If eyes are the windows to the soul then the eyebrows must be the frames. Whilst I am happy to be blessed with relatively tame yet dark enough brows, not many others share the same fate. Hence the need for eyebrow grooming kits.
Local drugstore brand Beautilicious has one in the Arch it Right eyebrow kit. What you get in a slim compact kit is a set of 4 eyebrow stencils, a tweezer, a brow brush and 2 brow colours to fill in your brows after taming and shaping them.
The kit comes with 4 eyebrow stencils. Now, I’m not an advocate of stencils of any sort but when it comes to brows, I must say these are a great idea. What it does is give you an idea of the approximate shape your brow should take so you can tweeze away the extra hairs. What you should NOT do is follow the stencil religiously to the extent that you end up looking perpetually surprised. Remember, we are all different and no kit can make us all the same.
The stencils in the Beautilicious Arch it Right eyebrow kit are of very soft silicone. This helps it conform to the contour of your face which makes it easier for you to see how best to shape your brow. There are 4 included – Natural, Fine, Super Fine and Full depending on how you like your brows to look. I prefer the Natural or Full look. The shape of the stencil is quite natural with a gradual arch so you don’t look like Bozo the clown.
The theory is simple. Place the stencil over your brow, outline it in white pencil then tweeze away the hairs outside the white line to get your brow in shape. Then, using the brush, fill in your brows for a more defined look, if you have sparse brows.
However, if you are like me and already have shaped brows and only need maintenance, you may not find the kit useful. I’ve only ever looked and played with the stencils but have not used them. However, I must say that the tweezer that comes in the set is excellent! If you have ever had to shop for a decent tweezer, you would appreciate the fuss I’m making over this little metal tool.
The tweezer in the Beautilicious Arch it Right eyebrow kit actually tweezes well without pinching the skin! The beveled edges meet nicely so even the tiniest of hairs will not be spared and all without ending up grabbing skin along with it, bringing tears to your eyes. I have never had much luck with buying tweezers but now I have the one from this kit, I’m guarding it with my life!
The brow powders too are decent stuff. I use the darker colour because its a closer match to my hair. If you have dyed hair, you might prefer the lighter shade.
However, I have a big grouse. The brush that comes in the set is awful. The bristles are too fat and thick and the brush is too stiff. I tried using it, but I ended up with thick unnatural looking brows. So, I use my regular eyebrow brush from MAC 266 or the Shu Uemura Badger OB6.
Another grouse is that if you lose the bit of silicone band that holds the tweezer closed, you’ll find that the compact does not close up properly. I experienced it once and I turned my vanity upside down trying to find a little bit of transparent silicone. Not easy I assure you!
If you already have shaped brows, you might prefer just getting the brow powder and that is where this kit fails a little in my view. Not all of us like to tote around a whole kit complete with stencils and tweezer. So, whilst its an excellent starter kit, it loses it functionality once you have gotten your brows into shape. Still, its a decent kit and a set I’d recommend for those starting out with eyebrow grooming and want to shape your own brows. This way, you can be almost sure your brows will be shaped properly and you don’t end up over-plucking. This kit did not win the Cleo Beauty Award for best brow kit for nothing!
The Beautilicious Arch it Right eyebrow kit retails for RM59.90 at most Watsons stores and some Jusco stores too.
Pros: Good for beginners, excellent tweezer
Cons: Compact cannot close if tweezer is not held shut, not as useful for those with shaped brows, brow brush is too thick
Update: Get it online here.
rinnah says
November 20, 2008 at 10:26 amIf I weren’t using professional services to shape my brows, I’d definitely check this out! But I’m pretty much a bit of a klutz at tweezing my own brows cos I get over-excited and end up with a teeny bald spot that needs to be filled in with pencil. Lawl.
But I hear ya on the excellent tweezers bit! 😀
prettybeautiful says
November 20, 2008 at 10:32 ami have seen this many times but im skeptical. im very sked of plucking my own brows, cnt tolerate the pain 🙁 i usually js go threading once in 2 weeks to maintain the shape and getting rid of the stray hair. threading is painful, but all i need to do is to concentrate on handling the pain. lol
ParisB says
November 20, 2008 at 10:35 am@rinnah : I just get mine shaped during my monthly facials and maintain them during the rest of the month heh…
@prettybeautiful: Actually, after a spell, my brows have gotten immune to the pain. Never tried threading – I should try it eh? 🙂
Monstro says
November 20, 2008 at 10:36 amI hate tweezing! I prefer to shave with those tiny blades cos I’m scared of pain…
I think I subconciously grew my bangs out so now you can’t see my brows no more 😀 So I’ve stopped grooming my brows for the past few months–so lazy!!
