I like big brows and I cannot lie.

I admit it...I judge people when it comes to their eyebrows. I don't care if you are a man or woman, I still do it. It drives me NUTS when my husband lets his brows grow into unibrow territory. It drives me even nuttier when women pluck pluck pluck until they have no brows at all or the brow shape resembles a tadpole.

Filled in, well groomed brows make your face look put together even if you aren't wearing any other makeup. Taking a few extra minutes a day to work on them makes you look awake and alert. 

I used to think filling in my eyebrows was a science I would never learn.  After much trial and error I have found four products that work for me. 

My brows are pretty sparse at the innermost corners so I concentrate most of my brow product there. I also wear glasses with large Ray Ban frames every day, so my brows look better when they are filled in pretty heavily. I like to use products that can be applied quickly and still look great even when applied a bit messy.

I start and end my brow routine the same every time. I first brush through my brows with my Sonia Kashuk spoolie. I then apply the brow product I decide to reach for that day. Then I run the spoolie through my brows one more time.

My favorite brow products from least expensive to most expensive:

NYC Brow/Eye Liner Pencil in Taupe (.99): This pencil is perfect for busy mornings or when I want a very natural brow look. I simply use short strokes to fill in any sparse areas and am done. The pencil is soft enough to glide on my brows but stiff enough that it doesn't smudge. The color is very neutral when I swatch it on my hand and when applied over my brow hair but leaves a red tint on my skin were the hairs are sparse.

ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Medium ($3.00): I only use the dark gel part of this gel/powder duo because it's pigmented enough to hide any sparse areas and the consistency mimics a brush-on brow gel. The color is completely neutral which I really like. However, the brow powder in the duo leans a bit red on my skin just like the taupe pencil.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Brow in #15 Blonde ($20): This product is a waterproof gel that refuses to budge until you remove it with a makeup remover or cleanser. I dispense a very small dot on the back of my hand and use a stiff angled liner brush to apply to my brows. The shade is very neutral on my brows and is a bit darker than the WnW pencil and ELF kit. I love using this because it gives the end of my brows a very natural look--not like they are drawn on. I can't see myself running out of this anytime soon either.

Too Faced Natural Eye Palette ($36): This palette is perfect for traveling because not only do you have nine eyeshadows to choose from but there are also two cool matte shadows that can double as brow powders. I like to mix Velvet Revolver and Sexpresso together before applying the powders with a stiff angled liner brush. These colors combined are darker than any of the other brow products I use. Even though they are darker they still look pretty natural after running the spoolie through them.

For today's daily laugh--

What are your favorite brow products?

February 2013 Favorites

My beauty favorites for February are short and sweet just like the month was. Between traveling and lots of studying I used the same products every day. Here are some things that I discovered this month or that really stood out to me.

Skin and body: I've really enjoyed using Origin's Checks and Balances face wash and Modern Friction face scrub. I received these items with three others in a sample kit from Sephora. The face wash is labeled as "frothy" which is right on point. I use it with my Clarisonic Mia and this stuff foams like crazy. It has a minty smell which is nice in the morning especially when I'm sleepy. My skin hasn't broken out since using this and it removes all my makeup. Plus, a little bit goes a long way. I will definitely purchase a full size bottle once I use my sample up. The Modern Friction scrub is interesting to use. I apply a quarter size amount to my dry face using my dry finger tips. Then after about 30 seconds-1 minute I wet my fingers and scrub some more before rinsing with water. It has the perfect amount of roughness and gentleness. I like to actually feel a scrub but I want it to be gentle enough not to turn my face red. This definitely does the trick.

I also discovered a new razor that I received from BzzAgent. The Schick Hydro Silk for women has 5 blades and a water activated moisturizing serum strip that keeps my legs super smooth without breaking out in razor bumps. 99% of the time I will choose a men's razor over women's but this one did just as good as my favorite men's razors!

I found the Sonia Kashuk Limited Edition Brush Couture 4 piece Brush Set at my local Target. I love Sonia Kashuk brushes, especially the ones with limited edition prints. This set comes with a duo fiber brush, large eyeshadow brush, crease brush, and angled liner brush. My favorite brushes in the set are definitely the duo fiber which I use for bronzer and the liner brush which I use for cream liner and my brows. The best part? The $12.99 price tag!

My best friend passed along her ELF Eyebrow Kit in Medium because it was too dark for her. The $3 gem has a wax and powder that are so simple to use. I normally just use the wax to fill in my brows but if I have extra time I put some of the powder over it.

I also rediscovered my favorite cream blush: MAC's Blushcreme in Brit Wit. This is the original formula that MAC no longer sells. I use my Real Technique's Stippling Brush to grab a TINY bit of this pigmented cream and swirl in on the apples of my cheeks to my hairline. The color is a dusty mauve that is extremely pigmented and smooth.

What were your February favorites?