Monday 27 April 2015

PRODUCT REVIEW: Eye of Horus Eyebrow pencil

Eyebrows are fabulous for defining the face and adding character, but once you've lost some or all of the hairs, they can be a right pain to perfect and getting the right make-up is a challenge!

A few weeks ago, I got my hands on three eyebrow pencils from Eye of Horus, a gorgeous make-up brand with a really cool image. According to its blurb, the Australian brand pencil adds shape, colour and definition to sad looking brows, and is also enriched with Castor Oil which is known for its hair-growing properties. An added bonus is that the products aren't tested on animals and are paraben-free, as well as being rich in natural essential oils. The packaging is great too! (Photo by Kayleigh - thanks chick!)
Now, it would be really unfair to put these hair growing properties up against alopecia (we know which one will win), but we still thought it would be a good idea to put the pencil to the test... People who don't have alopecia, but have thin brows, gaps or slow-growing hairs, may well find this particular property useful, but will have to try it for themselves!

With three individual pencils clutched in my paws, I kept one in 'Dynasty' colour, sent a 'Dynasty' to Kayleigh and 'Husk' to Jenny; the only colour not tested was 'Nile' which was simply too dark for any of us...

The general consensus for this product? A positive one...

My feedback:
Bearing in mind I never used an eyebrow pencil or powder before I lost my hair, learning how to freehand eyebrows was a serious challenge. I did initially have semi-permanent make-up, but cost, time and laziness meant I've let these fade out. Anyway, two of the biggest challenges I faced during this learning was 1.) Finding a product that was easy to use, and 2.) Finding one to last as long as I did, which didn't inadvertently fade, leaving me with no, or worse one eyebrow left on my face!

For me, this eyebrow pencil was a revelation! I cannot stress how handy I found it, and the single biggest reason is the teeny-tiny nib. About half (or maybe even a third) of the thickness of any of my other eyebrow pencils, this wind-up end offers incredibly precise application, enabling you (and even me) to deliver individual 'hair' strokes, creating a very natural and realistic eyebrow look. In fact, even my mum commented at the 'hair growth' on my face, assuming I'd put pencil through some natural regrowth! Sorry mum!

The pencil itself is lovely - not too soft that it goes on thick and dark and not too hard that it hurts to apply; a winner. The colour (Dynasty) is perfect for my brunette colouring and is a fab match to my chosen wig colours. The other bonus - I actually have to remove it with a make-up wipe at the end of the day, because it stays put with zero re-application! That said though, it's not a case of scrub it off either as they come off easily with make-up remover.

I adore this product and the only downside as far as I'm concerned is the price - they're £15 each and I've never spent more than £5 on an eyebrow pencil - then again, that might be the reason they always slide off!

See my scores below...
With the Eye of Horus pencil
With powder - thicker and less precise
Before going to work
After work the same day - long-lasting
Before a day at Alton Towers
After a full day at Alton Towers - sorry for the grumpy face! #Tired!
Jenny's feedback:
Jenny is a lighter hair colour so she opted for the 'Husk' colouring which is advertised for blonde or greying tones. Commenting on the colour, she said it was "just right and went on smoothly". What's more, she comments "The coverage was good and looked natural over my semi permanent make up. It stayed really well and lasted all day."

For Jenny however it wasn't all good and she comments "The only down side was it doesn't seem strong enough. The actual pencil part is very thin and I find you have to be very gentle with it, otherwise it snaps off. Also it sort of slides out and that could also cause premature breakage."

She her scores below...


Kayleigh's feedback:
Like me, Kayleigh opted for the Dynasty to suit her brunette colouring. She is a huge advocate for the product and gives an even more glowing reference than I do! She says...

"The Eye of Horus Ultimate Brow Define - Dynasty pencil may be my favourite make up product! Now coming from a make up novice, this will not mean much but I hold this gorgeous pencil in very high regard!

From first impressions Eye of Horus seem to be a very glam brand. Their packaging is extremely stylish and, if it's possible for a bag and tissue paper, sexy!

The pencil itself is sleek and lightweight, making it easy to handle. It has possibly the smallest nib I've seen on an eyebrow pencil which means you can be as precise as you need with your brows! Now, I'm lucky enough to still have my eyebrows but I do like to pencil them in to give a more defined look. The texture of the pencil also means that it's virtually impossible to go overboard while doing this and end up with huge dark slugs on your forehead. Winner! The product does claim to contain a component (Castor Oil) that encourages hair growth on the area used, but I haven't noticed any difference; although I have only been using this product for a week or so and it may be you need continued usage over a prolonged period of time for this to take effect.

Another bonus with the Ultimate Brow Define pencil is that it comes with its own brow comb meaning you can switch between drawing and shaping your brows with so much ease it's no effort at all. I found that once my brows were done in the morning, they stayed looking great all day - even during work outs! - and washed off easily at the end of the day.

The Eye of Horus Ultimate Brow Define pencil is a fantastic product to have in your kit and I will definitely be investing in the future!"

Kayleigh's Brows - Before and After...

See her scores below...

Overall scores:
As part of the review process (and to stop us gushing too much), we also agreed to give scores out of ten for different aspects.

Branding / Packaging:
Victoria: 9 /10
Jen: 8/10
Kayleigh: 10/10

Colour:
Victoria (Dynasty): 10 /10
Jen (Husk): 9/10
Kayleigh (Dynasty): 10/10

Usability:
Victoria: 10 /10
Jen: 6/10
Kayleigh: 10/10

Durability (Staying Power):
Victoria: 10 /10
Jen: 7/10
Kayleigh: 10/10

Price (£15):
Victoria: 7 /10
Jen: 7/10
Kayleigh: 8/10

Overall scores:
Branding / Packaging: 27/30
Colour: 29/30
Usability: 26/30
Durability: 27/30
Price: 22/30

Grand Total: 131 out of 150 or 87%

Video blog:
I haven't had a minute to record one yet, but I absolutely promise that I will! As soon as I have, I'll share a link on Twitter / Facebook so you can take a look!

So there you have it! The Eye of Horus Brow Define Pencil Review - an overall winner and one we'd like to stock through Pretty Bald in the near future! In the meantime, you can buy the product online through Beauty Bay.

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

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