Even before quarantine, there are truly only a few makeup essentials I usually wear on a regular basis, especially at home. Sometimes you just need a little bit of color on your lips and defined brows to feel put together and ready for the day, even if you’re just traveling to your work-from-home makeshift office. Brow products are beauty essentials for me, and in experimenting with a lot over the years, here are my two current favorites:
Elate Cosmetics Brow Balm in Smoke: Sitting pretty in a sustainable and reusable bamboo compact, this brow gel product is also extremely convenient to use and easy to apply. Elate describes their Brow Balm as “the world’s first sustainable, vegan and cruelty-free brow product.” I love that you can also purchase refills of the Brow Balm (though it has taken me forever to use up the product anyway) and the packaging is easily recyclable.
As with all Elate refill products, they come packaged in plantable seed paper envelopes, which will grow into wildflowers. All Brow Balms are also pressed in recyclable aluminum pans, and the magnetized bamboo compact can be used again and again.
Though this product features quite simple and natural ingredients, the formula really provides great quality in texture and pigment, unmatched by other brow balms I have tried. The Brow Balm has a nice waxy texture, which helps keep hairs and pigment in place. The formula is quite pliable without being too soft or too dry (very easy to apply), and is nourishing to the brows. It does not irritate nor dry out brows after use, but rather instantly protects and maintains soft, natural brows while taming and defining. The end result is more subdued and natural, rather than extremely defined as with a pencil or crayon.
I find it more difficult to get more exact definition with brow pomades in general, but then again that’s usually the result of using this type of product, and is something that does requires more practice.
The downside to brow pomades is that one must apply with a brow brush and spoolie, which may require a little more time and effort than a brow pencil. However, with all the time at home, I definitely have more time to devote to a brow gel. This involves a bit more practice, but can lead to more subtle and natural-looking brows.
The brow balm in Smoke is a tad too light and auburn-leaning for my preference and not an exact match for my darker brows. Yet it is impressively pigmented and long-lasting. The cool-tones that pull through still makes it wearable for me, but I plan to purchase a darker color that more fittingly matches my natural brow color. Brow Balm in compact, $28; Brow Balm refill, $20. Available at Elate Cosmetics(compact and refills available), Safe & Chic, EarthHero (compact and refills available).
Kimiko Beauty Super Fine Eyebrow Pencil Automatique in Black Tea: Pencils and crayons are usually my go-to brow product of choice due to ease required to apply. If I want to achieve put-together brows but am lacking time, I always pick up my trusty eyebrow pencil from Kimiko Beauty.
This all-in-one product consists of a twist up crayon and a built-in spoolie brush on the other end. The Kimiko brow pencil consists of a very fine, narrow pencil size which makes for extremely precise and incredibly defined brow strokes. I find that the smaller pencil size also allows for better control in my tendencies to add too much pigment to my brows. This results in brows more naturally blending in with hair texture and color.
The pencil has a soft, yet structured gel-like texture, that consists of a slight waxy hold. I love that the formula provides ease in application, yet also high-quality pigment and extremely long-lasting definition. I find that this product lasts much longer in terms of brow-taming and appearance than any brow pomades or pencils combined. This has become my all-time favorite brow pencil, and I always buy at least two at a time, so that I never run out.
The Black Tea shade matches my natural brow color exactly. It leans dark with a cool gray undertone, and blends in perfectly without looking too harsh or artificial. The pencil’s shade and texture remind me so much of the brow pencils I fell in love with while in Japan (and always had friends and family bring back for me), so it is no wonder that the brand takes inspiration from Japanese cosmetic formulation and ethos, with a slightly more natural spin.
The only downside that I see to this brow pencil is the less than sustainable packaging (plastic, wasteful, and not reusable nor easily recyclable), and the amount of product you receive. I find that I can use up these pencils pretty quickly (pre-COVID times, I went through many of these pencils as I wore them daily for work). To save some money and product, I try to be as prudent as I can with my use of these pencils, especially since I’m not wearing makeup as often since I’m home all the time.
Nonetheless, at the moment I honestly have not found anything else that can beat the quality and results of using this brow pencil! Kimiko Super Fine Eyebrow Pencil Automatique, $29. Available at Kimiko Beauty, The Detox Market.
L to R: Kimiko Superfine Eyebrow Pencil in Black Tea, Elate Cosmetics Brow Balm in Smoke.
Do you have recommendations for no-hassle brow products? Let me know if you have tried any of these products and what your thoughts are!
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