I realized recently that I’ve almost used up the Maybelline Master Shape brow pencil that I bought a few months ago, but haven’t reviewed it yet. The Master Shape pencils come in four colors (Blonde, Auburn, Soft Brown, and Deep Brown) and retail for around $8 at drugstores. They are available online at drugstore.com & ulta.com.
As you can tell by the amount used, I like the pencil. However, I don’t have time to write out a full review today. So, here’s quick pros & cons list.
Pro:
- Moderate pigmentation makes it easy to use
- Slightly waxy to hold [relatively tame] brows in place
- I like the shape of the included spoolie
- The spoolie end comes with a cap as well, so it doesn’t get damaged in your bag
- Good color for me – not too warm
Cons:
- Impossible to draw a fine line – better for shading an area. I don’t think it would work as well on sparse brows.
- Soft enough that it has to be frequently sharpened – I doubt it would last me two months of daily use.
I find brow pencils are often difficult to swatch on skin, so I have paper swatches for you today. I’ve swatched several pencils plus all of the brow pens I own. The top row is the Maybelline Master Shape in Deep Brown; the Shu Uemura hard forumula pencil in Seal Brown (which I don’t like very much), and the pencil side of the Browlash Ex Water Strong Brow Pencil in Greyish Brown (which I love – reviewed here). The bottom row is Milani’s brow pen in Dark Brown (reviewed), a K-Palette Real Lasting Eyebrow pen in Grayish Brown (I like it), and the pen side of the same Browlash. The color is a little off in the photo, but you can see that the Milani is very warm, the Maybelline is a cool brown, and the other four are even cooler/ ashier grey-browns.
click to enlarge
Here’s a before / after of the Maybelline applied:
Maybelline Master Shape brow pencil: before & after
Given that my brows are fairly full, I generally don’t try to draw in individual hairs – I just shade the whole brow area to add definition. The Maybelline Master Shape pencil works well for this, and I have been using it regularly when I want to do my brows quickly and end up with a soft, natural look. And, the biggest endorsement of all – I am planning to repurchase!
What’s your go-to brow product?
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Maybelline Master Shape Brow Pencil Review, Swatches, Comparison is a post from Project Swatch.
