Men Brows: Testing Mascaras From MAC, KIKO and Maybelline

By Miguel Matos

One of the upcoming grooming trends for men can be brow styling products. I'm not talking about plucking or waxing, something most younger men do nowadays being the extreme example the famous football player Cristiano Ronaldo. I am talking about gels for combing brows and making them fuller, like the product Tom Ford is about to launch in June, as part of the male skincare collection – the Brow Gelcomb. Jean Paul Gaultier had already approached this subject ten years ago by releasing a mascara-like eyebrow comb, but just like the rest of the products in the line, it was a flop. Now with celebrities like the singer Adam Lambert and many others sporting painted and dramatic eyebrows, and with the proliferation of brow enhancers in many brands, maybe the thing catches on.

Adam Lambert sporting eyebrows for days

Knowing that the Tom Ford Brow Gelcomb will cost around 45$, I decided to explore other brands and see what I could find at a lower price range to enhance and define my eyebrows like a film noir actor. I know I like the look because last year I was taken a picture with my eyebrows painted and I looked fierce. The drama a touch of paint can bring to your expression!

I started by visiting the MAC store nearby where I found the Pro LongWear Waterproof Brow Set. This was my starting point. The store assistant let me try it and i loved it. I have a strong brow and this just made it heavier. I tried it in brown colour and it looked crazy intense. It was not totally natural but I was going for intensity after all. And it also depends on the quantity you apply. They do not make it in black and I kept thinking that black would be great and bold!

The MAC Pro Long Wear Waterproof Brow Set is not like a mascara, it doesn't create a paste on the hairs, it tends to have a powdery matte texture and it results in a look where you can see it is painted because of the intensity but you can't actually see the product itself. I was convinced and by the price of 17 euros I thought it was a great alternative to Tom Ford.

After MAC I stopped at the Kiko store. There I found the Eyebrow Fibers Colored Mascara. Another brow product like the one presented by Tom Ford and MAC. It seemed to be the same stuff and I decided to try it at the store. I started with the dark brown shade. Immediately liked it. It created a seamless look with a natural intensity. It seems to cover the hairs only and doesn't stain the skin. It is composed by fibers that adhere to the hairs making them look fuller. The look is a full brow and in the dark brown shade it managed to create a high definition brow without making it look too heavy. And so I tried the black shade to see the difference. This created a high impact dramatic brow. Not natural this time but not too crazy too.

My blue eyes seemed like sparkling jewels under these intensified lines. Jackpot: for 7 euros I bought the black shade on the spot and have been wearing it. People seem to notice it and comment on how intense my look is. But they seem puzzled because they can't tell what have I done to have this look. Money well spent!

Afterwards I found the Maybelline Brow Drama sculpting brow mascara. I bought it online for 5 euros and when it arrived I applied it to see the difference in comparison to the others. Not a disaster but when compared to the Kiko stuff this is disappointing.

It's not a matte texture but a gel and it tends to stick to the brows in a sticky way. It is a bit gooey and it makes the utilization less easy. You need a lot more product to see a difference and in the end it gets a “paste” look like when you wear too much mascara. I still have to learn how to use it correctly but it is clearly inferior to all the others. I like the brush, though. It is rounded which should be the ideal form for all brow mascaras since it avoids smudging outside the brows. I bought the dark brown colour.

Wearing "nada"

Wearing Maybelline on my left brow

Wearing Kiko on my right brow

Conclusion. I became a fan of Kiko's Eyebrow Fibers. It's easy to apply and does an intense job. Compare these pics and see. :)

Products mentioned in article

MAC Pro LongWear Waterproof Brow Set

Kiko Milano Eyebrow Fibers

Maybelline Brow Drama

Miguel Matos

Miguel is a Portuguese journalist obsessed with art and perfume. Miguel likes to see himself as a fragrance curator, investigating the possibilitie...(more)