Product Review - Brow Zings Tame & Shape Kit by Benefit Cosmetics

A few months ago, I purchased the Goof Proof Brow Pencil Easy Shape & Fill by Benefit Cosmetics and wrote a product review about it. While I did love the product and still do, I ran out of the first one I bought rather quickly but I chalked it off to having had issues with the tip breaking up a few times... and I changed my hair color from black to orange so, anyway, I needed to change the color. But the 2nd one also ran out quickly so I figured that perhaps this was not the product for me or I was using too much or something. So I went to Sephora and checked out the other products available by Benefit Cosmetics for eyebrows. I ended up purchasing the Brow Zings Tame & Shape Kit.

 The left side is a wax that you use to fill your eyebrows and shape them. On the right side is a powder that helps set the whole thing. Interestingly, I had chosen the color #3 for the Goof Proof Pencil but that would have been way too dark with the Brow Zings Kit so I went with #2. In fairness to the product, though, my orange is brighter now than when I bought the Goof Proof Pencil so that may be why the color shifted. This is DEFINITELY a benefit of going to Sephora itself to try on things and assess which would work better for you.


The Brow Zings Kit is pricier than the Goof Proof Pencil ($32 and $24, respectively) but I can already tell that the kit will last longer so that's worth it right there.

One thing that I didn't really see while in store were the tools that are included in the kit. The tweezers are really just meh as they are so small. I do have a better pair so I use those instead. But it can be neat to have those in the kit if you're traveling or something. I was disappointed in the brushes when I saw them because they looked so small. Once unfolded, though, they are not so bad at all. The handles are a little thin but that helps with a lighter application so it woks out.




The application is really easy: you sweep some of the waxy color over the eyebrows and give them their shape and then you just apply some of the powder over it to set them. The application of the powder does not seem evident but it does give the eyebrows a little bit of a fuller look.

So I definitely like the product. We'll see how long it lasts. I do think that it will be longer as 1) I won't break any tips and 2) there is quite a bit of product. And, of course, here's a picture of what I look like with it on.

Care for brushes

To keep with yesterday's post about brushes, here is some information on how to take care of them.

Storage

I highly recommend storing the brushes in a brush case. If you buy a set, it will usually come in a case or bag of sorts and you can use that. You can store them really whichever way you want but, to increase the longevity of your brushes, you want to store them in a way that the bristles can't be damaged.  So throwing them in a makeup bag is NOT a good idea, unless it's for a short period of time (e.g., when traveling) but even then, I wouldn't recommend it.  Store them carefully and they will last for a long time.

Cleaning

Brushes should be cleaned regularly. That will help both keep them in good shape for a long time and also keep them clean in terms of color cross-contamination and bacteria.  There are a number of ways that you can clean brushes. Here are some options.

Warm Water and Baby Shampoo

It's pretty much exactly like it sounds. Take your makeup brush and get the bristles wet with warm water. Then put a small amount of baby shampoo on the bristles and massage to get the color out. Rinse the bristles well with more warm water. Use a towel to remove the excess water from the bristles, making sure to reshape the brush to something close to its original shape. It's very akin to working with your own hair. ;) Let the brush air dry.

The advantage of this method is that it's fairly inexpensive as baby shampoo is not costly and a small bottle will last you a long time. The disadvantage is that it takes a long time for the brushes to dry (about 24 hours). So you likely won't be able to do this very frequently.

I usually use this method for big fluffy brushes like my kabuki brush, my powder brush, and my blush brush. That's the best method to get the colors out of the brush and clean them real good.

Makeup Brush Cleanser

Makeup brush cleansers come in all kinds of formula. I've tried the one by e.l.f. before and wrote a review on it. I'm not using it. The one that I do like is by MAC (which I talk about in that e.l.f. product review). The instructions on the bottle say to pour some cleanser over the brush bristles and then reshape the brush and let dry. I've seen MAC stores where they have a jar of it and will dip the brush in it (just the bristles) and then they will wipe it over the a tissue. The method I use, which I've seen done by my favorite MAC consultant is to pour a little amount on a tissue, wipe the brush back and forth until all the color is out, reshape the brush, and let dry (I put it back in the case to dry). This latter method uses the least amount of product.

The advantage of the makeup brush cleanser (MAC or other one that has alcohol in it) is that, since it has a little bit of alcohol in it, it will dry off much faster and you can technically use the brush in like 20-30 minutes but I usually wait longer to make sure that it's completely dry. In addition, they claim that the product helps condition the brushes. I don't think that it's that much more conditioning than the baby shampoo would do so I'm not sure that it's an advantage really but I haven't tested it. The disadvantage is that it's a little pricey at 14$ but it does a splendid job so I feel that it's well worth the price.

I usually use this method for all my brushes for eye makeup. I clean these more frequently (see below) and they require a faster drying method.

Frequency of Cleaning

I have friends who I have had to chide for the frequency of cleaning the makeup brushes... they *may* do it once a year. That is WAY too infrequent, unless you really don't wear makeup often.

I clean my eye makeup brushes after every use. Yes, I do. The main reason for that is to ensure that there is less cross-contamination of colors. If you don't clean your brushes after use, even if you wipe them and think that there isn't color left because you can't see it, there is still color in the bristles, just not visible to the eye... but it will affect the color that you are trying to apply next. So if you've had that issue where the color isn't quite right, it could be because you're using a brush that needs to be cleaned.  Also, it's a good idea to clean those frequently since they are being used around the eye area.

