Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz Review

Tuesday, 30 September 2014

anastasia beverly hills brow wiz in dark brown

Anastasia Beverly Hills has definitely taken the "eye-brow world" by storm. I think its safe to say that she has revolutionized the entity of "eyebrow" with all the various eyebrow products she offers. Now, it isn't the most affordable product out there "just" to fill/draw your brows - but her brow line seems to be an absolute HIT. So, clearly I had to be the bandwagon-jumper that I am and give it a shot (#NoShameInMyGame).

With the large range of ABH brow products out there, it took me a while to carefully choose the one right for me. I initially had my heart set on the dip brow pomade but I ended up opting for the Brow Wiz. This was for the sole purpose of convenience and easy use, since I am typically an on-the-go type of makeup girl 80% of the time.

Currently, my eyebrows are slightly on the thicker and full side, and so I only need define them a bit. Before purchasing the brow wiz, all I used was the good old ELF eyebrow duo kit (dark brown) for about a year. It did the job well, but it wasn't the absolute best for on-the-go.

Any who, lets get on to the details of the brow wiz, shall we...

anastasia beverly hills brow wiz in dark brown


PACKAGING:


The product comes in a sleek black and gold dual ended "pencil". The applicator side comes with with a automatic very fine pencil-like tip. You can turn it to dispense more product, so no sharpening necessary at all. The tip is also very firm/sturdy. I noticed that the tip still stays pointed no matter how much you use it, so no worries there.

The other side of the pencil is a good quality spoolie that can be used to brush out your brows. I am so thankful for the spoolie on the other end because I'm tired of using (...and losing) disposable mascara wands to brush out my eyebrows. No need to buy a sharpener, spoolie, or even an angled brush for application. So you get to save some money there and who doesn't love that!?

 

COLOUR:


I went with the colour dark brown (formerly known as brunette) for my black eye brows. I feel that it is the perfect colour for my black hair that blends in just right. Most girls that I've seen (on youtube, blogs, etc.) with black hair, either opt for the shade dark brown or ebony (1 shade darker). My eyebrows are naturally very dark black and bold, therefore I went with dark brown so that my brows don't end up looking too overpowering.

anastasia beverly hills brow wiz in dark brown
Left: Light swatch of Dark Brown | Right: Heavy swatch of Dark Brown (depends on pressure applied on pencil)

APPLICATION:


The brow wiz is a BREEZE to use. Of course, this depends on how much drawing on or filling in you've got to do on your brows. But, I will say that it is not easy to make mistakes or over do it with this because it applies very lightly. The more pressure you apply on the pencil, the deeper the colour shows up.

My eyebrows don't require too much filling, so what I do is probably really minimal. But here's what I do anyways:

To start off, I do very gentle strokes (without pushing hard) to fill in my inner brow. I simply make light strokes in a upward motion to resemble fine hairs (where needed). Then, on the outer brow (arch to the end), I apply slightly more pressure to define this area (following the natural shape of my eyebrow). Lastly, I just fill in any sparse areas with light strokes. I then finish by simply flipping the pencil over and brushing the brows with the spoolie to blend out any harsh lines.

Anastasia Brow Wiz Before and After
I know, it looks like I've done NOTHING. But trust me, I DID fill them in! (I just don't like them too defined/bold).  If you look closely in the After shot, the eyebrow is more defined than before.


WEAR-ABILITY:

 
It looks so natural, just like your own brows. It really blends right in and resembles your natural hair (given you've gotten the right colour). It's really hard for it to look over-done due to the light applicator as well. It also lasts all day long until you remove your makeup. I barely noticed any wearing off.


PROS

  • Super easy and convenient to use
  • Comes with spoolie on other end to brush brows
  • Automatic pencil so no sharpening needed
  • Tip is always firm and precise pointed
  • Large range of colours to choose from
  • Looks very natural
  • Lasts all day

CONS

  • Pricey at $27 CAD

If you're thinking of getting an ABH brow product, I'd totally recommend this one - especially if you don't have a whole 15 minutes to spare  everyday to do your brows. It so simple and easy to use. You don't need to go buy a bunch of different products (sharpener, anged brush, spoolie, etc.) just for your brows.  I think it would work with all types of brows from thick to thin - but would require more/less work accordingly. So yup, I'm a "ABH brow convert"!

