Shu Uemura KYE Collectioon: Brow Palette in Cappuccino/Dark Rose

This the last of my KYE haul, and unfortunately is the biggest disappointment for me. I was so excited about this product, and felt like it would be a slightly-edgy-but-not-so-out-there thing to do to have dark rosy brows. The packaging is still cute, and feels nice and hefty in my hands, but that's about as far as it goes.

It contains Cappuccino, a light grey-mauve tone, and Dark Rose, which looks so beautiful in the pan. 

 

The instructions here to use Cappuccino to draw and Dark Rose to blend, makes no sense to me. As it turns out, Cappuccino is so lacking in pigmentation that I could not get it to show up on my brows at all.  Even on my arm, it look a lot of layers to even show any kind of shadow! 

Dark Rose is more pigmented, so it make more sense to actually use that to "draw" my brows and then go over it with Cappuccino to blend. I really was so excited and wanting to love this, but once I finished my look, I realized the shade is exactly like those eyebrow tattoos the Asian aunties used to have, that same reddish-brown..ugh! (Sorry you might have to be Asian to understand what I'm referring to). It just made me feel old, not cool at all.

This likely will work for you if you have reddish-brown hair though!

I'm ending on a down note I guess, but by far the best of the KYE collection so far for me was the cushion blush, second is the tinted lip balm. I'm only glad I got this brow palette on sale and didn't pay the full $55 CDN for it, eeks. The KYE collection does have a indigo-blue shade in the brow sword, which I might try (no "auntie" look there) but not sure if I will end up going for it as it may be a waste of money on something I may not end up using a lot of... we will see =P

What has been your most recent product disappointment?

Burberry Effortless Eyebrow Definer - Ash Brown No. 03 Review and Swatches

I've not stopped loving my YSL Ash, but it is fun to try out new brow products! This is one of the first products from Burberry I've tried, and after a few months now of using this side by side with the Shu Uemura eyebrow pencil in Stone Gray, I love it! Is it possible that I simultaneously love the YSL, Shu, and this?! Yup... I can't decide which is my favorite anymore...

Burberry unfortunately doesn't make a grey-toned shade like YSL and Shu, but from reading reviews online I gathered this "Ash Brown" would work for me. 

The packaging is metal and weighty, feels good to hold and use!

It's also my first time trying a sword-type shape eyebrow product. It was odd at first and took some getting used to, but now I like how it allows me to draw hair-like strokes, and use the very sharp part to create a neat tail. 

Obligatory spoolie, making this travel friendly.

Next to YSL, you can see the shade is actually very similar (and very similar to the Shu but for some reason I didn't think to swatch all 3). Only difference is YSL has the fine shimmer (no other brow product I've tried has it, and it's only visible with flash, not in person, oh I guess YSL still wins in this regard...)

Sorry I had trouble matching the white balance, but hope it shows that the shade is quite natural looking, though it is a bit brown of course and not entirely gray. It doesn't look unnatural though like some browns can on me. 

 Overall, I'm happy with this product! Really nothing wrong with it, you can go light, or can draw heavier strokes and make yourself a heavier brow if you prefer. 

This was a great intro for me to the world of Burberry cosmetics, and I will be looking forward to picking up more products from them!

What's your favorite brow product recently? Do you always stick to one thing or change it up?

Shu Uemura Eyebrow Pencil Hard Formula - Stone Gray

I've made a couple of online orders from Shu Uemura recently, and am enjoying trialing various products in this neat Japanese line. This eyebrow pencil they are particularly well-known for, and I'm happy to finally have added this to my brow arsenal. 

I bought the shade "Stone Grey". Although I can get away with brown brow colors (as long as they're more ashy/cool-toned browns), I find grey still the most natural looking.

Apparently you can take this to a Shu Uemura counter for them to sharpen it into a "knife" shape, which helps to draw more natural looking brow hairs. I've been using it "as is" though as the nearest counter is quite a trek. 

Here are some comparisons to my other pencils. The YSL remains my HG (previously reviewed here), and is the closest match to my brows. My only complaint about it is that it's super soft and requires sharpening every 1-2 uses.  The Shu, on the other hand, is very hard in comparison (guess should be expected with the name of "hard formula"!). It's been a good two weeks with nearly daily use and I haven't had to sharpen it yet!

