Archives for July 2015

I’m all about my brows these days and I’m always searching for really good products that can give me fabulous results. I have tried some of the most popular formulas for brow products too: pomade, pen-type, pencil, gel, wax, etc. At the moment, my favorite formula is gel-type, specifically MUFE’s aqua brow but the formula is not perfect. We’ll get into that later.

The NYX eyebrow gel comes in four hues, but only two (blonde and brunette) were available in my local NYX. Obviously, I chose brunette because I have brown hair. I was excited to try this product because I heard so many raves about it. Having used Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Dip brow Pomade, I was hoping the formula is just as hard-wearing. And I was quite surprised that the product delivers!

The product is housed in a tiny squeeze-type tube. It contains 10 ml. of the product while MUFE’s aqua brow contains just 7 ml. I love the packaging because it’s sanitary and dispenses a small amount of product at a time so there’s less wastage. I’m extremely bummed that my dip brow has dried up to a point that it’s no longer usable. Thankfully, I was able to revive it using Inglot’s Duraline. NYX’s packaging prevents dryness so that’s awesome.

I’m not completely unfamiliar with the formula but even with experience, it took me a couple of tries to create a decent set of brows. So yes, there is a learning curve when it comes to application. The formula is less forgiving than MUFE’s too. I feel that MUFE’s whipped texture made it more spreadable and fool-proof to apply.

NYX’s  eyebrow gel also gives a very small window for play time. I used less than a pinhead’s amount of the product and half of it basically dried up on the back of my hand at first try! The product sets for 15 to 20 seconds, which is an extremely short time if you’re doing the brows. For reference, MUFE and ABH’s dip brow give at least a minute of playtime. So you really have to work fast when using this product.

Another important point to consider is the kind of brush you use for the application. This product is iffy when it comes to brushes! I was using a very stiff slanted eyebrow/eyeliner brush made from natural hair. The product just got stuck in the brush, blending became next to impossible. I ended up with really crusty, patchy brows (pics below). I switched to an eyebrow/eyeliner brush with a little give and made from synthetic fibers. I got better results.

Finally, blending is critical to achieving natural-looking brows. You have to apply the product in smaller sections then blend, blend, blend!

Swatch time!

After workout brows

As for the staying power, it’s amazing! I tested the product on normal days and on days when I work out. On normal days, my brows remained pristine – albeit  very, very slightly faded on the brow tail – all day and well into the night. After working out, there is noticeable fading on the tail but overall, the brows remained intact.

ABH’s dip brow and NYX’s brow gel wear the same. Except NYX’s product wears more comfortably. If you’ve tried ABH’s dip brow before, you know that the skin under the brow gets a little tight after the pomade dries. There is less of that crusty-feeling when I wore NYX’s brow gel.

Overall, this product lives up to the hype. It’s long-wearing but not waterproof, it’s budge-resistant and wear comfortably. I still prefer the aqua brow but only because the formula is more forgiving. This stuff wears even longer than aqua brow though so there’s that!

Even better, NYX brow gel costs only a fraction of high-end brow products with a similar formula. This product will take a long time to finish up, but I’m definitely re-purchasing if I run out.