Review: Kanebo Kate Gel Eyebrown in LB-1

On the quest of a pair of perfectly framed eyebrows I went for another purchase. This time I found a colour made for lighter brows in the Kanebo Kate line.

I haven't seen that many brands on the market that actually have made an eyebrow gel: lots of powders and pens, but a similar product as the eyeliner gels? I cannot really recall. That makes Kate quite innovative.

I think Kanebo Kate has this eyebrow gel in their line for quite some time. It's not a new release or so.

However, I never looked into it because I assumed most eyebrow products for the Asian market would target darker eyebrow hairs. I already find most Western, Caucasian-oriented brand to have colours that are a bit too dark already, so finding a lighter colour was a surprise. Later I realised that was a bit stupid of me, because there are quite some Asian girls who opt for lighter hair as well. Perhaps they bleach or lighten their brows too.

And even with lighter haired eyebrows, bleached or natural, you still want the gaps to be filled for a more stable and stronger looking eyebrow. A lighter colour to match your hairs might fit the bill. 

Instructions on the back:

Kate never dissapoints in packaging. Although a cheaper variety line of Kanebo, they look minimalistic with black packaging and thus more expensive than their cuter sister Lavshuca. Lavshuca is therefore more a kawaii brand and Kate more Kirei.

In this case, the eyebrow gel comes in a white matte pot and a glossy black lid.

It contains 2.5 gram of product:

The colour, when I open the lid, looks like a warmer, light brown or a creamy darkened honey.

This picture is made in artificial light:

This picture is made in direct sunlight:

The swatches are all made with the same eyebrow gel and with a slanted brush:

The middle one and the right one has the lightest application, making it look the lightest and warmest. The other ones had a thicker stroke.

So, it looks cooler and a bit darker when applied with a heavier hand.

The only gripe is that the eyebrow gel crumbles a bit after useage. Nothing bad, but I prefer when it stays creamy:

 Conclusion:

The colour might be a bit too warm for my eyebrows, but I am really picky when it comes to eyebrow colour and only seem to like the lightest Anastasia colour, because it is a cool, taupy colour.
However, I think this colour can really work for strawberry blondes, light blondes with warmer undertones, and lots of dyed Asian hair that often tends to get that warmer shade. It just depends of your colour of eyebrows.

The gel stays on the whole day. It is relatively easy to remove with eye-makeup remover or just some cleansing oil.

If I find the gel to be handier than a powder or a pen/pencil?
Ehm, it is just as much work working with a gel as with a powder, taking up the right amount on your slanted brush and applying it with lots of care and smaller strokes to make it seem like natural hairs. But eyebrows always take some work in order to make them look natural and powerful, either with drawing hairs with a pen/pencil or with a brush.

The price is affordable for $10.50 on adambeauty. They have two other colours, a BR1 colour and a BR3 colour. Also an eyebrow coat gel, which probably makes the brows look glossier or fixes them. There is also a brush sold separately for $3.50.