You can buy it online here at Sephora.

What's your favourite brow product?  
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Inglot Gel Liner #77 Review

Friday, 5 September 2014


I've DESPERATELY been wanting to try out the brand Inglot ever since I’ve heard about it. It's hard to get a hold of as seems to be sold literally EVERYWHERE except here in Canada! Well, no I'm lying. In Canada it is sold only in Montreal (8 hours away from me) or online (boo for shipping fees!) - so basically it isn't the easiest to get your hands on for us Canadians.

The number 1 item on my Inglot wish-list for just about AGES is their AMC Eye Liner Gel #77 (Black). I’ve heard way too many rave reviews on this liner and many even consider it their Holy Grail. So obviously I just had to have it! Anyways, I FINALLY managed to pick it up in the States a few weeks ago ( YAYA!) at a Macy's. Of course, I used it immediately and countless times since and have got to say that it is absolutely FAB.

COLOUR & CONSISTENCY


It is the truest, deepest, blackest black there is. It is a vibrant black that kind of “pops”. The finish is somewhere between satin and matte, which is why the black doesn’t look flat and dull. The consistency of the liner is unlike other gel liners. It is so rich, creamy and “wet-like”. This allows the product to glide on oh-so-smoothly. Because it is so creamy and not dry, there’s not need to pull or tug when applying along the lash line. The popular Maybelline Eye Studio Gel liner, on the other hand, is a bit on the drier and duller side compared to the Inglot gel liner.


Left:  Maybelline Eye Studio is a duller black (if you look closely) | Right: Inglot Gel liner on Right is a vibrant black

 

APPLICATION & LONGEVITY


Despite the creamy and wet consistency, this baby dries SUPER fast when applied. I'm talking MILLISECONDS! This is both a pro and a con to me. It is a pro because it won’t smudge and there's no need to wait for it to dry. The con is that, it is hard to reverse or fix a mistake once the liner is set. I don’t have the steadiest hands when applying eyeliner and do make mistakes especially when in a rush. You can't simply rub it off with your fingers or tissue and start over. The best way around this that I know is to use a dry cotton swab (Q-tip) and rub off your mistake (it usually does work for me if I act fast).

The lasting power of this liner is AMAZING. And yes, even without an eye-primer. I never use a primer with eyeliner (only with shadows). Most drugstore eye-liners (gel, liquid or pencil) are almost completely rubbed off in a couple of hours on my lids. Especially when I’ve done a winged liner, the outer wing tends to be the first to disappear. But NOT WITH THIS! - I was so impressed with just how long this liner lasted and still looked good. Even the wing was still exactly in place. Overall, there is very minimal wearing-off even after several hours. It will stay on until you remove it with a quality eye-makeup remover, as doesn't wash off with just water.

Inglot Gel Liner #77 Applied

PRICE & PACKAGING


You'd think this liner would be expensive like all the other gel liners up there, but it is actually super affordable at just $12 USD. It costs significantly less than gel liners by MAC, Bobbi Brown or MakeupForever.

You also get a whole lot of product in this little container. It contains 5.5 grams whereas the Maybelline Gel Liner has 3 grams. As for the packaging, it comes in a very light-weight plastic container.Other gel liners I've seen generally come in more of a sturdy, heavier, glass container. I feel that the plastic container is a little on the cheap side but I’m not bothered as long as the product inside is good (which it is!).

Inglot Gel Liner has 5.5 grams and Maybelline EyeStudio Gel liner has 3 grams

Below is a quick run down of the pros and cons of this liner. The pros definitely outweigh the cons.
.

Pros:


-    True, vibrant blackest black
-    Creamy consistency
-    Glides on smoothly
-    Dries super fast
-    Very long wearing
-    Lots of product at 5.5 grams
-    Very affordable at $12 USD

 

Cons:


-    Not easily available in Canada (except in Montreal or Online)
-    Troublesome to fix mistakes as it dries super-fast

You can buy it here.

It goes without saying, but this has become my new favourite Black Gel Liner! 

What's your favourite liner?
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