Haha!
beetrice says
November 20, 2008 at 12:21 pmhmm…I can’t shape my eyebrows to save my life (as very clearly proven at the Stage session!!) but this one looks interesting though, especially on the tweezers…hmm…
Mag says
November 20, 2008 at 3:25 pmThe stencils are an interesting inclusion. It is rare to find good tweezers at that price (and in a set too!).
Nikki says
November 20, 2008 at 3:58 pmthis look like those Anastasia brow pack that’s been “out there”. This would be fun to try!!! I’ve never tried stencils in my entire life! LOL
ParisB says
November 20, 2008 at 4:07 pm@beetrice : The tweezers are amazing! But for my regular facials, my brows would never be shaped LOL…
@Mag: Yes indeed! At least the stencils are soft silicone not hard plastic as I’ve seen before
@Nikki: Me neither until now. But your brows are nicely shaped so no need for stencils! 🙂
Mag says
November 20, 2008 at 4:09 pmOh, do take a look at Rubis:
http://www.makeupstash.com/2008/10/rubis-slant-tip-tweezers.html
These are, by far, my favourite tweezers.
PS: I use MAC 266 a lot too. One of my faves is Shu 7OB actually – sadly discontinued. I have three though! 😉
Sue says
November 20, 2008 at 4:44 pmhm, I prefer brow pencils more than brow powder though.. :S
synical says
November 20, 2008 at 8:01 pmThanks for the review… been meaning to see what else was in the box since the display units have been a little bare 😀
Ms. Blacklace says
November 20, 2008 at 10:02 pmI would kill to have those pair of tweezers, even though I don’t shape my eyebrows. Lol! I’ll use the tweezers to pluck my under arm hair [you’ll need very good tweezers for this!].
My eyebrows are kinda…. Not too dense and not to thin so… It’s okay not to shape.
Connie says
November 21, 2008 at 12:10 amI’ve been eyeing this kit for quite some time now. I’m so intrigued by the stencils but I”m afraid of it. :p
ParisB says
November 21, 2008 at 10:51 am@Sue : I like brow powder for the days when I’m too rushed to draw a proper line. Its more fuss free.
@synical: they probably removed the tweezers so they don’t get nicked!
@Ms. Blacklace: LOL… but yes tweezers that don’t pinch are a god send!
@Connie: Nothing to be afraid of! Just place on brow and go!
Tine says
November 21, 2008 at 5:12 pmI’ve never tried stencils on my brows before. Methinks the same brows wouldn’t suit everyone. Still this would be fun to try out. This is going into my To-Try list when I come back in Jan 🙂
PS: Just a thought, how about a post showing us ALL of your makeup brushes? Let us (and by us, I mean ME) drool over it for a bit 😉
Affy says
November 21, 2008 at 5:40 pmActually Watsons does sell good individual tweezers as above, under the brand of QVS. Located at the makeup tools row. You also can get a round magnifying mirror (same brand) which at the back are attached with 2 small suction cup so that you can stick it on your vanity mirror or bathroom wall mirror. Making plucking eyebrows always a bliss.
But when it come to shaping eyebrows, i leave it to the expert. I don’t want to risk of having that “surprised” look or worst, the unbalanced brows… LOL. Like you i also have thick eyebrows and preferred natural n full look. After 1 session of eyebrow threading, normally i just need to maintain by plucking the new growth (the babies one) 😀
Affy says
November 21, 2008 at 5:46 pmlol my comment doesn’t seems to be sticking here…
ParisB says
November 21, 2008 at 5:54 pm@Tine : In time I should. I don’t have that great a collection of brushes 🙂 And you are right, the stencils don’t suit everyone but I tested on myself and surprisingly got a decently trim look.
@Affy: I just pulled you out of the spam bin – not sure how you ended up there sorry!
BerryMerry says
November 28, 2008 at 10:57 amHave you try on empro eyebrow pencil – the triangle shape pencil? I couldn’t find the nearest color and just wondering should I get the grey one since my hair and eyebrow are black. I’m using ShU Eumura at the moment
ParisB says
November 28, 2008 at 11:10 am@BerryMerry : I’ve been interested but haven’t bought to try. Maybe soon.