Brow-sing Naturally with Ecobrow defining wax in Marilyn

Brow are you?  Good? Then let's talk Ecological Brows or Ecobrow Defining Wax:

Eh,  a bit of a trite pun on words but how about the idea that first impressions count and people always are about that 'eyes are the mirror of the soul'. In that case, eyebrows are the framing of the mirror and they can be really important to characterize the face. The quintessential example would be Cara, but how about the 1920s moviestars who defined their fragile femininity with a thin & droopy brow:

source: Here & more brow-xamples

  I personally do not think "one brow fits all". Even if everyone seems to be into the Cara-brow, you got to consider her facial structure is delicate enough to pull off a masculine brow without loosing her femininity. I personally go for some more space between my eyes and a bit of a curve for a slightly more feminine shape on my squarer features. I still aim for a natural looking brow, ofcourse!

But let's take a look of how I liked Ecobrow as a brow-definer.

• Natural
• Lighweight
• beautiful Brow effects
• Smudge Proof
• Naturally Derived

Ok, last claim is "Naturally Derived": will that be true?

sorry for the smudgies

In the first place I find some of them sounding chemical, like Neopentyl glycol. Wiki says it is an organic chemical compound which sounds to me like a oxymoron...Organic and Chemical? Mmm... 

But I believe in their ecological sustainability just for the fact that I bought it from Sephora. You gotta trust the Americans for totally forking out all claims and promises like truth...or else...lawsuit!

In that case, let's check the "beautiful brow effect" it will bring me! Hurray!

Colour:

I picked Marilyn because it is the lightest colour around. I'm not a natural light blonde but my eyebrows have always been naturally light. I've been trying the darker ones, but they make my face look too stern. I simply want my existing colour to look thicker and shape some femininity in them.

The colour inside is a taupe with a slight hint of green:

The green won't show in the pot, but in the comparing swatches you will see it.

Comparing swatches:

I picked up my other blonde cream formulas to compare with Ecobrow Marilyn. They are:

• EB = Ecobrow Marilyn
• ABH= Anastasia Beverly hills Dipbrow in Blonde
• LM= Laura Mercier Brow Definer in Fair

My tools of the trade is my latest, supersharp Wayne Goss No. 8:

Swatches:

EB: Ecobrow Marilyn is the lightest of the bunch. I am so thrilled of this lightness because it totally fills my brow without altering the colour. Moreover, it is neutral enough without leaning either cool or gold.

ABH: I never noticed how greenly tinged Anastasia Beverly Hills in Blonde was before this swatch. I don't mind because it makes the drawn-in hairs appear more real. The colour is slightly on the cooler side and a bit too dark for a total brow-fill. It is pigmented enough to draw good hairs so I can alternate this with a lighter colour.

LM: Laura Mercier in Fair is a wonderful lighter colour with more warmth than Ecobrow. I do think it fades more quickly and it does not draw the hairs as vivid as Ecobrow.

Revisiting Promises:

• Natural: Mostly
• Lightweight: Very
• beautiful Brow effects: YES!
• Smudge Proof: Up to 8 hours with a natural fade
• Naturally Derived: I'm not specialised enough to prove it is but it has not been proven otherwise yes so I guess...

General review:

I have really fallen in love with Ecobrow Marilyn. It gives my brows a natural but sculpted look I love without looking fake. It last for a long time and I do not have to worry putting unnecessary chemicals on my face.

 Verdict = LOVE it.

Halloween Inspiration: Silver Spacebird & Neo Morticia Adams

 Halloween is a time of creativity to go extravagant with makeup & pre-play creation of might wear looks.

So I found these two stunning creations in Zink magazine (Summer actually) that seems quite fitting for the Halloween Theme. 

1. Silver Spacebird:

I'm like total "oooooh" on this creation and I do not know how to begin to marvel about her impeccable skin, the suble rose hued blush under her cheekbones, the peach shimmer on her eyelids. Those are the soft & pretty elements, which are daringly contrasted with *POW*, a deep cobalt lipstick.

