Three Things Thursday:10-01-15 - The Brow Edition

Hello lovely readers -

For this edition of Three Things Thursday, I am focusing on brow products. I've never been into high-maintenance brows. I have fairly thin brows that are light in color, and barely ever have to pluck them. I have never gotten a brow wax or threading because, well, I just don't need to. I was perfectly happy letting my brows do their thing...until one day, I looked at a picture, and realized: you couldn't see my brows! The inner part, near the bridge of my nose, was noticeable, but then it looked like they kind of stopped just before the tail. My brows were so thin and so light that you could not see them in pictures, and it made for quite an interesting look. From that day forth, I started filling in my brows, and it has made a world of difference! Brows are the frame of the face, and by adding a little definition you can set the base for a bright-eyed, pulled-together look, whether it be a simple 5 minute makeup routine, or an all-out glamorous full-face application. Now, I'm still not into spending a ton of time on my arches - let's be real, they'll probably never be"on fleek" - but a little effort goes a long way to completing your look. To see my three favorite brow products (for now, at least), read on!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz  -$21.00

 Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
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Anastasia Beverly Hills...the name is synonymous with well-defined brows. For the longest time I resisted the urge to try this cult favorite, mainly because I didn't want to spend a whopping $21 on a brow pencil, but also a little bit because I could not stand the pretentious way You Tubers and Sephora salespeople (or cast members, as they are called) pronounce the name " Anahhhstahhhsia". Like, seriously? Should I really be looked at condescendingly because I do not emphasize the "ahhhhh"? Well, tomato/ tomahhhto. I eventually caved when I went to IMATS NY and everything at the ABH booth was on sale. Let me tell you, I really wish I had given in to the hype sooner. Not only is the pencil itself amahhhzing (see what I did there?), but the brush is pretty spectacular as well. The pencil comes in 9 shades, which makes finding a shade that actually matches your hair color and tone so easy. Gone are the days of orange-hued brows! I use Taupe, which is the perfect cool-toned shade for those with blonde to light brown hair. The fine tip of the mechanical pencil allows you to mimic your natural brow hair, and the spooley brush is neither too soft nor too rough when brushing out the brow to blend the lines and shape the arch. I am entirely pleased with the ABH Brow Wiz, and have repurchased multiple times (usually when I can find some sort of sale or discount code).



Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel - $22.00

 Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel
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Now, you may think that the brow pencil is all you need to achieve flawless eyebrows, but I'm here to mercilessly squash that way of thinking. Imagine this: you spend precious minutes meticulously filling in your brows and brushing them into the perfect shape, and then go about your day; next thing you know, you look in the mirror and see your once-gorgeous brows all mussed up, with hairs sticking this way and that. "What happened???", you may ask. The simple answer is, you didn't set your brows! Like the hairs on your head, brows hairs can be swept out of place when you touch your face, or maybe even when a strong wind blows. If you are going to take the time to fill in your eyebrows, you should take the extra couple of seconds to make sure they stay the way you want them. You wouldn't spend time creating an amazing hairstyle, and not set it with hairspray - so why do that to your eyebrows? This clear gel is perfect for keeping your brows on-point; simply brush over your filled-in brows, and  ~Voila! ~ brows set to stay all day! When you are really crunched for time, you can quickly apply the gel on its own to give your eyebrows a little shape, or you can opt for the Tinted Brow Gel, which gives a little more coverage than the clear version. For those of you having scary visions of brows coated with the likes of Dep Hair gel, all stiff flaky, fear not! When applied correctly (sparingly, not gooped on), Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel keeps your brows in their place with a felxible hold, and there are no flakes in sight!

Milani Brow & Eye Highlights  -$7.00

Milani Brow & eye Highlighters in 02 Matte Cream/ Luminous
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Oh, you thought we were done? Not so fast! This fabulous product really adds the finishing touch to your brows. It comes in three shade combinations: 01 Matte Beige/ High Glow, 03 Vanilla/ Natural Taupe, and my personal favorite, 02 Matte Cream/ Luminous. One end of the pencil houses a creamy matte shade, while the other end is filled with a soft, pearly pigment. Once you fill in your brows and brush them into place, use the matte cream end of the pencil to draw a thin line underneath the brow, basically tracing along the brow shape, and then blend the color out.  This gives the brow definition by cleaning up the underside of the brow and providing a crisp, polished look. You can then use the luminous end of the pencil to highlight the inner corner of your eyes, and for added drama you can dab a little directly at the high-point of the brow, where it arches, which draws the eye up, giving a lifted appearance. In addition, you can use the matte shade as an eyeshadow base, a cream eye shadow, or to fill in your brows (if you get the taupe pencil)! Such a multi-functional product! This may seem like a frivolous extra step, but it makes such a difference in the finished look - try it and let me know what you think!

That wraps up this edition of Three Things Thursday! What is your current brow routine? Do you use any of the products I've mentioned?

Thank you so much for stopping by - live a beautiful life!

~Jessica