Maybelline MasterShape Brow Pencil - Review

I don't really have a need for more brow products (don't judge!), but I've never used one of these waxy-crayon things before, and Maybelline's Eyestudio line is, for the most part, pretty great. So, when I found this product a month ago, and on sale, I decided to try it out.

The MasterShape brow pencil comes in several colors: Soft Brown, Deep Brown, Blonde, and Auburn. Despite my redhair, I usually use taupe/brown tones for my brows (since, my brow hair is not red, and red or auburn shades look all kinds of wrong on my brows). Without a taupe to lean on, I picked up Blonde, which suits me perfectly.

I like that the barrel of the pencil is color coded, and the included spooly is a must. Brushing this stuff through your brows really helps tame and shape them, and adds a more polished look. This product couldn't be easier to use if it tried - it glides on fairly effortlessly, and is the perfect balance of pigmented and not pigmented, so you'd have to focus on getting it wrong. The price is decent, about $5 - $7, depending on whether or not it's on sale, or if you have a coupon.

I have two problems, though:

1. I've used up a lot of this in the short time I've been using it -This sort of makes sense, coming from using brow powders (which last an eternity), that I would notice how short the pencil was getting.
2. Sharpening this thing sucks. It's coated in plastic. Not the same kind of plastic MAC uses for their Powerpoint pencils, which is fairly easy to sharpen. No, this is full-on, real, plastic. You must have a really nice sharpener, to make this work. I use UD's Grindhouse (yes, a $10 sharpener for a $5 product.

Overall, I like this brow product. I really do. But, powders seem to be a better value. Remember that Brow Tech Trio review I did? I've been using it daily for the past 8 months, and no pan in sight. I have a feeling I'll run out of Mastershape about 2 months from now. My previous brow powder, MAC's discontinued Brow Shader, is literally 5 years old, and still going strong. So, you may keep that in mind when considering this product.

Smashbox Brow Tech Trio - Review

Brow powder has to be the most unexciting thing to shop for, ever. At least it takes forever and a day or so to finish, though. I had a $10.00 Pretty Points certificate from Smashbox that was close to expiring, and decided to use it towards a product I've been overly curious to try, so for a mere $14.00, I selected the Brow Tech Trio in Soft Brown/Taupe (this product retails for $24.00).


Smashbox says:

We took one of our most popular core products and made it even better. Our brow trios have 2 shades of hair color-coordinated powders for a perfect match every time. Fill in brows with the lighter shade, define with the darker, then use the wax to seal them in place all day. Pair with Angle Brow Brush #12 for flawless application.

I was drawn to this product originally because it does have 2 shades of powder. It appears they no longer sell the single-color pot of brow powder, however, you can by just the brow wax here.


Although I have red hair, my brows are a disappointing brownish taupey color. I pray every day that my hair doesn't fade to this color as I age. If it does, I'm totally going to try using henna to get back the red. Moving on... I'm not close to finishing my MAC Brow Shader in Buttery/Blond Taupe (like I said, it takes forever to finish brow stuff), but I wanted something new, and in particular, I wanted to try Brow Tech, because it is almost always mentioned as a great brow product.

Not surprisingly, the colors of the powders are a soft brown, and a taupe. Like my brows, they are both ever-so-slightly cool. The wax is clear, but definitely provides some "shine" to my brows after I've applied. I appreciate that Smashbox didn't divide this trio into 3 equal parts, because I use the wax more than either powder. I'm still working with the colors to make the best match for my brows, since neither color is dead on, however, I like the ability to create a stronger brow by using more of the darker colored powder, or a softer brow using more of the lighter color. Both powders are very nicely pigmented, and easy to work with. I'm really liking the effect of the wax, as well. I've never had an issue with my brow powder migrating around my face or anything, but the shine is nice, but subtle.


I used my MAC 266 or 208 to apply the powder and wax, and I don't clean my brush after using the powder, as you can tell. After applying the wax, I use a brow brush to fix my brows where I want them (and I have a wild hair or two that just want to stick out a little - the brushing helps reign them in a bit, and ensure the wax is distributed evenly).


Overall, this is a sold product. It's easy to use, pigmented, and does what it should. I think it's a little pricey, however. $24 for a trio that's the same size as the standard MAC (or Smashbox, for that matter,) eyeshadow is a bit much - I wish it were a little bigger. The size issue isn't a terrible problem, since you could depot this and put in a palette, if you wanted to. Additionally, I'm fairly confident, that I won't run out of one particular shade before the other, and the wax hopefully will last as long as the powders, assuming it doesn't dry our or harden in any way. The Brow Tech Trio has it's good points, and it's bad. At this time, It's a suitable replacement for my Brow Shader (that doesn't need replacing, since I have at least 50% left). I'm not convinced I'll repurchase.