Also, I have been discussing Catrice Eye-decals yesterday but how about getting yourself some vinyl tape and glue-ing them up to your eyebrows? Genius!

For the silver feathers I think spraying or buying the real bird feathers is a cheaper and lighter option than this model is wearing.

2. The new Morticia Adams:

 

 The emphasis are on that same brilliant vinyl eyebrow idea I as before: but a totally impeccable complexion is key to make the eyebrows as stricking as they are. Moreover, a good wig that has been crimped by those awful awesome crimpers that were around in the 1980s! Adding, the perfect sheer-feathered dress, some edgy black cuffs and a serious expression.

I love the photo on the right as well: a cross-over between Little Red Riding Hood & the ominious Silence of the Lambs,  only so much prettier.

The series is called "Altered Egos" by Irvin Rivera and more of it can be found over here.

"How about Brow?": Kanebo Kate vs Laura Mercier eyebrow pot

Must be Clara Devingue...but brows are a hot topic lately.

I have been using them a bit more to draw the attention upwards. Not that I have an ample busum, au contraire. Women who do often notice that few men stare into their eyes at first glance:

"how ya like my eyebrows?"

Dolly Parton always has the funniest and most self-ironic quotes about beauty:  1. “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap” | 2. “I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb - and I'm not blonde either.” | 3. “I was the first woman to burn my bra - it took the fire department four days to put it out.” (more quotes here) 

Ok, enough about the rack and lets go to the frame for eyes instead.

I bought the Kanebo Kate Gel Eyebrow in 2011 (review here) and the Laura Mercier about 3 months ago. The 3rd one is a Inglot Brow Wax that I have since 2011. It's not a real colour but a coloured gloss to make brows look shinier.

Swatches: daylight, no sun.

Visuals: 

• Kanebo Kate has the most pigmentation (after 1 1/2 year!)
• Laura Mercier is not so pigmented
• Laura Mercier Fair is slightly cooler & ashier 
• So Kate is warmer in colour
• The Inglot eyebrow wax is transparent with a hint of ashy brown

I feel meh about the pigmentation of Laura Mercier. I have been storing it with the lid closed and it is already so underpigmented after 3 months.

The next test: After rinsing the arm with lukewarm water:

Laura Mercier dissapeared into a sad shadow, whereas Kanebo Kate is still there!

Conclusion:
 Kanebo Kate is almost the best in every aspect: price ($10 vs $24), pigmentation, durability, waterproof-ness and the smoother way it disperses on my eyebrow brush. The only thing Laura Mercier is better at is the colour match: the slightly cooler hue suits me better.

Kose Esprique Liquid eyebrow pen in BR300

I have been into eyebrow shaping lately because it is one of those tools that can make you appear optically younger. I already bought the quite-reddish based B&C one I reviewed and liked over here but my curiosity spurred a bit further and so I went for the Esprique one as well.

 I love bolder eyebrows and one of my eyebrow icons is Cara Devigne (on the right & the woman of the Burberry advertisement)

I don't know whether I read a sort-of-interview of her in the British Vogue or Elle, but it was British and of this summer season. Anyway, she said she used to be the tomboy of her family whereas her sisters & mum were and still are the frilly & girly ones. You probably have seen her sister Poppy in the spotlights as well (sisters together).

Anyway, I'll disgress and will return to my own eyebrows. Adambeauty had this one listed. So the first thing when I got it was to compare it with the creme-de-la-creme of the beautyblogger's world: Suqqu Liquid eyebrow pen.

As for the swatches:

Visuals:

• Esprique & Suqqu have similar warmth or actually coolness factor. 
• Esprique is a lighter cooler brown than Suqqu, and has a hint more green in it (only minimal)
• B&C (as reviewed before) is the redder and warmer tone.
• Esprique looks less pigmented on the photo, but that's my lousy swatch for today. It has similar pigmentation level as the B&C

Wearability:

• Esprique has similar lasting power as the Suqqu
• B&C is the longest lasting one. Esprique & Suqqu will fade after a shower whereas B&C still has colour left.

