Currently, my eyebrows are slightly on the thicker and full side, and so I only need define them a bit, and fill in some unflattering sparse areas. While there are many products out there to make your brows all that they can be, pencils, pomades, markers, powders, etc, I always have my heart set on products that are easy and the absolute best for on-the-go. I'm just that type of girl.
Let's get started,
First, the Crème de la Crème - Anastasia Brow Wiz
Anastasia is THE brow brand and for good reason, it's amazing. Anastasia's brow wiz has taken the world by storm over the past few years and I am not going to lie, I've purchased my fair share of them. The shade I'm wearing right now is soft brown, although I could go a shade darker (hair color probs). I love this pencil to really shape the brows and carve them out, but it's not super easy to fill in my brows. The product is a bit on the hard side. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve filled in my brows plenty of times with this and it looks just as beautiful as any other product mentioned, but the firmer consistency of the product takes some getting used to, luckily the spoolie makes it super easy to blend out and make it look natural. If I do my brows at 9:00 a.m and set them with a clear brow gel they will look perfect when I walk in the door at 9:00 p.m, you cannot beat the brow wiz when it comes to staying power. Also, it may look like a small amount of product but if I do my brows everyday I will get about two months worth of product. Overall this is a great brow product with 9 colors and is definitely a staple if you want to splurge, but ladies just remember if your going to walk the walk you have to talk the talk. It is (Aah-na-staah-see-aah) not (Ana-stay-zha) go out and make your fellow beauty junkies proud with your fancy pronunciation! Price for this gem, $21.00.
Next, NYX Micro Brow Pencil
I knew I needed to find a 'dupe' for the wiz. I looked online and found that people compared the NYX Micro brow pencil to the Anastasia Brow Wiz. I wear the shade Taupe. The NYX Micro Brow is very easy to use and allows me to fill my eyebrows with a natural look. The spoolie itself is great too, although a bit rougher feeling, It still allows me to brush my brows and blend the pencil, just like the Anastasia. In my opinion, I find the Micro Brow to have a dry formula but it is softer than the brow wiz. The NYX micro brow does not have the same lasting power as the Anastasia Brow Wiz. It is able to last about 7-8 hours on me before it starts to look like it is fading away, but with a brow gel it lasts a bit longer. Anastasia Brow Wiz is able to last on its own for 12+ hours. The lasting power isn't a huge deal for me because like I said I have pretty thick brows so if it starts to wear off a bit, it does not make or break my brow game. Like the Anastasia this is a great product and you can't really go wrong for the price and color range. It comes in a 8 colors which is A LOT for a drugstore brow product, priced at $9.99
Last, The Milani Easybrow Eyebrow Pencil
This is a great beginner product, it is cheap, effective and glides on very smoothly. The consistency of this product is way smoother and creamier than the brow wiz and micro brow which makes it a bit easier to work with. Some people may find it to creamy and it might be harder for people who are used to powder or a different pencil. The tip of this pencil is thicker than the first two which may or may not be a good thing for some people. The good thing about this brow pencil is it works, and its cheap so even if you hate it you won't be breaking the bank to give it a try. The downside to this pencil is it is a little waxy and doesn't last as long, maybe 5 hours with a brow gel before it starts to fade. Another major downside to this product is it only comes in two colors. That can be a major problem for 50% of its users. I'm wearing the color Natural Taupe - The cheapest of the three at $7.29.
In the below pictures I put the products to the test (yes i know my brows need to be cleaned up but I'm growing them out at the moment), I compare the three, as well as try them on for you, followed by my final thoughts.
Final Thoughts:
Anastasia is still my favorite eyebrow pencil, however, it is so expensive to keep purchasing over and over again. I will continue to purchase it when I run out to always have in my arsenal but now that I have found cheaper alternatives, I have something I can use on days where I'm not out of the house for 12+ hours or when I'm just running around doing errands. I will definitely use the Anastasia Brow Wiz for special occasions and days where I need my eyebrows to last. The NYX Micro Brow and the Milani Easy Brow are great alternatives to the Anastasia Brow Wiz and I highly recommend them as a cheaper option. The Milani Easybrow is a great product, I would especially suggest this to someone who is just starting out. Its ease of use really does stand out amongst the three and it is due to it being a creamier and more forgiving formula. I will personally reach for the NYX Microbrew first because I am just not crazy about the creamy formula that comes with the Milani Easybrow. All in all, three really great products, three very different price tags. My suggestion would be to go for a middle ground and try out NYX, its cheap, and if you love it you may want to splurge on the Brow Wiz, but if you hate it try out the Easybrow, it just might be the better bet for you. As far as color is concerned, you will just have to try them out, as you can see The Anastasia and Milani are warmer in tone and the NYX is more cool and ashy, it is all going to be preference.
Always remember, don't get discouraged, your brows will never look identical, brows are sisters not twins! I hope this post helped you and gave you some insight into the brow game. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature, and bonus you get to use #browgamestrong #browsonfleek #thembrowstho for all your selfies on Instagram.
See you next time!
Amanda Bells xo
