The $9 Brow Wax That's a Bargain Dupe for My Old Discontinued Favourite
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
Brows are a tricky game. These two strips of hair above your eyes have the very big job of framing your face, and depending on how they're doing, they have the power to make or break your day.
That's why finding your go-to eyebrow products is key. I have a few on rotation, but what if I told you I've found the cheapest and best brow wax product in Australia... and it costs less than $10?
Nope, not a typo. This product is one of my best-kept beauty secrets, until now.
Because we're friends and I want the best for you, let me introduce you to the $9 brow kit that changed my eyebrow game forever.
Meet the elf Cosmetics Gel & Powder Eyebrow Kit.
You see, for years, my brows and I were dedicated to the now-discontinued Laura Mercier Brow Definer Pot. Then, I found my other favourite brow product Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil - but at $45, I needed something a little more wallet-friendly for everyday use.
I was actually living in New York when I first walked past a cute makeup store called elf Cosmetics. From amazing lip crayons to eyeshadows and foundations, everything in the store was cool AND cheap.
When I spotted the elf Eyebrow Kit, I couldn’t believe this high-quality, smudge-proof eyebrow wax was $9!!! $9?! Almost feels like daylight robbery. I stocked up before moving back to Australia, only to realise I can buy my bargain brow dupe at Adore (plus, it'll always come with a free TimTam!).
My elf Eyebrow Kit Review.
I have naturally thin arches (shout out to my mama who didn’t let me over-pluck them when I was younger or I'd have NOTHING left to work with now). But l love the thick, brushed up look, so I need to fill them in every day to keep the tail ends of my brows from disappearing.
This is why my brow product of choice needs to be lightweight and pigmented to give me a defined yet natural finish. But sturdy enough to last all day. Tough ask? Not with this cheap brow kit.
elf Eyebrow Kit is cruelty-free and vegan, and comes with a pomade/wax and a lighter powder. There are three shades: dark, light and medium. I use light because I find the wax side is the perfect brown for me.
Texture-wise, the pigmented wax pomade hybrid has a buttery feel that isn't heavy. Some brow waxes leave a sticky product residue, but this doesn't. It imparts the perfect shade of brown that’s not too light, not too dark and compliments my skin tone perfectly.
As for how I use this elf Eyebrow Kit, I start in the middle of the brow and work towards the tail, then come back to fill in the front at the end. I find this helps avoid any crazy patching.
I apply in soft feather-like strokes and I only need to use one coat to achieve that natural finish I like. (Here's a little video of how I do it.)
Personally, I don’t use the powder side because I prefer the ‘individual detailed hair’ look as I think it just suits my features and skin better.
As many reviews state, the powder is also a fair bit lighter than the wax shade, so it'd be better suited to someone who wants a matte-looking eyebrow over a more laminated effect.
But I actually do use the applicator that comes with the kit. It has a tiny angled brush on one side that's perfect for drawing on those hair-like strokes, and a brush on the other end to fill in larger gaps. The in-built mirror is handy for chucking in your handbag and doing brows on the go, too.
After applying the product, I finish by brushing my eyebrows upwards with my M.A.C Cosmetics Brow Set - voila! The appearance of fuller brows, without looking too intense. It instantly lifts the face and my makeup look is complete.
Another great thing about this product is it's buildable, so if you’re into a darker finish, just add another coat. It's also truly smudge-proof and keeps my brows on my face all day.
That's it! There isn't really much more to say about this affordable makeup find, other than it's probably cheaper than your lunch today.
But... do you really need another reason to give this brow product a try? Nah, didn't think so.
You can learn more about how to fill in your eyebrows in this YouTube video here.
You can shop all brow products here. Want to read more product recommendations from Sadaf? Check out her stories below:
