Forget the fluff, this review is guaranteed to be honest, open, unbiased and to the point!
The photos won't be edited and you'll see me (and the products) in all our glory... or not!
NOTE: This post has not been paid for by the brand {Benefit} and I bought the product myself, with my own money.
Let's get stuck in...
What the brand says:
WHY WE LOVE IT
Fake full brows!
Fake full brows!
Oh my WOW...precise & defined eyebrows! This ultra-fine eyebrow pencil draws incredibly natural-looking, hair-like strokes that last 12 budge-proof hours.* A few strokes of the rich yet blendable colour will transform brows from shapeless & undefined to filled & defined eyebrows. Includes signature Tips & Tricks.
- Comes in full size & mini
- Twist-up, non-sharpen tip
- Built-in spoolie-brush
- Waterproof** eyebrow pencil
DETAILS
Fullsize: 0.08 g Net wt. 0.002 oz.
Mini: 0.04g Net wt. 0.001 oz
I've tried A LOT of different brow pencils, pomades and gels.
I've done the legwork where brows are concerned!
My natural brows aren't great but they're not too bad either.
I know that many people have much sparser hair than me BUT I still gaze longingly at those lucky ladies with a luscious full brow.
{A close friend of mine has the thickest brows EVER and I envy them!}
I also have the added problem of CRAZY brow hairs that point in all directions and like to break free and do their own thing.
They need serious control.
I had recently finished an old brow product and decided to try something new.
Maybe this product would be the holy grail of brow products?
I'm sharing my sparsest and most patchy brow with you here.
Hmmm... let's see how this product gets on, shall we?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
I chose the mini version of this product.
- £12 from Cult Beauty (plus delivery)
- £12 direct from Benefit (plus delivery)
- £11 from QVC (Free delivery at the moment?)
- £12 from Look Fantastic (Free Delivery)
- £11 from Asos (plus delivery)
You can also get this from other retailers such as BOOTS, SEPHORA and JOHN LEWIS.
Have a look online for your favourite shop and see what their prices are.
It also comes in a full size which is double the product and (unfortunately) also double the price!
What I paid:
£11 with free delivery from ASOS.
The reason the postage was free is that I have an annual postage subscription with ASOS.
Mostly for my children and for birthday present shopping etc...
I like ASOS because it has the things my family want, the delivery is the next day and the range of products is generally good.
PACKAGING
Here lies the main problem I have with this product.
There is A LOT of packaging and a teeny tiny totty wee amount of the product.
This is what 0.04g (and £12) of product looks like.
The is FULLY EXTENDED people!
Less than 8mm of usable product.
That's £1.50 per mm.
Wow.
The full size is only double this and is over £20... what a shocker!
I know other high-end brands charge a similar price for such a small volume BUT I just think we should expect more for my money.
I feel benefit could also be focusing more on innovative, reusable or recyclable packaging.
Surely such a long-standing and classic (yet trendy) brand could do better than this?
The pencil does look nice and is easy to use.
No sharpening required.
{Good job as there is sod-all product in there to waste!}
I did my usual brow routine...
- Brush them down
- Fill in the sparse bits with light feathery strokes
- Brush them back up
- Add clear soap to hold them in place all day (Clear soap is better than any brow gel I've ever used)
RESULTS
So how did this brow pencil do?
The good news is that it stayed put all day and looked pretty decent while doing it!
I like the colour (I chose no. 3) and the texture and I felt my brows looked polished and neat.
On super-close-up mode you can see that I've used a pencil BUT who gets that close to you in normal life?
Not many people.
I liked the results.
VALUE FOR MONEY?
No.
0.04g is so tiny I was in a little bit of shock.
What a rip off.
Surely Benefit could give their customers a little more for their money?
Let us remind ourselves of how much you get for your cash...
GULP.
{Imagine a bit breaking off when you used it!}
PROS v CONS
I'm going to cut to the chase here and weigh up the pros and cons so we can get the full picture.
Pros
- Nice texture
- Easy application
- No need to sharpen
- Trendy and attractive packaging
- Wide range of colours to suit all skin and hair combinations
- Stays put all-day
- Too much unrecyclable and unnecessary packaging
- You get less than 8mm of product!!
- The pencil doesn't have a sharp point for realistic hair strokes so it 'colours in' rather than recreates the illusion of hairs
Bottom line... No.
Too little product for the money.
If you don't mind paying through the nose then it is a good product.
I am looking for a little more bang for my buck... and a sharper tip!
What about other products in their range?
Or, do you have another brow brand you could recommend?
I'm always on the hunt so I'd love to know!