From the hand swatches above, it may look like it has less pigmentation (believe me I scraped that bugger on my hand repeatedly and as hard as possible without breaking skin), but in fact Shu advertises that this formula is activated by the oils in and around your brow hairs, so it won't swatch well outside of the brow area. The end result is very natural-looking full brows as you don't end up drawing way outside your natural shape (no sharpie brows with this!).

 My natural brows, as you can see there are some patchy and sparse areas.

My brows filled in with Shu Uemura Stone Grey pencil. It registers with a hint of light brown on camera but in person blends in nicely with my natural brow hairs. 

Overall, the more I use this the more it's starting to compete in my heart for that HG spot! This Shu pencil is very long and hefty, and seems like it's going to last a long time (whereas I'm already on the end of my second YSL pencil in about a year of high frequency use). The downside is that it lacks a spoolie, which may be annoying when travelling since you will have to bring an extra tool. I may just alternate using both...oh the joys of makeup!

Have you tried this infamous eyebrow pencil? What did you think?

Illamasqua Eye Brow Cake in Motto - Review, Swatches

Although the YSL Eyebrow pencil remains my HG brow product, the curious part of me that wants to see if anything out there is better always gets me to buy and try other products. I picked up this eyebrow cake during the Illmasqua sale from the Bay. It's a powder cake that can be used dry or activated with Illamasqua Sealing Gel (much like any cake activator, can turn any powder product into a water-resistant liquid). This turns the cake into a gel/pomade like product.

First off, the color is spot on for my brows, actually even closer match than the YSL in #4. I have very dark brown hair, but grey eyebrows (typical for asians). It was smooth and easy to apply dry, and gave a very natural look. When used with the sealing gel, it was more intense but could be applied lightly enough to not be unnatural looking. See photos below. Apologies for the lighting change from my natural brow, but hope it still shows how natural the product looks.

natural brow

Brow Cake in Motto - DRY

with Sealing Gel

Overall, this definitely makes good competition for the YSL in terms of final look. However, this takes waaaay longer to apply because I have to re-dip the brush repeatedly to pick up more product. Because the YSL is a pencil, I can just draw on and go. I have now been using this when I have more time to do my makeup, but can't be bothered with it when I'm rushing in the mornings for work. 

Have you tried any cake products, brows or eyeliners? What did you think of them compared to traditional pencils/gels?

Empties #1

My first empties post... I used to always just toss my used up packaging of products away without a second thought, with my only next thought being "yay time to try something new"! Recently as I've started to look at others' "empties" posts/videos, I realize it's actually a great "final word" on products. Also the fact that it even got used up (full sizes anyways) says something since most of us product junkies have too much stuff on the go at once that to use something up means something... (what does it mean though? let's find out!)

 

First up, deluxe sample size of EA daily serum. This sample lasted me about 10 days. It felt nice, but nothing magical happened.

 

Next, the Shiseido White Lucent softener (a toner product), which is a staple for me. I have bought this at least 5 times now throughout the last few years. It helps to clear off any residue I haven't washed off my face with my cleanser and is soothing. Unfortunately it doesn't actually brighten anything on my face, but I still like it nevertheless.

 

Ahh...my YSL eyebrow pencil... this has been reviewed before here.  It has come to more of a stub now and is becoming unusable as it's hard to grab onto and sharpen.  As mentioned in my review post, I love this and it's been repurchased. My "final word" is still: great product!

I finished my Kate Somerville Goat Milk moisturizing cream, which I was using at night. It did good. However not so amazing to deserve a repurchase. I'm onto other things!

 

Lastly...this obviously isn't "empty", but has been used for about 3 months now and is time for it to go bye-bye. It's a Japanese Konjac sponge I got from T&T. This thing is rock hard when dry, but becomes super soft and cushy when wet thoroughly, and does a nice job of gentle exfoliation. I've repurchsed this as it's become a staple.

Well, there you have it, my first empties post... it felt kinda nice to say a last word on these! I think I will keep doing these posts...makes me want to use up more stuff!

 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz - Review + Comparison Swatches

I've been looking to try new brow products since my beloved YSL pencil is getting stubby (not cuz I don't love the YSL, it has made HG status - see full review here), but hey, whatever excuse for trying more stuff right :)

ABH is a brand that is mostly known for brow products, and I remember first hearing about them when their brow stencils came out (unfortunately the shapes didn't quite work for my asian brows). The brow wiz is a thin-mechanical-pencil-like product, which you twist up for more as it gets used up.

