Hello Sweeties! I'm finally getting back into the swing of normal blog posts, and I'm really excited for the Sweet As Mae posts to come. Having those "on fleek" eyebrows is really on trend right now. And it can be pretty difficult to navigate your way through pomades and perfect arches. I wanted to share my favourite eyebrow products and techniques to spark some inspiration for your own brow power!

If you're holding a pair of tweezers and about to pluck your first hair please stop before you start. If you're starting out with eyebrows or are thinking of attacking them with a shaver or some old tweezers I strongly suggest getting them done. The prices of getting them done range hugely and even if you only get them done once then just follow the shape yourself that's a whole lot better than ending up with almost no brow hairs at all! If you can I strongly suggest you take the plunge and get them done at least once. There are a few different treatments available. Waxing, threading or basic tweezering are the three most common treatments and whichever you choose will vary based on your eyebrows. Mine are quite bushy so I go for waxing and tweezering once every 2 months. I'm not gonna lie, waxing is painful at first but only for a second and it gets less painful the more you go. Threading is another option which is better for sensitive skin but a bit more painful.

Once you've chosen your treatment you'll want to do a little eyebrow shaping research before your appointment. It's handy to have an idea of how you want your brows to look. The person doing your eyebrows will also be able to give advice for shapes for first-time clients.



After your eyebrows are done you might still want to do a little filling in to make them bolder. Filling in your brows can help any patchiness or define any undefined brow lines, and really up your brow game. There's so many brands that offer so many different products to suit your brows, and like getting them done the price range is huge. 

The Techniques:

Pomades or creams:

Filling in your brows with pomades or cream products has become really popular recently. Go for this if you want a bold brow. Pomades or creams don't look the most natural but they give a really sharp brow and are great for sparse brows. If you're using a pomade or cream you'll need an eyebrow brush, they're usually small, dense and angled so you can draw the product onto your brows. A spoolie is also good to comb and blend out product in your brows. Pomades or creams do take longer to fill your brows but are super long lasting and if you have the time they can seriously up your brow game. 

Pencil:

A brow pencil is the classic tool used to fill in your brows. Pencils give a more natural look than pomades or creams because you are essentially drawing hairs onto your brows. Pencils are great for patchy brows as you can easily draw hairs where you need them. When filling in your brows make sure to do very light strokes, don't press to hard. Pencils are super quick and easy to use so perfect if you're in a hurry in the morning, so they're my personal favourite way to fill in my brows.

Powder:

Powder probably offers the most natural look (depending on what products you use) and are great value for money as most people use eye shadows. If I have a little extra time to spare I'll go for this option because it looks really effective. Like pomades, you'll need an eyebrow brush to apply the powder. Powder is again great for patchy brows and for defining your brow line. 



Pomades:

Drugstore favourite: Chi Chi Brow Pomade NZD $20.99

This pomade is super affordable and in my opinion of a better quality than a lot of high end pomades. It's very creamy and has amazing lasting power.

High end favourite: MAC Fluid line Brow Gel creme NZD $35-40

This creme by MAC is amazing, again the texture is super creamy and blendable and looks stunning if you're going for that bold brow look. These apply so nicely and stay put all day long. 



Pencils:

Drugstore favourite: NYX Auto Eyebrow Pencil NZD $11.95

NYX offer some great products when it comes to brows, and this brow pencil is really good quality for the price. Comes with a brow brush on one end which is an essential for any brow look, plus the actual pencil has a nice texture and has pretty good longevity. Retractable, which I personally love too. 

High end favourite: Anastasia Brow Wiz NZD $38

I purchased this pencil in my USA makeup haul (see it here), and have been loving it ever since. The pencil is so fine that your strokes look like real hairs, and the texture is so smooth and easy to apply and blend. Plus this pencil is retractable, so no need for sharpening (something I don't personally enjoy!). It comes with a spoolie on the opposite end, so this pencil is really the whole package.





Powders:

Drugstore favourite: Rimmel Brow This Way Brow Powder Kit NZD $14.99

This brow powder kit from Rimmel is such an awesome affordable brow powder option. It comes with two different shades in a kit so you can mix them together or use separately to suit your brow colour. The formula of these isn't too powdery and sits really nicely on my brows. This kit includes a mini brow brush and a spoolie, so this kit is amazing value for money. 

High end favourite: Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette NZD $70-90

The eye shadows in this palette are amazing quality, really buttery and blend incredibly well. Another reason why I say these are my high end favourites is because of the colours in this palette, is has quite a few matte brown shades so I can mix them for my perfect brow shade. I like to mix Semi-sweet and a little Triple Fudge for my own brows, and the powder sits really nicely and lasts all day long. Plus I'm saving money by using an eye shadow palette for both eyes and brows!



Brow Gel/Brow Mascara: 

After using one of the products above I like to set my brows. To do this I use brow gel. Brow gels are available in clear or tinted variations but I personally prefer clear gels because they sit better on my coarse brow hairs.

Drugstore favourite: Maybelline Brow Drama NZD $16.99

I love this brow gel, it's a nice thin consistency and helps my brows products last longer. The only thing I don't love so much is the applicator, it's pretty weird and can be a little difficult to navigate around you brow hairs at first. But the product is really good value for money so I am willing to look past it.


High end favourite: Anastasia Clear Brow Gel NZD $38

I know it;s another Anastasia product, but come on, she's the queen of brows. I love this brow gel so so much! The staying power is amazing, and the spoolie applicator is really helpful to give your brows one last comb before letting them set. Lovely thin consistency, beautiful packaging . . even though it's pricey I definitely think it's worth it because since it lasts so long you only need a tiny amount of product on each brow. So a whole tube lasts a pretty long time! Love this stuff!



Concealer:

Putting concealer under your brow line is a great trick for sharpening your brows and highlighting your brow bone. Apply with a small brush and then blend out for a seamless finish. The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer is my personal fave, it's super affordable and lasts all day. Such amazing coverage and formula too, I've been using this product for so long now and I adore it.




Brushes:

There are three main tools/brushes used when it comes to brows. Spoolies, combs, and brow brushes, Spoolies are often included in pencils or eyebrow brushes, and they're amazing for giving you brow hairs a general tidy up. The shape of them is really odd but they seem to cling to your hairs and smoothen them all out. Use a spoolie in an upward motion to sort out any unruly brow hairs. Spoolies are also great to blend out and soften any product you put in your brows. Brow combs are an alternative to spoolies, they look like mini hair combs and are great for combing individual hairs. Brow brushes are used for applying pomades, creams and powders. They should be short, angled and dense. These can be a little pricey but are well worth the money because they make doing your brows a whole lot easier. My personal favourite is the Anastasia #12 Brow brush. 
It's an amazing shape and density plus it comes with a spoolie on one end.