When I first started taking care of my brows and enhancing them through the use of brow pencils, I jumped in straight into the deep end. It was the Shu Uemura Hard Pencil 9 that made me appreciate the importance of a good brow, and I never looked back. It was so good, I even reviewed it twice, right here on the blog! A first, even for me.
What I liked about it was the very user-friendly angled point, or as Shu Uemura will have you believe, sword point, that makes pencilling in the brows quite a breeze. The problem however, is that I never got the hang of sharpening it myself. Yes, Shu Uemura boutiques and counters offer this sharpening service for free and I availed of it for years on end. But my last few experiences at the counter left me wanting. My pencils will go in a certain length, and when I return to collect them, inches have been sliced off. I’ve seen the sharpening at work first hand, and even tried my hand at it and I can safely say that it doesn’t take inches off each time, unless it breaks, or you’re incompetent like me. So I got pissed off, and decided to look elsewhere.
I wanted something with the same angled shape, but that didn’t need me to entrust it into the hands of another, whether competent or incompetent, to get it into that shape. I looked around for a bit, tried a few different retractable options here and there but one day, after reading raves of the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil, I decided to have a go at it on one of my Net-a-Porter orders.
I didn’t quite know what to expect if I’m to be honest. I also wasn’t sure which colour to pick since we don’t have an Hourglass counter here and I wasn’t even sure of what the colours would look like. Sunny of Mostly Sunny’s review helped me with that, but I eventually bit the bullet and went with Soft Brunette.
Ladies and gents, meet my favourite-est brow pencil. Ever. Pricey for us hapless Malaysians and our sh-Ringgit, but so good, I haven’t looked or thought about looking elsewhere since I got it almost 10 months ago. It’s SO. GOOD! 😀
First off, I like the packaging. The pencil is dual-ended with the retractable lead in one end, and a spoolie brush in the other. I appreciate that. I never used to understand using a brush for your brows, but through experience, I’ve found that the brush helps to make your brows look more natural. This is especially so if you’ve been a bit heavy handed with the pencil. Run the brush over your brows and it softens the effect.
The second thing I like is the heft. The Hourglass Arch Brow pencil feels very solid in your hand and the weight seems to give you better grip and control when you’re pencilling in your brows. At least I feel it to be so.
When the pencil first arrives, the lead bit is a sharp angle. Mine is about 10 months old and used almost daily, so it has naturally rounded itself down. When I first get pencils like these, I like to just run them on the back of my hand until the stiff, sharp edges soften, before using them. I find it easier to use then.
The pencil bit too, isn’t very thick. I’ve tried the much cheaper option of the Daiso brow pencil that looks just like this, and while it was a decent product, I didn’t like it. I found the pencil too thick so it wasn’t easy to pencil in a smooth arch to the brow, and I just wasn’t taken by it. If it works for you, that’s great. It’s not a bad product at all.
The pencil in this one is slim and it isn’t very soft. In many ways, I find it reminiscent of the Shu Uemura Hard Pencil 9 in texture. When you try to draw on the back of your hand, very little colour appears. But apply it to your brows and the colour transfers very easily to your hairs and best of all, stay put!
I picked the shade Soft Brunette, which is the middle shade. It comes in 3 shades – Blonde, Soft Brunette and Dark Brunette. Soft Brunette isn’t too dark nor is it too red, nor too light. In fact, I like the slight grey tone it has which I feel, gives brows a more natural appearance. I’m not sure what the other 2 shades are like, but I’m sure a quick search online will help.
It’s so easy to just twist it up (I only twist up enough for me to use, because I don’t want this breaking on me), draw on my brows and then twist it back. The shape remains like a clean sword angle, and my brows stay put all day long and then some. Seriously budge-proof!
Here’s an idea of how the Hourglass Soft Brunette brow pencil looks when I wear it.
