Beauty on a Budget: Nyx Eyebrow Gel & How About A Lift Pencil

Your eyes are the windows to your soul. So your eyebrows are the curtains to your soul? No? Well anyway, eyebrows are pretty important.

I have thick brows, so I never really thought I needed to fill them in. I pretty much just tweeze and trim them as needed. But there has been a lot of hype lately about giving your brows their due attention, so I thought I'd try some eyebrow products and see if they made a difference.

And the answer is: Yes, they do.

I'm not about to spend a fortune on expensive products like the Anastasia Brow Kit, which can run about $36. But never fear! I found a budget friendly option!

I picked up the Nyx "Eyebrow Gel" in "Brunette" at Ulta and a small angled brush to apply it. The gel is $5.99 and comes in a few different shades. I forget how much the brush was, but I looked for the cheapest option possible. I'd guess maybe $5.00.

My first attempt was a little scary. I used way too much product and I ended up looking like a transvestite. I immediately thought of the time on Friends when Ross did Rachel's makeup after she broke her rib and was getting ready for a work party. Any Friends fans in the house!?

Good thing I was planning on jumping in the shower...lesson learned.

So I've realized that a little tiny bit of this product goes a really long way for me. Once I've applied my foundation I use a little eyebrow brush and comb down the unruly hairs and then use the gel to fill in and hold everyone in place.

I think it really makes my eyebrows look more polished. I don't really NEED them to be any darker, but I like the final result regardless!

The other product I picked up is the Nyx "How About A Lift Eyebrow Pencil". Its double ended and has a dark pencil for filling in your brows on one side and a highlighter for your brow bone on the other. I found it at CVS for $9.99 but it can also be purchased at Ulta. It's marketed as a being a "push-up bra for your eyebrows".

Honestly, now that I have the gel I hardly use the pencil, but I LOVE the highlighter side! I really think it makes my eyes look brighter and more awake. Always a good thing when you're trying to not scare people first thing in the morning at work.

So ladies (and gentlemen, if there are any) if you're looking for a brow product, I like both of these. The only negative I would share about the gel is that it doesn't come in a lot of of shades. So my redheads are most likely not going to find one that will work for them (I'm sorry!!).

One final thought on eyebrows. If you're not wanting to spend additional money on a brow product (totally understandable, fyi) you can always use eye shadow to fill them in. I've used a flat blending brush and a brown eye shadow to fill mine in a time or two and it works pretty well. Just a suggestion!