Maybelline Brow Drama & Brow Satin in Dark Blond

Recently Maybelline has been updating their brow product range. I already bought the Brow Drama eyebrow gel last December, but when I found the Brow Satin brow pencil and powder duo, I decided that paired together this would make for a great review. I started using the Brow Satin to replace my Soap & Glory Archery brow pencil which I ran out of just recently. The Brow Drama I started using before that, but I find that the combination of the two makes for a great, simple, easy brow that is foolproof to create.

Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in Dark Blond

The shade I purchased in both products is Dark Blond, which is the lightest shade available. I always buy my brow products in a shade lighter than my brow hairs. The problem is that I have dark brow hairs (and eyelashes) but I have natural blonde hair. If I make my brow as dark as they are and fill them in, I immediately look like Cruella De Ville and it makes my face look very harsh. In total, there are 3 different shades available of the Brow Drama gel as well as a transparent version. It retails for €8.99. The Brow Satin pencil/ powder combo is available in 3 shades and costs €11.99.

Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara in Dark Blond
Maybelline Brow Satin Smoothing Duo-Brow Pencil & Filling Powder in Dark Blond

The Brow Drama Sculpting Brow Mascara is nothing but a bog standard brow gel. I always used the cheapest version around and usually settled for a clear mascara. But since Catrice launched their colored brow gels, I have been converted into a tinted brow gel lover. Not only can they make for a very quick brow as you can go ultra natural and just pop this on if you’re in a hurry. But it is also great for using to shape your brows and in my case tame them too, when you put some more effort in.

The main selling point of the Brow Drama brow gel is the brush. Doesn’t that look like a scary Medieval torture device or what?! Rather than a regular mascara wand, this little ball allows you to be much more precise in your application. Because the hairs are a bit longer, it is also really easy to get each and every hair and apply a bit of tint.

There is quite a bit of product on the applicator and that can sometimes lead to a bit of a mess. I often need to clean up around the edges, but that is very easily done as it takes a little while for the product to set. What I’ve noticed is that the product is in fact quite powdery, so it is easy to simply wipe away. Color wise this seems to be fairly dark when you apply it to your skin for a swatch. However, when you use the applicator, only a small amount of product is brushed through the brow, so it will not look as full on as on this swatch.

Natural brows (above), with Brow Drama (below)

Time to show you what it looks like on the brows. My natural brows are quite bushy and out there. I never groom them into perfection, because despite the fact that I am not a hairy person, my brows seem to take on Oscar mode within minutes. The front part is quite full, but the middle part is more sparse. As you can see the Maybelline Brow Drama clearly manages to tame my brows. The hairs are all pointing in the same direction and my brow looks more defined, slightly neater and well maintained.

Maybelline Brow Satin Smoothing Duo-Brow Pencil & Filling Powder in Dark Blond

I hardly ever wear just brow gel, because I do feel my brows need a little bit more. That is why the Maybelline Brow Satin really caught my eye. When I first spotted this in store, I didn’t see that it wasn’t just an eye pencil. I didn’t see the powder element to it until I got home. I was thinking the brown end was simply the part you use to twist up the pencil, or maybe hid a spooly at best. But no, to my surprise it held a sponge tip applicator that looked as if it has already been used.

The Maybelline Brow Satin Smoothing Duo-Brow Pencil & Filling Powder comes with a two step plan. First you apply the pencil only on those parts that you feel need filling up, and then you use the powder for the finishing touch. According to Maybelline this should create a soft and natural looking matte brow. I was a bit skeptical about the powder part to be honest. The powder is actually inside the cap and as you put it on, the sponge tip is pressed into it and that’s how the powder gets on the sponge. So no, this product had not been opened and used in the store, but this is exactly what it should look like.

The pencil end is a bit thicker than the Soap & Glory Archery brow pencil. So I was curious to see if that still allowed me to be as precise. The pencil applies smoothly, but I do feel that the color is a tad on the red side. If you are very very fair, this brow product will therefore not work for you. On me, I don’t mind it too much as I have a hint of red in my hair naturally anyway. The pencil works quickly and is easy to use and I’ve been using this every day, since I got it.

The powder is indeed fully matte and well, powdery, as you would expect from a powder. The sponge tip applicator is alright. It’s not my preferred way for applying an eyebrow powder as the sponge is quite big. If you have tiny brows, or get towards the tail of your brows you have to be careful to still be precise enough. Like the pencil, the powder is rather red toned and doesn’t necessarily suit everyone. The powder definitely creates a very full on look that I find a bit overdone for every day.

Nothing (above), pencil (middle), pencil + powder (below)

Up close you can definitely see how red these products are. They are definitely not ashy, which is usually a demand for a good brow product. The pencil works great for adding some color to sparse areas, whereas the powder works perfectly for smoothing everything down and adding definition. However, I did use a spooly to brush things through to prevent a ‘block of color’ look on my brows.  Instead of the powder, I think I’d prefer a spooly on the back.

Left: Brow Drama. Right: Brow Satin.

To conclude, I think it is safe to say that these are good brow products. The main issue with these is the color. Now, for me the colors work as you can see above and I feel that if the color selection is for you, then I think you will have found a great new brow product. Brow Drama has kicked my Catrice brow gel to the curb ever since I started using it and I already bought a back up of the Brow Satin because I simply love it that much and don’t want to be without it.

How do you do your brows?