NARS Brow Gel vs. Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper

Happy New Year!!
Yes, I know. We are 2 weeks into 2014 and here I am still wishing all my readers a happy new year. Hope you all had an awesome New Year's and those who celebrate Christmas, hope it was a jolly one! ^_^ I apologize for the period of inactivity...

As I have mentioned in my past post, I am very particular about having my brows done. I could (and do) walk out of the house without having anything done on my face EXCEPT for sunblock application AND groomed eyebrows. In particular, I LOVE bold, distinct eyebrows. They frame my round face and give it some structure (or so I think ^_^).

For the past 3 years, I have been faithful to Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper. Mahogany (the darkest shade available) is my go-to shade and I had also tried Rich Brown on days I want lighter but still bold brows. Prior to this, I was using Benefit's Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit. I switched and stayed with the Natural Brow Shaper just because I find it simpler and quicker to use. (click here for a comparison review on both the Natural Brow Shaper and the Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit)

Recently, NARS came out with their own version of the brow gel/mascara. I was excited! Do note that I was 100% happy with the Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper and there was no reason at all to look out for another brow gel/mascara. However, NARS IS one of my favorite high-end skincare and make-up brands that I could NOT resist trying their Brow Gel... And I am glad I did!

Packaging:

NARS' packaging is simple, clean and modern. As with most of their make-up containers, the Brow Gel tube also has a matted, rubber feel to it - similar to some mobilephone cases, if that makes sense.

Product:

The gel consistency is similar to that of the Natural Brow Shaper. I bought the Nars Brow Gel in the shade Kinshasa (named after the capital city of Congo). Nars are also know for their cute, exotic, or expressive names for their make-up shades. Kinshasa is very close to the Mahogany color that I love from Bobbi Brown.

Shades comparisons between the 2 Bobbi Brown (bb) brow gels I own and Nars' Kinshasa.

So far, both the consistency and shade are to my liking and both criteria were already fulfilled by the Natural Brow Shaper from Bobbi Brown. So what is it about the Nars Brown Gel that, personally, gives it an edge above the Natural Brow Shaper? Its applicator!

Application:

Top: Nars Brow Gel.
Bottom: Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper.

As you can appreciate from the picture above, the brush head of Nars Brow Gel is slimmer compared to the Natural Brow Shaper from Bobbi Brown. This is the reason why I will be using Nars Brow Gel from now on. The slimmer brush gives you more control and precision, especially on the outer thinner ends of your eyebrows. ^_^ Both products are buildable to your preferred intensity. 

Staying power:

This product pretty much stay on your eyebrows until you wash them off. I once took a nap with it and woke up with intact nice eyebrows. ^_^  Does it stay on longer than the Bobbi Brown's Natural Brow Shaper? No. Both dries up nicely and stay put though out the day (unless you scratch an itchy eyebrow!) I never find myself re-doing my eyebrows through the day with either products.

Value:

Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper 4.2ml/0.14oz
Nars Brow Gel 7ml/0.21oz
Both products retail for CAD25.00 (before taxes) in Canada.
With my daily usage, on average, one tube of Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper lasts 4 months. I am still on my first tube of the Nars Brow Gel and would expect it to last at least if not longer than 4 months since it has more product. We shall see. ^_^

The Nars Brow Gel is available at Nars counters at The Bay or The Bay online in Canada.
For my Malaysian readers, Nars is now available at Pavilion KL! Yeay!

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)

My Current Morning Face Routine - Simple, Origins, Josie Maran, Cetaphil, Bobbi Brown, Revlon, L'oreal and EOS.

Hi my pretties!
Today I thought I would like to share with you my current morning face routine.
This will also be my first entry with a video!

Just as an FYI, my skin is dry (and I have eczema).

So those of your who have dry skin, you may or may not find this post to be useful.

1) Cleanser - Simple Foaming Cleanser

Loving this cleanser at the moment. Rich with foam, yet still gentle to my skin.

  
2) Toner - Origins Make A Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion

This toner/lotion saved my skin twice - once after a beach vacation and another time after an allergy reaction I had with a range of products. My skin saver!

3) Serum - Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil Light

Using this as serum and very glad I am. Works wonders for both dry and oily skin

4) Moisturizer - Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion

My go-to facial moisturizer for the past 7 years. Never failed me.

5) Eye Cream - Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream

Don't forget to care for your eyes! This cream is super hydrating and makes applying undereye concealer a bliss.

6) Concealer - Revlon Photo Ready Concealer in Medium 004

Creamy and super blendable, I regret not using this product earlier!

7) Sunblock - L'Oreal UV Perfect 12-hour Long-lasting UV Protector with SPF50

I am not a daily foundation user but NEVER miss applying sunblock for daily protection

8) Eye Brow - Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper in Rich Brown

Strong, framing eyebrows are a must for me! This gets the job done perfectly and with ease.

9) Lip Care - EOS Lip Balm in Sweet Mint

Current favourite! Another product I regret not trying earlier. Love it!

The following video shows steps 5) to 8).
 

I hope this was somewhat useful! 
Forgive me for the abrupt music cut-off in the video - I am still learning! ^_^

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)      

Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit vs. Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper

Hello!
     Today I will review on a make-up product (2 different brands) that is definitely my if-you-have-to-choose-only-one-makeup-product-what-will-it-be. For some people it is mascara, others mention lip gloss and concealer. Personally, I cannot go without my eyebrow groomer. =)

      I started to be concern on how my eyebrows look back in 2009. I think it was in 2009 when thicker eyebrows started to be seen in magazines and I was on board! Given my rather rounded face shape, a thicker well-shaped eyebrows help sharpen my face a little (or so i think! =D) Also, thicker means less maintenance and no painful plucking!  
      The first eye brow grooming product i had was by Benefit.

However, in 2010, i started to use the Natural Brow Shaper by Bobbi Brown. It wasnt because the Benefit product was not working that i switched. Rather, I find the Bobbi Brown version was much easier and faster to apply. With Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit, even though it is not rocket scientist, i had definitely required a lot of practice before i was comfortable enough with the application. 

     Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper on the other hand, is packaged like mascara with a brush applicator also similar to a mascara. This I find easier to keep clean compared to the palette type of the Benefit kit. My Benefit kit got messy after having it for a few weeks. But of course, Benefit's packaging is cuter.

     Application wise, I find it much easier and faster. Even though the brush applicator looks quite big, it actually does the job pretty nicely and offer a more controlled amount application of the product. In correcting mistakes, both products are quite easy to clean off using just a cotton bud- but only when it is still wet! (When dried, both products do require extra efforts to remove, such as soap & water, or make-up remover) Due to the Bobbi Brown's more liquid consistency (Benefit's is thicker), it may be just a little easier and less messy to remove and correct.
      As for their finish, both delivers a natural look. I have never really tried any brow pencils as I fear the overall look will seem so colored on. Both products will not get washed off if you get caught in the rain but will get onto your nails if you scratch an itchy eyebrow!

Currently, there are 4 shades plus 1 clear, available in the US. In Malaysia, only 3 shades are available. The shade that I personally use is the darkest one available here - Mahogany. Although it comes only in a small tube with 4.2 ml of product, it generally last me about 4 and a half months. Price wise, it retails for MYR75, which is quite stiff, but if you do the maths, at least for me, it is MYR18 a month, which is not too bad for a product that I am happy with.

Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper is available at all Bobbi Brown counters.
Benefit Brow Zings Brow Shaping Kit is available at all Benefit Cosmetics counters and Sephora outlets.

Reminder: Product that works for me may not work for you, and vice versa. =)