Two of the most talked about and popular brow pomades/ gels that are out there at the moment ; The Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow & the Benefit KaBrow.
I would think that Benefit based their version perhaps on the ABH Dipbrow as this has been probably the most famous one launched to-date. I have and have used both extensively so I wanted to share with you a comparison which maybe will help you decide which one to opt for if you are on the market for new brow makeup.
First up ; what is a brow pommade and do you need one?
Back in my teenage makeup days, even bursting into my misspent 20’s ; there really wasn’t much choice of brow makeup. It was, for the most-part 2-3 shades of brow pencil from a brand, occasionally a brow powder or something slightly fancier (hello Benefit Brow Zings)….and brows weren’t really a makeup focus. Nowadays we are met with the luxury of a huge selection of brow products, from gels, to pencils, inks, powders, stencils and everything in between. It can be a task in itself to decide what brow makeup you need but let me tell you why you may need a gel/pomade.
Brow pomades are basically a mix of waxes and pigment. It is a really good all-rounder in terms of brow makeup, as you can use it to both fill in sparse patches on your brow for just natural enhancement, and also with the correct brush, you can use a pomade to create small brow hairs, texture, fades and a perfect instabrow….if that is your thing. Another huge selling point for me is that for the most part, brow pomades tend to be long-wearing, often waterproof, so are very good for an oilier skin, warmer climates or simply if you just want your brows to stay put all day long.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow.
I purchased the ABH Dipbrow in my huge Sephora haul well over a year ago. I purchased it out of intrigue and the hype surrounding it and had never really used a gel on my brows as I have always been happy with a pencil over the last few years (namely the Kevyn Aucoin Brow pencil).
The ABH comes in a small, flat, glas spot with a plastic lid. It is quite bulky, but it holds a big dollop of product within. The ABH pomade texture is creamy enough to allow easy and smooth application, but it still has a certain stiffness to is so it won’t slip around on the skin. The best brush I find to apply it is this one from Space NK. One thing you must remember with any of these gel product that comes in pots like this, you need to be really sure you screw the lid back on TIGHT. Otherwise it will dry up. I think the reason why the ABH is dominating the pomade game right now (beside their 11 million follower instagram/ instabrow domination) is simply the amazing selection of
shades. A whopping 11 shades see’s not just ‘brown, blonde, black’ etc….but ACTUAL real hair tones ; There is quite literally a perfect shade for everyone in this arsenal.
* 11 shades
* Waterproof
* 4g / £15
Benefit Ka Brow.
This pomade/cream-gel from Benefit is part of their huge new brow collection that launched just a few months ago. I purchased this in the pre-sale that Benefit had online, along with a few other bits, and in all honesty I was kind of expecting this to be a weak version of the ABH. It looked slightly gimmicky with it’s garish packaging and more often that not I despise the brush applicators/mini brushes that come within palettes/makeup as they are often downright sh*te. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the Ka Brow ; I love this brow pomade and I am pretty much using this (plus brush!!) on a daily basis @ the moment.
It is slightly sheerer in pigment that the ABH Dipbrow but I personally like this formula as I don’t like a crazy-heavy brow. It feels slightly more translucent than the Dipbrow. The brush…..it’s actually not bad. It is a teeny angle liner brush and I find it easier to twist this off and use it, than fumbling around for 2 separate products. It’s a good idea and it works. If, like me, you are using this product often, I advise you to give the brush a good clean once a week to prevent a build up of dry product.
* Waterproof
* 6 shades
* 3.0g £18.50
* Comes with applicator (which is
actually pretty good!)
Which one is best?!
So gram for gram, the ABH Dipbrow is obviously a much better price as it has more product AND it’s £3.50 cheaper than the Kabrow. However, the Kabrow comes with an applicator so you don’t need anything else. You MUST use a brush with these products, so after you have purchased some form of applicator for the ABH Dipbrow……it will pretty much work out the same price for these products.
I honestly believe these are pretty similar in quality, wear and application. I can only imagine that Benefit based their product & formula on the best-selling pomade from ABH. I think the ABH Dipbrow is slightly more pigmented in the product, which can be a positive OR negative depending on the finish that you want. It also wins hands down in the shade selection stakes, with nearly twice the amount. I think if you are relatively easy-going with your brow makeup, want something quick to apply and all-in-one, then the Ka Brow is the way you should go. However, if you are more serious about makeup, a makeup artist and want a proper intricate insta-brow, then perhaps the ABH Dipbrow is for you. Makeup artists will definitely prefer the packaging of the ABH as it’s a lot more compact and ‘packable’ in bulk in your kit, plus the addition of the mini brush within the Ka Brow will be irrelevant for a professional makeup artist ; we would always opt for a full-length artist brush anyway when applying on someone else’s face (it’s hella lot easier!).
It’s pretty much a dead heat for me with these 2 brow products. I am using the Benefit Kabrow for myself personally, and the Dipbrow has gone into my pro kit, which I think basically sums up everything about these 2 products.
Have you used both/ either? What are you preferences and thoughts?
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