MAC Stylish Brow: Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Veluxe Brow Liner ($19.50 for 0.042 oz.) is a new and permanent range of brow pencils that can be used to fill, define, and shape the brow. It comes in five shades: Strawberry Blonde (soft muted beige-taupe), Redhead (soft brown), Brunette (muted mid-tone gray), Deep Brunette (muted blackish-brown), and Deep Dark Brunette (dark dirty chocolate).

• Strawberry Blonde is a light-medium brown with a gray-ish cast.
• Redhead is a light-medium brown with subtle warm undertones.
• Brunette is a medium brown with a subtle gray tinge.
• Deep Brunette is a medium-dark brown with subtle, warm undertones.
• Deep Dark Brunette is a dark brown with subtle warm, undertones. It is only marginally darker than Deep Brunette and has less red undertones.

MAC described the pencil as a “rich powdery formula.”  It is kind of odd to think of an eyeliner as powdery, but there is a little powderiness to the pencil here.  That powderiness works well with the brow pencil, because it lends it a softer finish and feel, so it looks more natural and is more readily blended along the brow so it doesn’t create harsh lines.

After using the Brow Gelcreme, the Veluxe Brow Liner was less interesting.  It’s not too soft or hard; firm enough to give a full, opaque line of color, but not so firm that it drags or pulls.  Unlike a lot of pencil eyeliners, there is no dry-down–it’s like a pressed powder eyeshadow in pencil form.  When I wore Deep Dark Brunette, I felt it was a smidgen on the light side for my natural brow color (dark brown, slightly black)–I typically use Espresso or Brun eyeshadows to fill my brows in–and it was faded in places (about 80% remained) after eight hours.  Unlike the Brow Gelcremes, this range has more shades, though I think it is lacking a really dark shade and not enough ashy colors.

The five new pencils are permanent, per a Live Chat I did with MAC yesterday (and the website corroborates, as they aren’t listed as limited edition), so you can feel free to fall in love and make it a new staple in your routine.

The Glossover

	MAC Veluxe Brow Liners Reviews, Photos, Swatches A-
	These have nice pigmentation, and they're easy to use and blend out, if you find you over-apply or want to soften an edge. They have a shorter wear time, though, and don't last the day on me.
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 9.5/10 Longevity 7.5/10 Application 5/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Strawberry Blonde Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Strawberry Blonde Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Strawberry Blonde Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Strawberry Blonde Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Strawberry Blonde Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Strawberry Blonde Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Strawberry Blonde Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Redhead Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Redhead Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Redhead Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Redhead Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Deep Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Deep Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Deep Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Deep Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner

MAC Stylish Brow: Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcreme ($15.00 for 0.10 fl. oz.) is a new, limited edition brow gel that’s supposed to be long-wearing, waterproof, and sets quickly. It comes in three shades: Dirty Blonde (soft taupe brown), Redhead (muted golden brown), and Deep Dark Brunette (rich brunette).

• Dirty Blonde is an ochre-toned brown with a gray cast; it’s a bit yellow-brown to be a true taupe, but there’s a definite grayness to it that give sit a taupe-like coloring.
• Redhead is a warm, yellowed, medium tan-brown.
• Deep Dark Brunette is a dark brown with subtle, warm red undertones.

Ooh–I really like these.  They have the same consistency and feel of MAC’s Fluidlines, which is a fantastic formula.  It’s creamy, pigmented, smooth, and it sets efficiently–not so quick that you have no time to fix mistakes, blend, or the like, but not so long that it has time to move around.  I used Deep Dark Brunette to fill in my brow using the 208 (which is the brush promoted with this launch), and it was lovely.  The creamy consistency allowed for a really crisp line and edge along the upper and lower edges of the brow.  The color wasn’t too harsh against my skin tone and with my brow color, so on dark brown (with a bit of black) brows, it’s an appropriate color.

All three shades had incredible pigmentation; the color payoff in a single pass was opaque and didn’t skip or drag.  When I tested the shade closest to my brow color, it lasted all day long.  I had no problem getting a full eight hours of wear, and even after twelve hours, 90% of it remained.  Mere water did not smudge or cause it to run, either, so it holds up to the waterproof claim as well.  I will be curious to see how suitable Dirty Blonde and Redhead are for those with lighter brows.  I wish this formula was permanent, and I could see a few more shades being added to round it out more.

The Glossover

	MAC Fluidline Brow Gelcremes Reviews, Photos, Swatches A+
	Long-wearing, waterproof, creamy, and fully pigmented, there's nothing not to like about these. These are the Fluidline formula and consistency at its best, but for brows, and whether it's worthwhile for you will depend on whether your brow color suits one of the three shades.
	Product 10/10 Pigmentation 10/10 Texture 10/10 Longevity 10/10 Application 5/5
	Where to Buy
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MAC Dirty Blonde Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Dirty Blonde Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Dirty Blonde Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Dirty Blonde Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Dirty Blonde Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Redhead Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Redhead Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Redhead Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Redhead Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

MAC Deep Dark Brunette Fluidline Brow Gelcreme

Video Review: Benefit for Brows

With Benefit’s announcement of free brow service on your birthday, they also included a few of their cult favorite brow products, which I swatch and talk about in this video–a bit of first impressions with some review, since I have used a few products mentioned in the video previously!  I posted reviews for both Brows A-Go-Go and High Brow this past week, and since the pencil isn’t my shade, I’m not reviewing it at this time.

