MAC The Stylish Brow – review, photos, swatches & looks
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“Plucked, penciled, sharp and shaped, natural-looking, diva arched – the eyebrow, as revealing, individual and expressive as the eye itself.”
photos: we heart this
It seems that most women have heard all about the “perfect” brow shape, and know about all of the brow products that are available – tweezers, brow gel, scissors, etc. – but just try to get a woman to change her brows or her brow products, and you’re in for a fight. Most women seem to pick a brow shape when they first start tweezing as a teen, and stick with it.
That shape and size become part of your adult identity, not just because you’re now doing something “grown up” but because your eyebrows help others identify you, more so than any other features on your entire body – even your eyes! Your brows are essentially a fingerprint or a signature, and changing your brows can be extremely disconcerting – you feel that you don’t recognize yourself.
But in my opinion, most women could use a little help with their brows. Even supermodels and celebrities use brow products. Their brows just aren’t that fabulous all by themselves! It seems a little daunting to change your brows, but MAC’s new collection, The Stylish Brow, has some great tools that make it easy to temporarily alter your brow shape and size.
Wearing Veluxe Brow Liner in Deep Brunette
You may not like the change at first – you may not even want to try changing them at all! But remember, you can always wash it off (unlike with plucking or tweezing). So, I’m going to pull out a line from Green Eggs & Ham: “You do not like them, so you say. Try them! Try them! And you may. Try them and you may I say.”
To help you find the best brow product for you, MAC has come out with several different product types, each of which is available in different shades to match your brows.
Brow Duos from left: Blonde, Redhead, Brunette
The major pieces of this collection, the Brow Duos ($27.50) are great for creating a natural look, but can also be used to create a dramatic brow as well. Available in three shades, Blonde, Redhead, and Brunette each duo features two complimentary shades of eyeshadow from MAC’s permanent collection.
Brow Duo Blonde – Soba and Omega
Brow Duo Redhead – Cork and Espresso
Brow Duo Brunette – Coquette and Brun
Brunette comes with Coquette and Brun. These colors are perfect for dark haired gals, and are just ashy enough to look very realistic. The lighter shade is great for filling in brows, and the darker shade is good for defining your brows (especially the tail end).
Brow Duos from left: Blonde, Redhead, Brunette
Use an angled brush for a softer look, or a stiff flat brush for a more defined look. The versatility of the Brow Duos makes them a great choice for anyone. They last all day for me without fading.
wearing Brow Duo in Brunette
Fluidline Brow Gelcreme clockwise from bottom: Deep Dark Brunette, Dirty Blonde, Redhead
I’m a huge fan of MAC Fluidlines, so I was especially excited to test out the Fluidline Brow Gelcremes ($15). These brow cremes are available in three hues – Dirty Blonde, Redhead and Deep Dark Brunette.
I tested Deep Dark Brunette and found the shade to be very, very dark and pigmented; so use a light hand or your brows may look a bit severe. A slightly lighter, ashier shade of brown would be more natural looking. But if you like a very diva-esque brow with definite edges, these are fantastic. I do like that this product sets completely and doesn’t smudge.
Finally, we got a look at the Veluxe Brow Liner Pencils ($19.50) available in five shades. These pencils have an incredibly soft texture and smooth application. I tested Deep Dark Brunette, a medium brown which is less dark than the Fluidline, but applies heavily.
Veluxe Brow Liner in Deep Brunette and Strawberry Blonde
The pencil remains soft and smudgeable, unlike the other brow products in this collection. The spoolie on the other end of the pencil is nice for grooming brows after they’re filled in. As far as brow pencils go, it’s pretty comparable to other mid-range brow pencils in terms of quality and price.
Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Dirty Blonde, Redhead and Deep Dark Brunette; Veluxe Brow Liner in Strawberry Blonde and Deep Brunette
With MAC’s help, finding the right brow products is like finding the perfect bra – it can totally change how you look for the better, and it makes you feel great.
we heartsters – what is your brow beauty routine?
