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
Source

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).

Adore or Ignore: Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax

Like many makeup lovers, I am always on the quest for perfect, or at least respectable-looking, eyebrows. I typically use some sort of product to fill in my brows, be it a pomade or pencil, and that alone makes a huge difference; however, sometimes I just need a little somethin' somethin' to rein in those unruly hairs that refuse to cooperate. Now, I've tried a few different brow gels, but they just didn't do it for me. Brow gel is not all that different from hair gel, and I don't know about you, but I don't like to feel like I slathered Dep all over my eyebrows. Also, brow gel has been known to flake off on occasion, especially if you go a little overboard applying the stuff; I'm sorry to say this, but eyebrows that appear to have dandruff does not look good on ANYBODY. So, what's a girl to do when her eyebrows won't lay flat and brow gel is not the right solution? 

Two words: Brow. Wax. 

Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax, $4.49

After watching a few reviews on YouTube, I knew I had to give the Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax a try, and I am ever-so-happy that I did! This stuff is amazing! You can use it by itself, or along with other brow products. The wax goes hand in hand with brow powder because it gives the powder something to stick to, however I have found that the wax works great with my Tarte Brow Mousse as well as my Anastasia Brow Wiz! And it's oh-so-easy to use - just use short strokes to apply it in the direction of the hair growth. You can use it all over the brow, or just on the areas that need taming. From my experience, it works pretty much the same whether I apply it prior to using a colored brow product or after, though I tend to use it after filling in my brows to lock-in the color. This has become an absolute must-have in my makeup collection, and at less than $5 a pop it seriously cannot be beat!

You can purchase the Milani Brow Shaping Clear Wax at CVS and Walgreens Pharmacies, as well as the Milani website.

Needless to say, this is something I completely  Adore!

~Jessica