Raising Eyebrows with Benefit
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase.
A trio of benefit goodies to keep brows in tip top shape
photos: we heart this
“You must never underestimate the power of an eyebrow.”
~Jack Black, comedian, actor, musician
You might be rolling your eyes at me right now, because really, who thinks about eyebrows? Besides Jack Black and his comically arched brow. To be honest, I personally think about them frequently, but I’m kind of odd like that. Generally, eyebrows are just one of those things that you only think about when they need to get a little maintenance, or maybe you don’t even think about them at all and just let them go au naturel. However, they probably should get a bit more attention, because those odd little horizontal strips of hair above your eyes actually have a huge effect on how others perceive you. Luckily, Benefit Cosmetics has the tools and knowledge to keep those brows in their best shape.
Did you know a bunch of behavioral neuroscientists at MIT actually conducted a study about eyebrows to see how important they are in terms of facial recognition. (Side note: I’m kind of relieved that I’m not the only one who gets all worked up about eyebrows!) The researchers showed participants digitally manipulated pictures of famous faces that were missing either their eyes or were missing their eyebrows. They then asked the participants to identify the face. Remarkably, participants were actually better at guessing the identity of the celebrities with eyebrows but no eyes. Clearly, the eyebrows are a key part of the face when it comes to facial recognition.
Brows also give others information about your age and your emotions. The way that you chose to groom them (or not groom them) can enhance your features, or can detract from them. For example, an overly curved brow can make you look perpetually surprised, or dark drawn-on brows can make you look too severe. So how can an ordinary gal go about getting her brows done right? To start, I’d recommend reading Raising Eyebrows: Your Personal Guide to Fabulous Brows
This book can help everyone – from the brow novice to the brow artist – get the most from their brows. Cameron is the author of the Bad Girl’s Guides, such as the Bad Girl’s Guide to the Party Life, and the Bad Girl’s Guide to Getting What You Want. Her book can help you decide if tweezing, waxing or threading is the right method for you; how to get the right brow shape for your face; and tells you what tools you’ll need to maintain your brows.
One of those tools is is Benefit’s Instant Brow Pencil ($20). It comes in three shades (light, medium and deep) and has a spoolie on the other end for blending. The pencil has a soft texture and is quite pigmented. My favorite part about it is that it lasts all day without fading or any major smudging.
Another useful tool to have in your makeup bag the Tweezerman for Benefit Slant Tweezer ($25). I’ve tried lots of tweezers, but Tweezermans are definitely the best. They’re made of stainless steel and have a lifetime guarantee. The special edition Benefit version has a cute, retro white and coral pink design that’s just darling.
This trio of Benefit brow products has definitely pleased this brow-obsessed blogger. But if you’d like a little personal help with your brows, the ladies at the Benefit Brow Bar are always ready to help too!
we heartsters – are you brow obsessed as well? What Benefit products keep your brows looking great?
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. It also contains an affiliate link, a link that gives us a small commission if you purchase the item. For more info, or any questions, please see our disclosure policy.
I am totally brow obsessed! I was blessed with pretty good natural arches but I do need some thinning every now and then. Tweezerman tweezers are seriously the BEST. I love the Benefit pattern and colors!
I think this set is a great gift idea for a young girl who is getting started into beauty. So many teens need serious eye brow interventions, I think this would be a nice way to give some gentle guidance. I do wish there was a good brow book for males- a little manscaping never hurt anyone!
Benefit does it again! I currently use brow powder for my brows, but I think I may want to try pencil again. I love how this kit comes with tweezerman tweezers! My fav. Great review @lipglossandspandex!
I LOVE Tweezerman tweezers. A few years ago, Holly told me I really should try them instead of my cheapie drugstore ones, and once I tried Tweezerman, I never went back! I’m kind of compulsive about making sure my brows are tweezed and that there aren’t any stray hairs, so I especially appreciate a good pair of tweezers, but honestly, every woman (and man!) should have a quality pair. Five stars.
The brow pencil is good quality, easy to use, and lasts all day. I like that there’s a spoolie on the other end to help groom brows. The price is pretty reasonable for a mid-range brow product. I still prefer to use brow powder and a stiff flat brush, but if you prefer pencil, Benefit makes a good product! Four stars.
The book is the hardest for me to rate… There’s a lot of good information in there, but much of that information is abundant on the internet (blogs, etc.) and magazines. If you’re trying to groom your brows for the first time, it’s definitely a good guide. But people get to be kind of set in their ways about their brows fairly early on. Three stars.
@lipglossandspandex — I really feel like you save money overall by having one great tool like the Benefit tweezerman tweezers than spending money on multiple medicore tweezers.
Great review Marilyn! I swear by these tweezers and give them 5 stars.
I’ve grown very brow obsessed in the last year. I’m trying desperately to grow more just so I can artfully pluck them!
I LOVE my Benefit Tweezerman tweezers. I actually have 4 tweezers stashed throughout my life: bathroom, vanity, car, work. And these are by far my favorite. The design makes me happy and the precise tip is hard to match.
And here’s a tip for you: the light in your car is perfect for plucking!
I am very picky about my brows…but at the same time I’m a huge destroyer of them. I suffer from Trichotillomania and tweezers are a huge trigger for me, so I can’t have them physically in my own house. Even knowing they’re in my house will send me hunting for them and then plucking out my own brows until no tomorrow. Even without tweezers I can have problems, so I do therapy to curb my impulse disorder. My brows are actually groomed by my Benefit brow specialist, who thank the Lord is as picky about my brows as I am. I have naturally thicker (slightly unruly) and highly arched brows, so she spends 30 minutes plucking them every month making sure they are neat! I <3 my Brow specialist.
In between my appointments, I use Brow-Zings in dark (sans tweezers everyone!) to fill them in and a brow shaver (which isn't benefit) to shave out hairs growing way below my arches. I also have to occasionally cut my hairs down to keep everything prim, but I've been getting better about NOT PICKING at them (or my eyelashes. It's a nasty little disorder!)
And @stef, I hate the car mirror and light! It magnifies everything I don’t want to see! It’s a Trich’s worst nightmare! I avoid it at all costs!
I need this! My brows seem to never be perfect, no matter how I do them. I don’t like to get them done at the salon too often just because of the price but something like this would save me some money and teach me how to do them properly!