 

The tip is quite thin, and right away I was pleased with one thing: I don't need to sharpen this! EVER!

I chose the shade Medium Ash as I wanted something a bit more warm and brown for the summer. 

 

It comes with a spoolie to blend as with most brow pencils.  This spoolie is quite small, but precise.

Below is are comparison swatches to some of the other brow pencils I have used in the past. As I'm getting older I like the lighter pencils as I find the darker grey/black aging on me.

The Brow Wiz in Medium Ash is of course a brown pencil, but it actually doesn't look unnaturally brown (if you're asian you will know what I mean!).  I have long stopped using the Shiseido Deep Brown for this very reason (though I think that pencil will look great if you have colored your hair brown, but it doesn't work for my black hair).  Surprisingly, the brow wiz fills in my brows, gives it a light brown tinge, but without the artificial brown brow look I was getting with Shiseido.

The formula is much less waxy (ie. harder pencil tip) compared to Shiseido and YSL.  This allows me to draw on hairs in a natural way, and when blended it maintains that look. The Shiseido is much softer and waxier, and when blended out loses the individual-hair look and becomes a sort of darkly pigmented block of a brow (which is actually amazing for outdoor photography when the sunlight can otherwise make my brows disappear, but not so much for everyday!).  YSL doesn't do this despite it being soft, as the shade is a nice neutral grey which blends seamlessly right into my natural hairs.

Have you tried the Brow Wiz by ABH? What did you think? For me, this is a keeper for the summer and I'll enjoy using it, but I don't think it's good enough to top the YSL.

YSL Eyebrow Pencil Final Review

 

The YSL Dessin Des Sourcils Eyebrow Pencil in 04 - "Ash"

A perfect grey with the slightest hint of shimmer...

Advertised for blondes and those with grey hair, it actually turned out to be an amazing natural daily shade for me (I'm Asian with grey-black eyebrows).

So this little stubby is all I have left now... This is actually the first time I have used up any cosmetic pencil this much (yes, including all brow, lip, eye...). I love trying out new things and am always moving on to something else, but this one kept me on the hook and kept me coming back... that fact in itself says something! 

I have yet to find something that is more natural on me than this! There are others that can give a more defined look when I want that, but for day-to-day, this always wins. 

So my final review on this? I am definitely repurchasing, and it's now my HG eyebrow pencil for "naturally beautiful" brows! (I'm still a little shy about posting parts of my face online...so when I work up the nerve I will post a brow swatch/routine with this pencil =P)

What's your HG brow product? Share with me in the comments!

Anastasia Beverly Hills - Tinted Brow Gel Review

My brows are incredibly unruly (thank you stiff Asian hair), and always needs a brow gel or wax though I have not yet found one that can hold my brows in place all day.  I have heard much positive reviews about all the various Anastasia brow products so finally tried my first from this brand, their brow gel.  

I bought the color "Granite", it's a grey-ish dark brown. Ordinarily I prefer grey eyebrow products, and this is the closest color in this range.

The brush just looks like any regular mascara/brow gel brush. I find that it lightens my brows ever so slightly and gives them more of a grey-taupey tinge. I quite like it now that spring is here and I'm going for a "lighter" look than the heavy winter brows I was sporting.

As for hold, I'd say it's about "medium", since my brows become unruly again after a few hours. So no luck for me yet for finding a brow gel that can hold my brows in place all day.

Overall I would recommend this product if you're wanting to try tinting your eyebrows and don't mind the price ($29 CDN). It doesn't give any more volume to the eyebrow, just a tint. The hold isn't ideal for me, though probably would be more than fine if you have thinner eyebrow hairs.

Let me know if you have this what you thought of it, or if you know of any super strong hold eyebrow products that can tame my unruly hairs please recommend!!

Valentine's Day Treat/mini-haul: YvesSaintLaurent Touche Eclat Radiant Touch and Dessin Des Sourcils Eyebrow Pencil

I decided to treat myself to some cosmetics for this Valentine's day, and so picked up a couple of things from YSL. Read on for my thoughts :)