I clean the big fluffy brushes about once every 6 months, though I should probably do once every quarter just for good measure. These brushes always have the same product or near same product (I don't have drastic differences in the blush colors I use) every time so there is less cross-contamination of color (or none if we're talking about the loose powder).

My favorite brushes

Part of good makeup is having the proper tools: good brushes. And by "good brushes", I most certainly don't mean that you need to spend a lot of money on them. Some of my favorite brushes are a few dollars. With these tools, it will really be often a matter of preference in terms of what you like best for which application.

Back before I started on my quest for good makeup, I was sometimes stopping myself from using certain brushes because I didn't know what they were for. Well, that's just silly. The manufacturer may have stamped a name to a brush, indicating what it should be used for but, really, there is no "brush police" that will come give you a fine if you aren't using the brush exactly as intended. The only "sin" here is to not use the brushes.

Brushes sets

Again, even before the quest for good makeup, I had invested in a makeup brush set akin to this picture. If you do a search on eBay for "makeup brush set", you'll see plenty of these kinds of sets. The quality of the brushes is okay but you can get these for a very decent price (32 pieces for 10-20$ including shipping). A lot of the vendors will be in China and, actually, often these brushes are very akin to the higher end brushes.  One thing is that they tend to shed their bristles for a bit but then it stops.  It's definitely one way to get plenty of brushes for not too much money up front. And then you can subsequently replace your favorite brushes with higher quality brushes.  That's definitely what I did: I used the kit for many many years and I still use some of those brushes every now and then.

That being said, there are now a lot of options to get brushes at decent prices, so look around and you will likely find something that will fit in your budget.

My favorite brushes
Now onto my favorite brushes and what I use them for.  I use these on a near daily basis... if not daily, it's on a weekly basis for sure.

Sephora Classic All Over Shadow Brush Small - 13$
I love to use that brush to apply eye shadow all over the eyelid. It does great for pressed powders and some loose powders (especially the Bare Escentuals ones).
http://www.sephora.com/classic-all-over-shadow-brush-small-22-P188214?skuId=1014315

Sephora Pro Natural Small Eyeshadow Brush - Sold out

Unfortunately this brush is sold out but I love it and use it very frequently. It is stiffer than the one above so I love to use it to apply creamy eye shadows. So, whenever I apply the Buxom Stay There shadows, I use this brush.

e.l.f. Professional Eyeshadow Brush - 1$

I love this brush to apply loose powders eye shadows or glitter over the eyelid. It is a rather stiff brush so it's great for these applications. It does well also for regular pressed powders.

http://www.target.com/p/e-l-f-professional-eyeshadow-brush/-/A-13960346#prodSlot=medium_2_16&term=e.l.f.

Sephora Pro Smoky Liner Brush  - 17$

(note that it's not exactly the brush that I purchased but the same shape and it's the same brand)  I love this brush to apply gel or cream eyeliner. I somehow prefer to use it for a stage makeup application but it can be used for any eyeliner application. The shape of it is what makes it so great: it is akin to working with a pencil eyeliner.

http://www.sephora.com/pro-smoky-liner-24-P313036?skuId=1419647

MAC Small Angle Brush - 19$

I use this brush to apply either cream or gel eyeliner and to do my eyebrows. I generally will use this brush for my regular makeup. I've had this specific brush for like over 15 years and it's still going strong with no signs of decline. 

http://www.maccosmetics.com/product/145/823/Products/Brushes/Eye/263-Small-Angle-Brush/index.tmpl

e.l.f. Contour Brush - 3$

I use this brush to apply eye shadows at the crease of my eyes. It's a bit on the stiff side, which is real nice for when you want your crease shadows to stay put and not blend in too much. So I definitely use it for stage makeup. For regular makeup, it depends on the look that I'm going for.
http://www.target.com/p/e-l-f-contour-brush/-/A-13586149#prodSlot=medium_1_39&term=e.l.f.

Sephora Classic Rounded Crease Brush - 17$

This is similar to the e.l.f. Contour Brush in that I use it to apply eye shadows at the crease of my eyes. However, this one is fluffier and, as such, will automatically blend in the color a bit more. For regular makeup, that is generally what I want (but not always). For stage makeup, that's too much blending.

Sephora Pro Allover Shadow Brush - 20$

I love to use this brush to apply eye shadow at the brow bone. It covers a lot of surface. Now, depending on the size of your brow bone, this may be too large of a brush.
http://www.sephora.com/pro-allover-shadow-brush-12-P313029?skuId=1419571

e.l.f. Studio Blush Brush - 3$

I love to use this brush, as the name indicates to apply blush to my cheeks. It is the perfect size for me. I have encountered many blush brushes that are either too large or too small. This one's perfect for my cheeks.

http://www.target.com/p/e-l-f-studio-blush-brush/-/A-13586151#prodSlot=medium_1_4&term=e.l.f. brush

e.l.f. Complexion Brush - 3$

I use this brush to apply loose powder to my face over my foundation. It has the perfect size and shape for it.

http://www.target.com/p/e-l-f-studio-complexion-brush/-/A-13586146#prodSlot=medium_1_2