Since I purchased and fell in love with this brow pencil, I’ve stopped using any other. Even my stumpy formerly trustworthy Shu Uemura pencils have fallen by the way side. While taking pictures for this post, I twisted up the pencil to its maximum to see how much more I have left and I’m happy to see that I do have quite a lot more to go before I have to replenish this. With regular use like me, one pencil can easily last over a year. Perfect by me! 😀
IN A NUTSHELL
The Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil is my holy grail brow pencil for now ever since I got it almost a year go. The slim, angled pencil shape makes pencilling in and shaping brows a breeze, and the hard texture of the pencil transfers easily to the hairs and the formula lasts all day. Hours! I like how it’s retractable and therefore doesn’t need sharpening, and there’s no wastage of product. I love it!
PROS: Easy to use, Colour is natural on brows, Longlasting for hours, One pencil can last a very long time even with daily use, Good solid construction, Included brush helps soften and makes brows look more natural
CONS: Pricey, Hard to get if you do not have an Hourglass counter nearby
WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who likes an angled brow pencil tip but does not want one that needs regular sharpening, Anyone who wants an easy to use and very good brow pencil
It’s since come to my attention that Bobbi Brown has a brow pencil similar to this, and Shu Uemura will be launching one soon (FINALLY! But to receive my custom, they maybe just a year too late 😛 ) so it’s great that we now have options. Me, I’m super happy with this one, and it’s earned its permanent place in my makeup pouch. If I lose all my makeup, this will be one I’ll repurchase for sure!
Have you used this Hourglass brow pencil? What is your current brow pencil and do you enjoy using it?
I still have my ZA brow pencil (which is another decent and affordable product) and a couple of Shu Uemura Hard Pencil 9 ones that sometimes find their way into my hands. But if I want to put a good brow forward, this is the one I reach for. The others are dispensable 🙂
Paris B
Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil comes in 3 shades – Blonde, Soft Brunette and Dark Brunette Price: £26 | $32 Availability: SpaceNK.com and Net-a-Porter.com ship internationally
Hey Paris, thanks so much for the shout-out! I’m so glad it helped and so glad you tried this! I have been repurchasing this ever since I first tried it. I have been trying new things for trying new things’ sake, but ultimately if I could keep only one brow product, this would most probably be it! I did hear about the BB one and the Shu one, but I did a brow product inventory a little while ago and I know I probably shouldn’t buy more until I can use a couple of those up!
Oh, if you like the shape of the tip, you’ll probably like the Burberry one as well. My issue is I can’t really find as good of a shade match tho!
You absolutely helped me ensure Soft Brunette would be the right shade and it is! Not too dark. I’d have gone for Dark Brunette if left to my own devices LOL I’m not sure if we get the Burberry one here, but I’m sure if we do, it’s pricey anyway. I’m trying the Bobbi Brown one and it’s not bad, but the texture of the pencil is softer than the Hourglass one so I find it goes on darker 🙂
It’s funny that I came across this post as I’m just about done with my Anastasia brow wiz and looking for another option. It’s not that I don’t like what I’ve been using but I wanted to try something new. I’ve had my sights set on the BB but at $42 yikes. With summer approaching I’m really into minimal makeup but brows are a must. I might have to check this one out during my next visit to Sephora. Great review!
Ah Tracy, this is what we call “serendipity”! 😀 I’m trying the BB one myself and it’s not bad either. But I’m actually surprised that it’s pricier than the Hourglass! I mean, we know Hourglass stuff are generally quite pricey right?
Wow, not easy for an item to make it into your list of Holy Grail products, so it must be that good. LOL. I love my Shu Uemura Hard Pencil 9 in Stone Grey so much that I have 2 of them so that I do not need to go to their outlets to sharpen them. I still feel in terms of customer service, the outlet at Mid Valley is the friendliest and the most helpful when it comes to sharpening the pencils but I have not been there in almost a year so I am hoping the service still remains good. Would I be able to purchase this in London and should I go for Dark Brunette? But if Shu Uemura is going to launch one soon, I should wait right? LOL, so many questions….