The Stylish Brow
Brow Duo
Blonde – Omega (matte) and Soba (satin)
Redhead – Cork (satin) and Espresso (matte)
Brunette – Coquette (satin) and Brun (satin)
$27.50 US/$33.00 CDN
Fluidline
Blacktrack – Solid flat black
$16 US/$19 CDN
Fluidline Brow Gelcreme
Dirty Blonde – Soft taupe brown
Deep Dark Brunette – Rich brunette
Redhead – Muted golden brown
$16 US/$19 CDN
Eye Brows
Lingering – Soft taupe brown
$16 US/$19 CDN
Veluxe Brow Liner
Strawberry Blonde – Soft muted beige-taupe
Redhead – Soft brown
Brunette – Muted mid-tone grey
Deep Brunette – Muted blackish-brown
Deep Dark Brunette – Dark dirty chocolate
$19.50 US/$23 CDN
Tweezer/Slant
$34 US/$40.50 CDN
Brush
208 Angled Brow
$20 US/$24 CDN
Marilyn is a makeup maniac and slow but stubborn runner. She loves color coding her day planner, reading celebrity gossip and drinking good wine. Marilyn blogs about makeup and fitness over at her blog, Lipgloss and Spandex.
Disclosure: This review includes products that were provided by the manufacturer/PR firm for our consideration. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
@lipglossandspandex , your brows are AMAZING, and your review (especially the photos) has me ready to run to the MAC counter! My brow routine consists of tweezing the occasional stray, and taming my brows a little with clear gel when they get unruly. You’ve convinced me that I need to get the Brow Duo Brunette to add some much-needed polish to my look. I’m intrigued by the Veluxe pencils, too. Awesome post!
Thank you, @turboterp! I only use brow gel on special occasions (I trim my brows so there doesn’t seem to be a need to gel them into place). The brow duo and the veluxe pencil are both fabulous–it’s really comes down to personal preference :)
I was given a Veluxe Brow Liner, in Strawberry Blonde to test. The name of the color threw me off, so I was a bit hesitant. I guess I was expecting something with a reddish hue. For years I have been using a tinted wax & shadow, and have been quite happy with it. When I applied this pencil to my brow, I was amazed. It glided on easily, and the color filled in my brows perfectly. There was more definition than I have had in awhile, and it was super-quick & easy to swoop my brow and brush it with the opposite end’s spoolie. Let’s just say I am in love, and thrilled to switch it up. I give this product 5 stars. Definitely plan on buying this, over my usual brow make-up.
Looove your brows @lipglossandspandex !
I went out and purchased the Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Deep Dark Brunette and it’s such a cool product – Why didn’t they think of this before? and why is it limited edition? I use my old brow brush and YES, only a teeny tiny bit is needed! You can pack on color better that way instead of having scary hoochie brows by accident on the first swipe haha.
The other brow products look amazing as well!
Thank you, @mandabear! I felt the same way–why didn’t MAC have all this stuff before?! Especially the brow Fluidlines. They really need to make it permanent, and add more colors! (Email MAC. Let them know how you feel about it! I know I’m going to.)
@lipglossandspandex – I agree, eyebrows are so important! They are not the easiest thing to perfect either.
I got to test out Dirty Blonde fluid line. It is super easy to apply and has lasting power. This product convinced me to divorce from my former wax and shadow method. Dirty blonde is a confusing name. I have dark hair but, not nearly as dark as @lipglossandspandex. My hair also gets lighter in the sun and this will still work because it is so versatile.
All in all, I am in LOVE with this product.
Your eyebrows are fantastic!
I’m always hesitant to try new brow products. I’ve seen so many folks fall in to “chola” territory so easily, so I’m scared to leave my tried and true! But your brows look natural yet polished. Perfect! I think I need to head to a MAC counter and give Brunette a whirl.
I just recently got into shaping my eyebrows more, so I have been on the lookout for brow tools. Right now I tweeze them into shape and use a brown Smashbox eyeshadow to fill them in a little. I’d really like to try the pencils and cream products from the Stylish Brow line.
Okay, now you just look superb! @lipglossandspandex , your brows are AMAZING! I am soooo bad a doing mine.. I always have to have someone else do them for me. I look like I’ve used a sharpe marker when I try to do them.. I need to get more into this, stat! Now that I have more blonde and light brown in my hair, I’m guessing the Fluidline Brow Gelcreme in Dirty Blonde would be the way to go..
