This product was sent to me for review purposes.
They say that the eyes are the window to the soul, and your brows are naturally the curtains – and no one wants messy drapes! I actually only learnt how to do my brows maybe five or so years ago, which is very late considering that I’ve been doing my own make up for seventeen years by now. However, it’s better late than never!
I’ve tried out a few different formulas – pencils, crayons, even liquid pens – to get what I would consider my perfect brow (full, strong shape but not dominating my features). After a lot of trial and error though, I’ve found my favourite product types – brow pomades and brow gels (used together, of course, because my natural brow hairs are all but non-existent).
I have been using Anastasia Beverly Hills almost exclusively in the past but was recently approached by an indie Australian brand called Full Brow to try out their products. You can view my earlier review of theirs here but I’m really happy to announce that they have launched more products – and yes, I am so freaking excited!
We have the Full Brow Clear Brow Gel and the BROgel (which are both the same formula in a different packaging so can be used interchangeably really) – this was released around two months ago. And then at the beginning of October, Full Brow also launched their Brow Clay, which is their very first brow pomade and their Pro Brush, which was designed specially for pomades! I got an early sneak peek of this product to try out and have been using it literally every day since.
You can check out my Instagram for a Straight Brow Tutorial featuring their products, but read on too because I’ll be getting in depth (and hyped) about these!
BROGel or Clear Brow Gel | AUD$23
First off is the Clear Brow Gel. As I previously mentioned, both of these (that is, the original and the ‘mens’ version) actually have the same formula but the BROGel features a sleeker navy packaging instead (which was designed to feedback that their original looked too ‘feminine’ for the male market). They also have the same price point so really, you can just choose which ever version tickles your fancy. For me, I’m currently using the BROGel version because I like darker packaging in general but – of course – will end up using both.
This product is described as a lightweight clear formula with “super-duper strong hold” and a non-flaking finish. The Clear Brow Gel helps to achieve a subtle and natural look and can be worn alone (by you lucky people who already have full brows) or over any other brow product. This product is also vegan, cruelty-free and also paraben free.
Packaging
The brow gels both come in a small plastic tube; lightweight, simple and easy to carry around. Regardless of which one that you choose, it is perfect for your make up bag. The quality of the tubes are nice too, with the lid twisting on smoothly and the ink printed well – there’s no issue with it scratching off or becoming scuffed too easily during travel.
Essentially, the differences between these two products mostly have to do with colour, finish and the box design.
The BROGel comes in a navy blue matte finish plastic tube with a slightly larger dark purple unit carton. It has a more ‘masculine’ feel to the design, which is more subdued and sleek, but is still fairly on-brand for Full Brow. I personally think that it’s actually easily interchangeable. I choose to use the BROGel instead of the Clear Brow Gel myself because I prefer a darker packaging design.
Moving on to the original Clear Brow Gel though, this one is great for people who love brighter and more playful designs. It features a glossy plastic tube with a pearl white body and a cute orange polka dotted cap. The unit carton for this is also a bit smaller and streamlined, with a matching orange design and subtle gold detailing.
Overall, the packaging for both of these products are practical and simple. The print isn’t as luxe as you’d get from a high end brand but the quality is easily comparable. I’m very happy with the packaging, especially for this price point (as an example, ABH Clear Brow Gel is AUD$38).
Personal Experiences
As you can see from the below photo, the original Clear Brow Gel seems to have a slightly longer spoolie brush but, to be honest, this doesn’t affect application at all. Since it doesn’t have any actual pigment, it’s pretty easy to use and non-messy too (great for people who sometimes struggle with any mascaras). The formula is thin and applies smoothly through brows with no clumping. It takes a little moment to dry but, afterwards, holds brows in place well. I wouldn’t consider this the most intense hold possible, but more like a natural-strong hold. There’s no crunchiness or ‘gelled’ feel to the brow hairs afterwards.
