes it a good product for traveling. 

There are also similar eyebrow wax and powder combination products from NYX which is more affordable (USD$6). This one from Benefit Cosmetics retails for USD $30.