Thanks, @irene! The right shade and right tools can help eliminate that “sharpied on” look :) Adding any brow color will feel a little strange at first.
I got the Redhead Duo and found it practically perfect in spite of the fact that I am a brunette. Well, I’m a brunette with a reddish cast to my lighter strands.. Either way, the colors here are shades of brown, the lighter with–like my hair–an ever-so-slight hint of red.
I played with the colors individually at first, finding the dark a bit too dark (an overly dark brow I swear makes me look 10 years older) and the light okay for a casual filled-in brow. What I discovered through my play that these work best together. I used the dark with a stiff brush to trace the line of my brow at its lowest point, then using the lighter color to fill in my sparse brow. I blended the dark to the light (upwards) so the color was seamless and soft. I found this look best–defined enough for a glamour pus and natural enough for days when lip balm and mascara are my only other makeup. A well-groomed brow does pull a face together more than any other singular thing in my humble opinion! This was the perfect duo for me.
I have to echo everyone else here @lipglossandspandex – you have some beautiful brows. Beautiful and FULL, and I’m totally jealous. I could kick myself for overplucking in the 90’s.
I’m on a bit of a brow kick myself right now. I go through stages where I obsess over certain products for awhile. Blush was my latest, only to be replace by brows. I’m on a quest for the PERFECT brow product. I’ve used pencils, sharpie-like markers, wax and powder…
I like these products, especially the Fluidline Brow Gelcreme. The consistency is really great. But I didn’t find a color match. The Dirty Blonde was too light and the Redhead was a bit too…I don’t know, not right! So my quest continues.
Here’s a tip when looking for a brow color; your brows are way lighter than you think you may be. I always thought I had brown brows, until I tried a brunette pencil! And those odd grey sort of taupe colors? Try them if you’re blonde, they work.
Aww thanks Stef! The funny thing is… I totally overplucked my brows in college. They were just little tiny things. I’ve grown them out a bit (and helped it along with RevitaBrow and Billion Dollar Brows BrowBoost), but they’re still a little patchy. It’s really the brow products that are making them look full!
I agree–it’s easy to pick a too dark brow color! Definitely go for a lighter and ashier shade. Trying them out in person (maybe with the help of a MAC artist) is key. A friend of mine with hard to match brows found a MAC shadow that was PERFECT for her.
I love this collection, but I’m really disappointed that it’s limited edition. I really love the Brow Fluidlines. They are FABULOUS. The good news is that one pot of Brow Fluidline is going to last you a REALLY long time (I’ve kept some Fluidlines for more than a year or two!). Hopefully by the time it dries out or you run out, they’ll become permanent!
I’m not crazy about brow pencils but these are decent and definitely a good product to have in the collection, since they’re the preferred brow color product by many people.
And good news on the brow powder front–even though The Stylish Brow collection is technically limited edition, ALL of the shades in the duos are part of MAC’s permanent eyeshadow collection. Yes, they’re technically eyeshadows, but they work as well (if not better) than the other brow powders I’ve tried. And if none of those duos match your brows anyway, don’t despair! I’d suggest going to MAC and having an artist match an eyeshadow to your brows. I have a friend who didn’t wear brow powder because there wasn’t a shade that matched her brows well enough. One trip to MAC later, and she was in love with the shadow that the artist suggested. She’s worn brow powder every day since then. No joke. (And yes, I do drag all of my friends to MAC and tell them it will change their lives).
Overall, I’m pretty excited by this collection. I do wish there were a greater range of colors, and that they weren’t limited edition. But still, the products are fantastic. Five stars!
I use eyeshadow for brow powder most of the time! I love these, though. That redhead works great for me.
I absolutely love your brows! Your article makes me want to head right over to the nearest MAC counter. I don’t know exactly which product I need, but am sure they can help me. I’ve allowed my hair to go gray, and my brows are nearly invisible. Something needs to happen to wake my face up!
I currently use a powder brow shaper so I am very interested in trying these. The brunette colors look like they will work perfect for me!