Conclusion:

Colourwise, I love my new Esprique pen as it looks naturally neutral that matches my eyebrows. The reddish tone of B&C can be quite beautiful as well, but I prefer this one when my hair is slightly more reddish and warmer (eg during autumn).

Availablity:

I bought this one from adambeauty for $20. They come in 3 colours, also in a reddish brown & a slightly darker ash grey.

Review: B&C EX water strong W Eyebrow in Natural Brown

A while ago I bought the highly acclaimed Suqqu eyebrow pen when dollyleo was still in service. Geeeh, why did that shop go away? It was the cheapest way for me to get some Suqqu. Anyway, I would probably not repurchase the Suqqu eyebrow pen on reasons I will explain later, but I loved the concept of a pen and I went further to seach for another pen.

B&C Water Strong W Eyebrow

The most famous one afterwards that I saw on blogs is the KPalette version, but it was sold out on adambeauty so I went for the B&C EX water strong W Eyebrow in Natural Brown instead (listed here). These names are choking me up sometimes: what does the W stand for?

Translated from Adambeauty's site from Chinese:

B & C Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil with Pencil + liquid on both sides of the pen design, pencil , moderate hardness, can depict a very coarse, fine and soft lines, suitable for the brow and eyebrow contours depict; liquid written with elasticsense of the fine brush design, suitable for depicting the thin lines.
Containing a special water-retaining membrane, a 24-hour waterproof, anti-sweat, anti-sebum.

It's a dual sided browliner device giving you the option to use the pen, the pencil or both: each for a different effect.

I bought it for the pen side, and, strangely, the pen didn't even come with a lid on the pencil side: doesn't that dry out the pencil in the end?

out of package (I didn't loose the lid from the pencil side, it comes like that)

Next to my Suqqu pen (the one in front)

The pen side has a similar sized shape and tip as the Suqqu one, perhaps a tiny bit larger:

The Pencil part:

 It's approximately 0.4 cm and I consider that shape to be rather thick for drawing in a finer line with eyebrows. On the other hand, this part is for a different effect so if you like your eyebrows to be a bit more dramatic. You can use it slightly slanted for a thinner pencil look.

The swatches:

Verdict:

• Colour of the pen: obviously, B&C is a lot warmer in tone than Suqqu. I was quite put off in the beginning and intitially it looked too brown/reddish on my eyebrows. Until I looked at the mirror 2 minutes later and I saw it actually matches them. I think this one will work for warmer blondes, redheads, perhaps auburn or warmer shaded brunettes.
• Colour of the pencil: Huh? how come this is a completely different shade being almost an ashy grey brown ? Indeed, it's a lot darker but in combination with the pen you can work up to either a natural-looking brow (mimicking the natural difference in hairs and tones that they have) or go dramatic.
• Inkiness of pen: It gives out more pigment than the Suqqu with the first swipe. Personally, the lack of pigment was my biggest gripe of Suqqu: I kept on swiping and hardly saw anything (and I often dislike eyebrow products for looking too harsh on me). So I prefer the inkiness of this one: it is still light enough to look natural.
• Inkiness of the pencil: I was complaining about the lack of a lid on the pencil part? Yes, and the effect is that it balls up at first when using it (see above) and you have to break of a piece to go to the better part. However, without the lid I have to do that over and over again and that is not really efficient of the pencil side. Too bad, because, with a light hand, this colour works and I guess it can work for quite some complexions and haircolours too for being neutral enough.
• Durability: It claims to have that 24-hours and anti-sweat/water effect and it stays rather put but I wouldn't say 24hrs. I have exercised with it and it stays rather put: I found that it is splash resistant too, but completely waterproof? I'm not sure yet. I can remove it quite easily with normal cleansers so I don't have to bring out the special waterproof cleansers that some Majolica Majorca mascaras need.