On a side note, Tommy Le Baker has shifted to Block A of Viva Residency, the same row with Guardian. The bakery is bigger with more places to sit. Just thought to let you know in case you do not already know 🙂
Nope, I hold my HG’s to a very high standard. You’re astute to notice that Victoria! 😉 I wear Stone Grey too and yes, like you I have 2 so sharpening is an event as opposed to a monthly affair. I used to find that Mid Valley offered the best service too, but my last visit there left me feeling wanting. Poor service, poor product knowledge and short pencils that came back caused me to never return. The worst counter I’ve been to is actually the one in Pavilion. I have never received good service there and my pencils always come back a few cm shorter. I only used to take them there because it was convenient sometimes. If you’re planning to try this Hourglass pencil, I think you can find Hourglass in Space NK stores in London, and Liberty’s. If you’re going to be there personally, perhaps the SA would be able to help, but I think Dark Brunette might suit you.
Oh and thanks for letting me know about Tommy. I paid a visit to his new shop recently! Much nicer hangout now right? But less convenient coz I’m one of those irresponsible people who’d double park to pop in for a loaf at his previous shop. I miss that convenience LOL
Right now I only have two brow products: the Maybelline brow mascara which it’s ok and a brow pencil from a Mexican brand and my problem with it, is that I can easily overdo it and have to pass a tissue to soften the color. Any recommendation to avoid that?
Yep! Get a spoolie brush (You can usually just get a cheap one from the drugstore) and brush it over your brows that are too dark. It will soften the colour and make it look more natural 🙂
Hmmm I will look at this for sure! This shade I think is too warm for me though, but maybe one of the others will work! Thanks Paris! xx
Hmm, actually I think this shade will work for me!
Hey Tracy, I think Soft Brunette might work for you. Brows can be a wee bit darker after all and I think the grey in the shade softens the warmth so it’s more neutral 🙂 Would love to know what you think if you get it!
Have you tried Korean eyebrow pencils? They have some in this shape as well as the ‘Brow Wiz’ pencil point shape. I have tried Tony Moly and Missha’s eyebrow pencils and they’re pretty good and very affordable.
Nope I haven’t Rosie, so thank you for the recommendations! 🙂 I’ve heard about Tony Moly’s so I’ll take a look the next time I’m near a store 🙂
Ah, I remember this much raved about pencil – Sunny’s favourite 🙂 I’m now using a few, trying K-palette, one from Sasa, another from Anastasia. The K-Palette one is actually really good.
I don’t know how I feel about purchasing cosmetics online now. I never had any problems until just recently, and when explained by the customs and the Bureau of pharmacy how it actually works, whether or not your parcel will be seized, my confidence plummeted. The regulations are there, but the people have been very inconsistent in implementing them. So if you’re unlucky, your parcel will be confiscated. Yes, even makeup for personal use, even if it’s under RM500.
Their explanation did not make sense, but there’s no arguing or appealing with them either. I’m still really sad that my packages are lost to them 🙁
Ah the Japanese make very nice brow products too! I actually tried a brow pen, that was like a liquid liner and it was amazing, but too much work for me coz I was prone to mistakes and therefore ending up with weird brows LOL I suppose I’m lucky with my online shopping so far. I don’t buy a lot from the US but mostly from UK stores and thus far, they’ve arrived without issue, even my most recent SpaceNK one that I was afraid might just tip the scales and cause me to pay customs duties! Sorry to hear about your experience. I usually opt for registered or regular airmail in most circumstances. While slower, I find they slip through scrutiny more easily compared to anything that arrives by courier service. On the flipside, we are getting a lot more access locally to many brands so perhaps international shopping soon won’t be an issue!
Oh, I do adore this! But I recently wrote about the perfect dupe for it which I found in Soap & Glory’s range. I highly doubt Bobbi Brown or Shu could compete with the price and perfection that comes with S&G. Definitely worth looking into because I flit between the two of them and can’t decide which I love more!
Soap & Glory has a dupe you say? Ok, that’s my next buy at Sephora! 😀 Thanks for the heads up Arpita! BB is actually more expensive than the Hourglass (horrors!) and I’m not surprised if Shu Uemura too will tip the scales on the pricey side.
I love this pencil! I got it too because of the slanted tip and even though I’ve tried other pencils (eg the very popular Anastasia Beverly Hill Brow Whizz and the Shu Uemura retractable eyebrow pencil), this is still by far my favourite. When I can’t be arsed, I’ll use the Benefit Gimme Brow but when I do want more defined, non-OTT brows, I use this instead. Even though it’s quite strong when applied, the spoolie softens it greatly. LOVE.