Benefit High Brow ($20.00 for 0.10 oz.) is designed to “lift” and enhance brows by brightening with a “soft, matte linen-pink” shade. Benefit recommends applying it beneath your brow, just following the arch, and blend.

Inevitably, one wonders what is the difference between Benefit’s Eye Bright and High Brow, as they’re both pink pencils designed to help brighten eyes — well, Benefit wrote a blog post explaining the differences. To summarize, High Brow is a neutral pink while Eye Bright is a cool-toned pink; the cooler tones in Eye Bright as designed to combat dark circles. Benefit warns that using High Brow on undereye circles may look too light, while using Eye Bright to define brows may look too pink.

It’s absolutely true that Eye Bright is a cooler-toned, more blue-based pink, and it also has a bit of micro-shimmer–very subtle but still there. I think those who are naturally cool-toned, one could get away with using both. For those with warmer undertones, the difference is likely more noticeable.

I like High Brow for more minimal looks; not necessarily five-minute looks but when one wants to have that natural look. The creaminess of the product makes it easy to blend, and it dries down quickly and holds up fairly well alone (about six hours). I applied it in the photos below so you can see how it looks, and I deliberately went heavy-handed, because I wanted it to show up in photos–the effect can be subtler if one desires.

The Glossover

	Benefit High Brow Review, Photos, Swatches A-
	I like High Brow, and I think it may be a must-have for some but for others a totally unnecessary addition to their stash. It depends on what features are most important to you, because some love really defined brows and others will wear eye makeup nearly everyday so a powder highlight will generally be enough to define the brow area.
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 9.5/10 Texture 9/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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Benefit High Brow

Benefit High Brow

Benefit High Brow

Benefit High Brow

Benefit High Brow

Benefit High Brow

Benefit Eye Bright (right)

Benefit High Brow

Benefit High Brow

For the Brow Enthusiast

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go ($38.00) is an all-i-one brow kit, which includes both Light and Dark Brow Zings Powders (0.04 oz. each), Brow Zings Wax (0.03 oz.), Smokin’ Liner (0.01 oz.), Eye Bright (0.03 oz.), Brow Highlighter Powder (0.04 oz.), mini tweezers, and dual-ended brush.

Benefit and brows take me back almost ten years (which makes me a little nauseous to think about, because sometimes I think I’m still 18 and when I’m clearly not). One of my first beauty experiences was begging my makeup-enthused best friend to tweeze my brows, and she always carried Benefit’s Brow Zings and their mini tweezers. I can’t tell you how I longed for a pair of my own mini tweezers–they just seemed so cool at the time. (With my hands, I can appreciate full-size tweezers for regular maintenance but minis are nice in a pinch.)

The lighter shade is a medium-dark taupe brown, while the darker brow shade is a dark brown with subtle red undertones. The wax is a cross between the two–not too dark, not too light. I found the eyeliner to be fairly black but a bit stubby so it may be difficult to hold for some. I actually liked the shimmering icy pink of the highlight powder; not quite as cool-toned as Eye Bright, which is a creamy, pale white-pink.

The dark shade works well for me, having nearly black natural brows.  I like mixing the two, though, for a softer look as well.  I would be careful using the highlighting products on deeper skin tones, because I think it may turn a little ashy, but they work well on light and medium skin tones.

The Glossover

	Benefit Brows A-Go-Go Review, Photos, Swatches B+
	If you're someone who likes to have immaculate brows and tends to focus more time on them, the kit is useful. If you don't find yourself doing much to them, it may be too superfluous to merit buying. For something more compact, there is the traditional Brow Zings, which is a smaller-sized palette featuring a coordinating brow powder and wax (available in light, medium, and dark) along with mini tweezers but retails for $30.
	Product 9/10 Pigmentation 9/10 Texture 8.5/10 Longevity 9/10 Application 4/5
	Where to Buy
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Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

Benefit Brows A-Go-Go

MAC All Ages, All Races, All Sexes Collection: Brow Pencils Reviews, Photos, Swatches

New for the collection are Impeccable Brow Pencils. The new brow pencil is available in four shades, and the names do correspond to what probably fits the majority. I’m more of a brow powder kind of girl, having used MAC Espresso Eyeshadow for about six years now, as my go-to for brows. I like this, but I don’t love it. For those who want more definition, pencil is definitely a better option than shadow. I would still suggest using a fluffier brush like the 266 or a clean mascara wand to brush through brows for a softer, more natural look.

Impeccable Brow Pencil ($15.00 U.S. / $18.00 CDN)

• Blonde is a honeyed light-medium brown.
• Dirty Blonde is a neutral to cool-toned light medium brown.
• Taupe is a slightly cool-toned light espresso brown.
• Black is a brown-black. This is the darkest shade of the bunch, but it doesn’t read super, ultra black — though it is still dark and obviously pretty close to black!

See photos, swatches, and lip swatches!

MAC Impeccable Brow Pencils: Dirty Blonde, Blonde, Taupe, Black