Conclusion:

 Unexpectedly, when you think you bought a Dud-product based on your first swatches, it can turn out quite good afterall. I have to find a (sort of) matching lid for the pencil side or tape it off so it doesn't dry out. Using the pen gives a light effect (with a warmer undertone), the pencil a neutral, and both either a mimicking natural brow or a strong both, depends of how you shade and use it.

Availability:

I bought it on Adambeauty for $14 and they have a darker/neutral version as well (here).

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.

Brow-sing Etude House goodies: Etude House Color My Brows in Rich Brown

I have to be a tiny bit strict on myself for showing my readers my latest Eude House haul, and absolutely not reviewing my favourite product of the bunch. Ok, I will be mellow on myself, because I had to test it for a couple of days to see if it really is...(to use a 1990s expression)...all that.

By the way, I love the nineties, especially the music...that eighties stuff was just a pre-warmer for the nineties. I liked the grunge, the new ravers, Friends..and Clueless ofcourse...

Oh, and the nineties had the natural brow look going on...Somehow this strong brow is coming back.

 

Etude Color My Brows comes in a paper foldable packaging.  If you are a person who likes to keep the packaging with their products, then the packaging will not really be so handy to you. Simply, because a box is easier to carry around.

Gladly, the instructions are clearly illustrated with animation pictures. I might miss an instruction because I cannot read Korean at all, but the animated instructions are clear.

1. Brush in the product in the opposite direction of the growth of your eyebrows, probably to get the colour evenly distributed around the hairs.
2. brush and style your eyebrows in the right direction.

The backside has some information in English as well:

Description of the colour I picked, and an alternative description than the one that was shown on the picture before.

Color My Brows has a mascara wand type of form. It is a relatively small tube with 4.5 g of content.

The brush is in a form that is wider in the middle and smaller on the ends.

Do we call that a cone-shape?

The colour is a neutral mid brown with a tiny hint of warmth in it. It does not contain obvious reddish tones, but it has a tiny bit of lustre and sparkle in a golden undertone. I like this a lot, because I have tried some ashy, cooler browns and they do not match my slightly warm brunette hair at all. I would still qualify it more of a neutral than a warm.

Etude House CMB in 01 Rich Warm: golden shimmers and a neutral mid brown tone

 The wear of this product is delightfully light. Still, it is able to tame slightly stubborn eyebrows in a more manageable form, without feeling that you have put some heavy gel-like product on it. 

It colours the hairs of your eyebrows. In my case, they turn a notch darker than they were before. So, it is quite Caucasian friendly (that sounds weird, but I have light skin with light eyes so I cannot do dramatically dark brows). I think it would suit a variety of complexions/skintones of people who dye their hair a bit lighter, because I do think the pigmentation of the colour is strong enough to lighten up the original colour of the brow.

I believe it will look quite natural on blonde caucasians or redheads too. I say that because most eyebrow wands often look too dark on me, and this one looks natural when applied with a light hand. However, they have a lighter shade in 2, light brown, which might even suit natural redheads and blondes even better. It just depends on how you would like to see your eyebrows, stronger and deep or naturally defined.

I often come across as a bit of a glitter and glimmer phobe, and that is often the case when I want to wear natural makeup. Anyhow, the glimmers are not visible as glimmers when wearing this on the eyebrows. It is simply that bit of lustre that you might see.

Who will like this product? 

Well, me! In general it will be suitable for when you want a bit of definition on your eyebrows, but do not want/need/or have time to use a eyebrow pencil to pencil in the shape of your eyebrows. Or, you can add the eyebrow wand as an extra fix of colour (and fixation) after you pencilled in your eyebrows. It suits people who want to have a relatively lighter eyebrow with a neutral undertone. It is also a quick way of fixing the brows, so it is time-efficient.

I bought my Etude House Color My Brows in Rich Brown on gmarket (here) for ￦6,000 ($ 5.57). I have also spotted it on ebay but the seller has a low positive feedback rate, so I will not give you that link. (still, it is your risk to take so feel free to look it up).