This product can be used alone or on top of other brow products. Personally, I tend to use this on top of the brow clay (which I will be discussing after) as it helps to give my – very thin – brow hairs a fluffy appearance. It fixes hairs in place while still giving enough of a natural texture.
In general, this is a product that I really enjoy using (which explains why I have been returning to it daily since I first received it). It’s easy to use, lightweight and gives me the effect that I want without me feeling like I’ve cemented my brows in.
It’s also a great concept that they’ve created a ‘mens’ version through feedback that they’d received on the packaging. Although I don’t believe that things should be gendered just due to packaging, I appreciate that there is no ‘pink tax’ on the product – that is, they are really the exact same down to the pricing. In the end, it’s just about colour and design preferences. It’s a step forward in proving that ‘make up’ itself is also not gendered.
So, here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A lightweight clear brow gel with two types of packaging
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 4/5
- PACKAGING | 5/5
- FINISH | 4/5
- HOLD | 4/5
- LONGEVITY | 4/5
OVERALL RATING? 8.4/10
THOUGHTS? I actually like the more lightweight and natural hold of this product, especially because it means the finish is also more natural. I prefer this over a super strong hold so would personally have rated this higher, but I did have to pull my rating down since the product description claims a ‘super-duper strong hold’. Instead, I would recommend this for someone who wants a natural hold and a fluffy finish that is lightweight, as well as non-crunchy on brows.
Brow Clay | AUD$28
For me, the current star of the Full Brow line would have to be their Brow Clay! Pomades are my product of choice and, honestly, I think they do a better job of giving me full and well-defined brows than anything. I find this to be highly comparable to high end brands and plenty more affordable.
This is described as a “super-duper pigmented pomade type product with a huge colour pay-off.” It is recommended for those who love bold brows and is vegan, waterproof and totally smudge proof. The Brow Clay is available in three shades – Blonde, Taupe and Dark. I have personally tried out the latter two shades and, surprisingly, the Dark pomade actually suits me a lot better (I usually use Taupe shades for everything else), mostly due to the undertone.
Packaging
The Brow Clay comes in an orange and teal unicarton with gold foiled accents. The overall design is fun and playful, but the quality and small attention to detail gives this product a more high end feel. In general, I feel like Full Brow puts so much passion and love into the design of their products – I really respect that.
Opening it up, the product comes in a small glass tub. Although it’s a bit heavy, it’s compact enough that I think travel will be fine with this. The tub is made from a sturdy and thick glass (so no issues with breakage) and it has an orange platic lid with the Full Brow logo over the top. The design of this is simple but I like it – I think it looks bright and trendy, which suits their brand well.
The tub comes with 3.5mL of product and, to be honest, a little goes a long way so this is going to last forever – just make sure you close it properly!
Personal Experiences
I first tried out the Taupe shade because that’s what I usually use on my brows. However, I found that it was a bit too warm on me – I could work with it but it just isn’t my preferred look. Instead, I found that the Dark shade worked better. The colour is more neutral (but still a little warm) and the formula allowed me to build it up to my preferred darkness. It looks great and wasn’t too strong on me – which is my usual concern.
The product adheres well to skin and blends out well with the spoolie too. I usually have a bit of difficulty with the front of my brows and the top where I have to put in more work to get a softer application but the whole process is fairly quick. It adheres well to skin and sparse areas.
In addition to all of this, the product is very long lasting! I have combination-oily skin and I’m also out for twelve hours every day, so it amazes me that I can come home with my brows as perfectly intact as when I left them. Even with my natural oils, rain or sweat – nothing moves them until I actually cleanse them off.
The Brow Clay very quickly became an every day favourite for me, so much that I haven’t reached for any other product. The packaging is great, the formula works well and the longevity is brilliant too. The best part though, is the price point – for something that is comparable to high end brow pomades, AUD$28 is a very reasonable price.
The only downside that I find is the shade range – having three shades is very normal when compared to any drugstore brand. However, since Full Brow does specialise in brow products, I’d really like to be a better variety available. The two I tried in particular lean more warm, so I’d like to see a proper cool-neutral taupe shade available too.
