We all know eyebrows frame your face, and with the interest in bold, Cara Delevingne-esque brows, it’s no surprise many ladies are reaching for some form of pencil or gel to keep those hairs in place all day long. There are pros and cons with choosing a brow gel over a pencil (some ladies just like what they like), but if you go the gel route, which one should you cough up your hard-earned cash for? We’ve tried and tested and old faithful against a newbie on the block to help you make the right choice.
The contenders: Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow ($26, available at Sephora) and Maybelline Eye Studio Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara ($12, available at mass drugstores nationwide)
The control: Applied to brows in the same way, each for three days in a row.
Observations:
Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow
Pros:
- Great gel-like formula that keeps brows in place all day long
- Darkens brows just the right amount to help frame your face and make them stand out (especially after you’ve put some powder all over)
- Small wand allows for much more control when applying product to your brows”once you take off the excess product, you can manipulate your brows whichever way you want
- Buildable colour (just be careful”less is more!)
Cons:
- The wand sometimes comes out a bit goopy and you need to take off the excess product
- If you don’t take off the excess product, it can lead to clumpy brows that look really fake and painted and you’ll need to start all over again
- Higher price point
- Only available in two shades: Light/Medium and Medium/Deep
Maybelline Eye Studio Brow Drama
Pros:
- Great stay-all-day formula”your brows won’t budge unless you start playing with them
- Lower price point and buy-anywhere accessibility
- Larger, more widespread bristles on the wand allow for less product buildup when you pull it out of the tube”you don’t need to worry about putting too much on your face at once
- Available in three shades: Blonde, Soft Brown and Deep Brown
Cons:
- Because of the stay-all-day formula, brows do feel a little stiff until you wash your face at night
- Larger round wand just makes a bit more room for error
- Not the darkest pigment we’ve seen”goes on a little light and because of the firm formula, doesn’t leave a lot of room for buildable colour (even the Deep Brown was just a bit too light for this writer, and I have a fair complexion and light brown hair)
The verdict: Even though it’s a bit more money, we have to award our old faithful Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow. While the Maybelline was a great contender and definitely worth checking out, if you’re looking for bold, daring, face-framing brows, Benefit is the way to go”just make sure you take off the excess product from the wand (we’ve learned the hard way!).