This pencil is the bees knees!! Shu is actually releasing one that looks like this (their other retractable one isn’t slanted I think) but I think they are just far too late to grab my affections. I do like their pencils though. They were what actually made me do my brows because they weren’t hard to get right and not dark enough to make mistakes with.
I bought the Bobbi Brown brown pencil similar to the Hourglass pencil in Sadle. Cost me S$68….. crazy, and works out to be more expensive than Hourglass. I’ve been using it for almost a month, so far so good. I suspect the Bobbi Brown should be softer because I need to use a light hand or risk getting very severe looking brows. Guess I shall try the Hourglass next 🙂
Yeah I just found out the price of the Bobbi Brown pencil myself and it’s more expensive than Hourglass so definitely, I think Hourglass is the way to go for now haha! I don’t mind the BB one though (am testing it now) and you’re right. It’s softer so it does go on darker. I find myself resorting to the spoolie more often than with the Hourglass. But angle and usage wise, it’s pretty good too!
You may wanna give empro a try. It’s inexpensive, easy to draw on and it is angled (u don’t need to sharpen it), it creates natural soft looking brows too. It’s my HG. One problem is that the cover of the brush end breaks easily… Well, can’t complain for its price
Thanks for the suggestion Catherine. I did take a look, but for some reason, the shades looked off to me. I’ll take a look again the next time I come by a display counter – what shade do you use?
The Hourglass pencil sounds great but as a creature of habit, I’ll stick to my shu uemura one haha (or benefit’s gimmebrow that I got recently for super lazy days when you can’t even bother to meet people lol). The inches off your pencil sounds like they’re trying to do that purposely so you’d finish quicker *gasp* but I might be wrong haha.
Shu now has a similar shape but in retractable pencil form so look out for that if you don’t want to have to have yours sharpened all the time 😉 And yes, I swear they were trying to kill my pencil more quickly! I mean, you don’t need to take inches off, just to sharpen a pencil right?
Hi Paris,
I’m using E2, natural brown
Thanks! 😀
26 pounds wouldn’t be too bad a few months back..but now 🙁
Looks really tempting this one!
Good for browless people like me..lol.
I know what you mean Sasha – our RM is tanking like no tomorrow! 🙁 It’s a very good product though so you can KIV it for a future purchase perhaps 🙂
Hi Paris!! You’ve inspired me to buy my first ever brow product!! Yay!! I don’t wear any makeup whatsoever… but I’ve been mulling over my sparse eyebrows for a while now and thinking I ought to give some intervention a try… but I was feeling very overwhelmed by the options, until I read this review! Hopefully it’s as wonderful for me as it has been for you…
Love your blog by the way! I read all your makeup reviews too (even though I don’t use it myself) just because I like your tone of voice! So thanks for all you do to entertain us all around the world!!
Hi Jeannine! Yay! I’m happy to know that you’re going to try this one because it’s an amazing brow pencil! Truly one of the best and easy to use too. Once you start with your brows, you’d be amazed at how more groomed you’d look. I’d love to know how you find this after you’ve used it for a while ok? 🙂 And thank you too for reading my blog, even though makeup isn’t your thing – I truly truly am touched! 😀
There is, indeed a dupe! In fact, the Hourglass brow pencil is a dupe for Anastasia, which I much prefer. You really need to get your hands on S
I will give that a try! 🙂
I lush over hourglass brands for a while now but have yet to get any of their products. I also didn’t like the idea of bringing the Shu Uemura brow pencil to get it sharpened each time I need to, so I forego buying it, even though I have tried it at the counter and it feels really good!
Hhhmmmm such a pricey one for a brow product, I will have to think twice but sometimes, you pay for the quality of the product, like what you said here, it’s so good!! haha, that’s why some will just bite the bullet and get it.
I shall look around more and see which one falls into my radar. Thanks for the review, as always, good to hear your thoughts.
Cheers,
Jeann
The ZA brow pencil is pretty decent and very affordable! I hear Empro which has a similar style pencil is good too but I didn’t like the shades on offer. Actually, Shu Uemura also has a slanted automatic brow pencil now too – no more sharpening needed 😀