So, here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A longwearing brow pomade in three shades
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 4/5
- PACKAGING | 5/5
- SHADE RANGE | 3/5
- PIGMENTATION | 5/5
- EASE OF APPLICATION | 5/5
- LONGEVITY | 5/5
OVERALL RATING? 9/10
THOUGHTS? I love this product and I would definitely be recommending it to people as an affordable alternative to a high end brow pomade. Aside from the issue with the shade range (which should be find as long as you keep in mind that they lean warm), the actual formulation of this product is perfect and the packaging is great quality too!
Pro Brush | AUD$21
And lastly, we have the Pro Brush, which Full Brow launched specifically to pair with their Brow Clay. It’s pretty different to what I usually use – in particular, that cute little spoolie end – so it took me a while to get used to it. Personally, this isn’t my favourite brow brush and I don’t reach for this often but that’s due to how I prefer to do my own brows. I can definitely see this working for other brow styles.
The Pro Brush is a fine and tightly packed synthetic angle brush which is great for fine lines and targeting smaller areas. The synthetic material also makes it easier to pick up cream (and pomade) type formulas. On the other side, you will find an interesting looking brush described as a “bendy silicon sphere spoolie” which helps to blend product smoothing without scratching or disturbing the application. The spoolie can also be used for lashes.
Personal Experiences
As previously mentioned, it took me some work to get used to using this brush. I generally go for thick, straight brows which are fully (but also softly) filled in. Since my brow hairs are long and sparse, I am especially conscious of them looking bare so I don’t actually draw in any individual hairs except for at the front of my brows. The way that I do my brows is probably a little bit unconventional, especially for Western make up styles, so it makes sense that this brush doesn’t really work for me.
I find that the brush picks up product well but is too fine. I can work with it, but it takes me a lot longer than my usual brush (which is maybe 50% wider than this). I also find that this can make the product look patchy if you’re trying to blend the product too much but works brilliantly to draw in individual hairs.
The spoolie, on the other hand, is just too bendy for me! It’s good if you want to keep the integrity of your strokes but doesn’t work as well to blend it out. I also find that the ball gets in the way from usually the linear section and would have personally preferred using a more traditional type spoolie. For this spoolie, I have to apply quite a significant amount to pressure for it to blend product out.
I think that their original Brow Brush might suit my personal preferences and technique better but you can see me demonstrating and working with their Pro Brush! Check out the below video from my IGTV:
So conclusively, I don’t think that this is a bad brush but just that it’s intended for a different technique than my own. I would recommend this for someone who wants to draw in fine lines and create a very bold and crisp brow – because that brush would be perfect for it. If you want to achieve a k-beauty style straight brow though, I think that you’re better off with using a wider brush and a more traditional spoolie.
And – here’s the verdict!
SO WHAT IS IT?
A fine angled brush with a bendy sphere spoolie
RATINGS
- PRICE POINT | 4/5
- DESIGN AESTHETICS | 4/5
- BRUSH | 3/5
- SPOOLIE | 2/5
OVERALL RATING? 6.5/10
THOUGHTS? I really wish that I could give this brush a better rating but it just isn’t for me. I personally don’t reach for this brush unless I’m really taking in time to draw in hairs at the front of my brows (and I don’t have the patience for that on a daily basis) so I wouldn’t recommend this for someone with similar technique to mine.
However, if you’re curious about this brush, please do watch my IGTV to see how it performs as it may work a lot better for your own techniques and styles.
And they’re the new releases from Full Brow! Make sure to check out their website for some absolutely brilliant products. Their Brow Fibre Gel is still a favourite of mine and the Clear Brow Gel is brilliant too. However, their Brow Clay is definitely a new must-have for me and one that I would be highly recommending all the time!
Let me know in the comments if you end up picking up anything yourself or if you are already familiar with this Aussie brand.
