Whether you like your eyebrows fluffy and thick or thin like the '90s brow look that’s currently trending, it’s likely that your brow routine consists of a variety of products. For many beauty lovers that includes an eyebrow pencil, eyebrow pomade, spoolie, eyebrow brush, and then an eyebrow gel to set your work so it stays in place all day. But what if we told you that your routine could be cut down to just one product?
Say hello to the L’Oréal Paris Unbelieva-Brow Longwear Waterproof Brow Gel. The brow gel is pigmented like your favorite brow pencil, but it also offers staying power. The formula fills in and thickens the appearance of eyebrows, and it’s easily buildable to create both bold or natural looking eyebrows. Available in eight shades, the Unbelieva-Brow Brow Gel also contains polymers that create a waterproof film to seal in the product’s pigments, so it’s smudge-proof and transfer-proof, making it perfect for going from day to night.
To test the true staying power of the brow gel, we had five editors try it for themselves. Read on to learn more about their thoughts on how the Unbelieva-Brow Longwear Waterproof Brow Gel held up throughout the day.
Shade: Dark Brunette
Naturally full brows with semi-sparse areas
Tested against 8 hours under a heater with oily skin
My eyebrows are pretty thick even without any product, so I’ve struggled to find a product that will fill in my sparse areas without making the overall look cakey. This gel adds color without giving me an overly “done” look, and I like that I can build up the pigment on those days I want more coverage. The consistency is soft and easy to apply, but it also dries down quickly. It was very easy to use, and even if you’ve never used a similar product before you’ll get the hang of the gel with no problem because all you have to do is lightly apply the gel with the spoolie, working up to the amount of product you want. All you have to do is apply a thin layer over the center of your brows then disperse the product with your spoolie for a fuller-looking brow. For a more dramatic brow, you can go in with additional layers to get your desired effect.
The brow gel also lasted all day — from the time I did my makeup in the morning to going out to dinner at night, and it didn’t transfer or rub off when I touched my brow during the day to test it. I was also really impressed by the shades available, as a lot of brow products can skew too warm or too red for me. The dark brunette shade was perfectly cool-toned, and it didn’t clash with the color of my actual brows.
Shade: Brunette
Full but short brows with no tail
Tested on a 80-degree day in LA, working, running errands and going to dinner with friends.
My brows are full but they’re also short in length, so I’m always looking for good brow products that won’t smudge or disappear throughout the day that I can use to extend the tail of my brows. I typically stay away from tinted brow products because since my brows are naturally full, they tend to look very harsh when I use anything with a tint. Needless to say, I wasn’t too sure about this brow gel at first.
Immediately, I noticed that this brow gel came with a dual-ended, spoolie and angled brush — I love having the option between the two, especially because I wanted to keep coverage light. I opted for the angled brush and used it to lightly fill in my brows, creating tiny strokes and extending the tail. I applied light pressure to keep the strokes soft and natural, blending them in with the rest of my brows.This brow gel has a lightweight, whipped formula and the angled brush did a nice job at creating even strokes without applying too much product or getting messy.
The Brunette shade was the perfect, cool-toned match for my dark eyebrows, the color lasted all day long without any smudging and it didn’t look harsh. My biggest pet peeve is when brow gels flake throughout the day and this one didn’t do that. This product exceeded my expectations and I can already tell it's going to be a staple in my brow routine.
Shade: Blonde
Full with some sparse patches
Working from home and running errands on a 40-degree day in New York
When I first opened this product, I was a little confused by the doe-foot applicator, as it looked more like a lip gloss than a brow gel. But once I used it to swipe some of the product onto my brows, I realized that this is a great beginner-friendly brow product. It’s ideal for fluffing up brows and making them appear fuller and darker without requiring the precision of a brow pencil or pomade. Plus, the consistency is soft and doesn’t leave my brows feeling crunchy, despite holding them in place all day. The color match was a bit warm for my neutral blonde hair color, but it wasn’t too noticeable. I was happy to see the included spoolie and angled brush — I used the spoolie to comb my brows in place and I may make the angled brush do double-duty and start applying my winged eyeliner with it!
Shade: Brunette
Unruly Brows
Wearing it for the past six months, from hot summer activities to winter events
While I’ve been blessed with naturally thick eyebrows, it’s super important for me to ensure that they look tame and precise throughout the day, so having a brow gel is a non-negotiable in my routine. This ultra-pigmented option has become my go-to for this exact reason: I’ve been consistently wearing it the past year, through hot summer activities, fall work-days and now, winter events.
It has a thick consistency that helps pair down my brow hairs without leaving a sticky residue behind, and the color-match is spot-on for my natural dark brunette hair color. Another unique quality about this particular gel that I love is the doe foot applicator. It easily allows the very saturated pigment to slide on with ease, and once applied, I like to comb through my brows with a spoolie to ensure that every hair remains in place. Saturated, slick and mess-free, this gel is one of my beauty routine staples for good reason.
Shade: Brunette
Sparse Brows
Wearing daily for the past two months while running errands and throughout the workday
As someone who swears by their brow pencil, I was pretty hesitant to use a brow gel with a doe foot applicator. I have to say that this has now become a staple in my routine. In addition to the applicator in the tube, the product comes with a dual-ended spoolie and angled brush that really helps shape my brow hairs. I found that it nicely defines my brows without making them too bold because of the way that the applicator and spoolie work together. I start by applying the product to the center of the brow and using the spoolie to disperse it to the tail of my brow. I follow up with the angled brush at the beginning of my brows to add a bit of definition to any sparse areas.
The consistency reminds me of a liquid shadow. It's really easy to blend out with just a couple swipes with the spoolie. When I first got the product, I was worried that it wouldn't match my natural color, but It was the perfect shade to fill in my dark brown brows. I've been trying it for a couple weeks and I found that it really keeps my brow hairs in place throughout the whole day. It's definitely a staple in my everyday makeup routine. If you’re hesitant about brow gel, it’s definitely a must-try in my books.
To get the best results from the brow gel, use the spoolie that it comes with and the doe foot applicator. Follow these three easy steps to get brows that look polished and stay in place no matter the activity you’re engaged in.
Step 1. Apply the product to your eyebrow hairs, working in layers to fill in your eyebrows to your liking.
Step 2. If you want more definition, grab the included angled brush to outline and define your brow shape with short, feather-like strokes.
Step 3. To finish, comb through your brows with the spoolie, and allow the brow gel to dry.
To remove the gel, use an oil based cleanser or the L’Oréal Paris Micellar Cleansing Water Complete Cleanser Waterproof - All Skin Types. Saturate a cotton pad with the micellar water, hold the pad over your eyebrow for a few seconds, then gently wipe it over your brow to fully remove the brow gel.
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Photo Credit: Témi Adebowale, Reece Andavolgyi, Ariel Wodarcyk, Alanna Martine Kilkeary, and Kat Pierre, Photo Design: Sarah Duvivier
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