Anastasia - DipBrow Pomade | Professional Brows Made Easy

Ohhh you cannot fathom the excitement I felt when I finally got my mitts on this little pot of joy. Prepare yourselves for a rave n' a half! Anastasia is a brand that's become rather renowned for its brow products the past year or so and as soon as I heard of their 'Dip Brow Pomade' - I knew I simply had to have it (cue stalking the CultBeauty website daily until my shade was 'back in stock').  Now, let me just say that my eyebrows leave much to be desired - Cara Delevingne I certainly am not! I must have got quite pluck-happy with the ol' tweezers in my teenage years because I've been left with quite possibly the shittest brows known to womankind (pardon my french). I need all the help I can get and without filling them in, you'd need to squint down a microscope to see them (think Homer Simpson's two tufts of hair but on the brow area). Ok. So maybe I'm exaggerating slightly - they're not a complete lost cause but if I could click my fingers and get them to sprout a few extra hairs here and there, I'd be a happy chappy.  That's why I put a great deal of hope in Anastasia's Dip Brow. Claimed to be the 'long-lasting answer to eyebrow perfection whatever the state of your arches' I was sold on words alone.  It's said to be smudgeproof, waterproof and ideal for creating a defined, professional brow shape that won't budge if you're caught in a downpour or are lucky enough to be jetting away to sunnier climes.  Well. My eyebrow prayers were answered.

Does it do what it says on the tin? Ohh yes it does indeed. I'm addicted.  I remember the first time I used it and I rushed downstairs to show my mother my new eyebrows - I kid you not - it's comparable to a push-up bra for your brows.  I've never been able to achieve such a defined, professional looking brow - ever.  I've also never been able to keep my eyebrows looking groomed all day but this product eliminates the need for touch-ups or taming  - once it's on, it's on and it's not budging for nobody. It also seems to keep the hairs in place which takes away the need to apply setting mascara or wax.  When I remove my makeup at night, I have to go over my brows a good couple of times to get it all off - just goes to show how well this stuff sticks around!  The consistency is like a gel/mousse - it's really quite hard to describe but one thing I will say is that it's incredibly pigmented (check out that bad-boy of a swatch!).  Seriously, this pot might not be cheap at £15 but it will last you ages. I've been using mine for about 2 or 3 months now and I've hardly made much of a dent.   To apply, I use my Eco Tools Angled Liner Brush (found here) as it's really thin and precise to work with (Anastasia also do a brush to use alongside it if you're in need of one) - I simply dip into the pot and trace the shape I want in small strokes to mimic brow hairs, and then fill in using the remainder of the product on my brush using similar movements.  Anastasia says that the formula 'adheres to every single hair' - making your brows appear fuller - I can definitely vouch for this and I've noticed such a difference since Ive started using Dip Brow - I don't think I'll ever go back to using a pencil now as it's near on impossible to achieve the same results. One thing I will say though - if you're a bit cack-handed and make a mistake, it can be quite a kerfuffle to correct! If you're a bit of a brow novice, you might want to stick to pencil instead but personally, I've found that this product has made doing my eyebrows of a morning so much quicker.  What used to be a chore is now a quick, swift job and I'm left with perfect looking brows that I know won't fade or smudge throughout the day.   After I've applied, I'll sometimes apply my Benefit 'Gimme Brow' (review here) as I find it finishes the look off perfectly - to be honest, it's not really needed but I really enjoy the finishing touch it creates as my eyebrows are fairly light in colour.

Even though I'm blonde, I do like a defined brow and I'll often use a light brown to fill them in (we aren't talking scouse brows here but I do prefer the slightly darker look). The shade 'Blonde' is perfect for me as it isn't so dark that it looks false, but it's dark enough that it provides a good bit of definition.  It has a grey/ashy toned hint to it that keeps it looking natural (something I struggle to find with brow products) and there's no shimmer or sheen to it - it's just perfectly natural looking.  The shade range isn't incredibly vast - which is the only issue with this product as if you're after something lighter, you'll be at a bit of a loss unfortunately (there's also a big jump between this 'Blonde' shade and the lighter brown).  This being said,  I personally think that most people will be able to find a shade to suit them as they're all very natural in colour and there's a couple of brown tones to suit different shades of brunette.  Apologies I haven't included a photo - I'm currently in the process of attempting to grow my brows out so as you can imagine, they aren't really in any state to be photographed despite how fabulous Dip Brow makes them appear! 

Overall, I've been wow'ed by this product - i prefer it over my HDBrows palettes which really is saying something.  The little glass pot finishes it all off nicely - it's luxurious, elegant and small enough to take with you if you're going away. Yes, it might be a little more hassle than simply taking a pencil but for the effect is gives - I couldn't care less.  I'm definitely going to be bringing this with me to Crete in 2 weeks - for once I might actually be able to have decent eyebrows whilst sitting round the pool (not that I wear makeup in the day but I'm all in favour of a little light cheating if needs be). If you already have a cracking pair of brows then you might not need this but it's definitely worth a look if you favour the defined, 'HD Brow' look.  I shan't ramble on any further but if you're at your wits end with your brows like I was, I'm pretty sure you'll join me in the 'product rave' camp! In fact, I almost don't want to share this post with anyone in case everyone discovers my little secret and DipBrow will be forever out of stock...but some secrets are too good to keep, right? ;)  You can find Anastasia on CultBeauty and also on BeautyBay for £15.00 - and dare I say it but it's worth every single penny.

Have you tried anything from Anastasia? Recommend me some more good'uns, girls!