I got on the brow-grooming bandwagon rather late in life. All the women in my family have rather heavy, thick brows and for the better part of my teens I left mine to grow wild. It was only when I was about eighteen that my mother suggested I let her tweeze them, lest they envelope my entire forehead and compromise my vision. After a quick run-in with the tweezers, I realised what a difference a well-shaped pair of brows can make to the overall look of your face. Since then, I’ve been a slave to shaping my brows.

Despite my close relationship with my tweezers, I’ve never really tried brow-shaping products or makeup until now. I’ve always been rather dubious of them. As my brows are relatively thick and a lot darker than my hair, I’ve always been concerned that using a brow product would make my brows look ridiculously dark and fake. I didn’t think that they’d make any difference to my appearance, so I never bothered. A few weeks ago, I paid a visit to my favourite Benefit counter, where the makeup artist showed me the Speed Brow. Speed Brow is a brow gel that shapes, tints and sets your brows. I’m now totally hooked on the stuff.

The Speed Brow comes packaged in a little tube that’s small enough to slip into your purse for touch-ups. Not that you’d need to touch up though, because this stuff lasts for hours without budging. The product is really easy to apply too, and it’s practically goof-proof. The Speed Brow applicator looks like a smaller version of a mascara wand, and to apply the product, you simply sweep the wand over your brows in an upward motion. Then, using the tip of the wand, smooth along your brows to define the arches and create the shape you want. The gel dries in seconds and you’re ready to go.

The Speed Brow comes in a neutral shade, which I find is perfect for my brows. It’s dark enough to fill in any gaps (on days when I’ve been over-enthusiastic with the tweezers), but not so dark that I wind up looking like Magilla Gorilla. The gel dries quickly and looks really natural. It doesn’t produce a dramatic difference in the way my brows look, but it gives my overall look a more polished appearance. I’ve incorporated the product into my everyday makeup routine, because I find it gives my eyes a little extra pop and polish.

Before

After

Even if you’ve never tried a brow product before, or if you’re anxious about slapping makeup onto your brows, I really recommend giving the Speed Brow a go. It’s easy to use, fast-drying and will get you looking gorgeously-groomed in no time flat.