The Affordable Brow-down!

I'm really into doing my brows at the moment and it is a borderline obsession. I probably get it from my mom, who has never been too much into makeup but would never forget brows even when I was growing up. She loves a good, dark brow and so do I. If there's one thing I won't leave the house without these days, it's them brows! That is the only way I can justify trying so many brow products at once and always being on the prowl for that perfect brow product that does it all. Until then I do need more than one or two products to do my brows, and here's a rundown of my absolute favourites from the drugstores.

#1  Freedom Makeup Duo Eyebrow Powder in Dark Brown

Shelf Life : 12 M

This is a pretty obvious dupe for Anastasia's brow duo if you're just looking at the packaging and the shade range too. I haven't tried the Anastasia powder but this one is seriously amazing! It is my most reached for product when I'm doing my brows for an everyday look. As you can tell from the slight dent in the lighter "taupe" shade, that's the one I essentially reach for and use the darker shade for filling in sparse areas. The colours are super soft and subtle and definitely gives me that natural yet put together eyebrow look. I use a dual ended eyebrow brush with this product - the flat angled brush side for shading and the spoolie end for blending.

#2  Maybelline Eyestudio Brow Define + Fill Duo

This one's a pretty similar product when I'm going for the natural look. The twist up pencil on one end + brow powder on the other makes it a great product to travel with and for quick touchups on the go. I'll usually use the brow pencil to create tiny hairs in my eyebrows and then fill them in with the powder bit which also comes with an attached sponge tip applicator which works pretty well. The pencil itself isn't very creamy so it allows room for mistakes and you can go a little heavy handed without looking like a clown. I can honestly do my eyebrows in a tiny mirror (like a car's rearview) with this product and be rest assured that it's going to turn out fine.

#3 NYX Tinted Brow Mascara in Espresso

Shelf Life : 9 M

My favourite brow gel from the drugstore is this brow mascara especially in this darkest colour because it matches my dark locks pretty well without leaving the eyebrows too crunchy. It is my everyday product as well to layer over my eyebrow powder to set everything in place or sometimes I'll use it on it's own as well when I'm in a rush. It works great on it's own too and helps keep my eyebrow hair in place since they have a tendency of drooping downwards sometimes. It's the ideal product to use alone when you want a messy eyebrow look that's trending right now. I don't think this product is water proof since it comes off pretty easily with makeup remover however it is water resistant because it keeps my brows in place even on a hot, humid day.

#4 NYX Eyeshadow in Raven Corbeau

Shelf Life : 12M

This is a special ocassion only product for evenings and night outs. 'Raven Corbeau' is a part of the NYX Hot Singles range and apart from the darling packaging with a bow, it's a pretty sturdy as well. Although it looks jet black in the pan, it's actually a really matte, deep brown and I think I can get away with it in my eyebrows when I want a strong brow look which I do enjoy from time to time. I have pretty dark hair anyway so it doesn't look too dark on me, however if you're a little paler and have lighter hair you should look into the slightly lighter browns from this range. They are extremely long lasting and blendable. This shade may not be the most intense black in terms of pigmentation but that's what makes it perfect for the brows or even for a slightly soft smudged smokey eye.

#5 LA Girl Pro Conceal in Highlighter

Shelf Life : 18 M

I've already raved about these in my previous post, all about the L.A Girl Base products, and if you're going to get just one product from their range I would suggest you get this white concealer or matte highlighter because it's unlikely that you'll find a product like this with amazing quality from the drugstore. It's one of those products that I wish I could buy a sack of and hand it out to beauty obsessed friends as a favour because everyone's gotta try it at least once. It's truly one of a kind and up there with it's high end versions from Kat Von-D and Manic Panic. I love using this to highlight the brow bone and cleaning up around the brows. It gives them that extra oomph especially if I'm going for the strong brow look!

#6 Konad Cosmetics Eyebrow Pencil in Dark Brown

Last but not the least, this one's merely an honorable mention but it's also the best brow product I've ever tried till date. As far as eyebrow pencils go, this one from Konad cosmetics (an asian beauty brand) in dark brown is the most perfect shade and formulation I've ever come across. It's slightly waxy and hence it stays on throughout the day once I put it on my brows in the morning. I love how natural it looks and the colour is an exact match for my natural hair colour. The reason this is an honourable mention is because this product has been discontinued. I'm not sure if they still sell it in South Korea but I was not able to find any proof of that. I've had this one for over 5 years and I don't use it anymore because of hygiene reasons but I can't part with the best eyebrow pencil of my life. It's got a place in my makeup collection forever with the hopes that I can locate one of these again someday and repurchase.

That's all for my eyebrow favourites! I know they sound like a few too many for just two brows(haha) but I promise I use all of them religiously.These are some great products on a budget that I've discovered over the past few months and really fallen in love with. My makeup bag would be incomplete without even one of them.

SHOP THE PRODUCTS