BLOSSOMING COMPARISONS: M.A.C. Brow Pencil Vs. Maybelline Define-A-Brow

Hey Blossoms,

Eyebrows are the gate keepers of your face and what I mean is: your eyebrows can either MAKE or BREAK your entire look. The eyebrows hold the emotion of the face perfectly. Don't believe me look in the mirror and looked surprised, then frown and then smile. If you cover your face and only leave your eyebrows visible you'd be able to tell EXACTLY which of those emotions your showing. So if your brows aren't showcasing CUTE, SEXY, SOFT, HOT or any other adjective that may describe how you feel and want to look then 9 out of 10 times the rest of you won't either, no matter how dolled up you get.

These few parts make up your face and see how the brows dominate!!

Eyebrows don't have to PERFECT. Actually they never could be,even in their natural state eyebrows are two slightly different shapes(in the picture above the left eyebrow is arched slightly more & the brows beginning are slightly different...see what I mean). However they ARE proportionate to the face. And THAT'S what matters! Think of eyebrows as siblings: YES! but NOT identical twins!

Thick (Bushy) eyebrows

Sparse eyebrows (can be natural or from over tweezing/threading/waxing)

Eyebrows that have been filled in, arched AND highlighted!! SEE THE DIFFERENCE!

There are many different eyebrow colors and types: sparse, bushy, straight, long haired, short haired, some people even have whispie eyebrows (grow in different directions) and these are just to name a few. I have sparse eyebrows with short hairs. Depending on the look of your brows it can change the look of your face. When I hear these words I automatically think of the eyebrows in the following ways: sharp =defined & highlighted brows, sexy=filled in & nicely arched brows, soft= lightly filled natural brows with small arch (these words are just the tip of the iceberg...brows come in MANY different looks & shapes). I prefer a more highlighted, sexy & soft look to my brows. I have tried MANY different eyebrow tools to achieve the look I want. I'm going to share 2 of the TOP tools I find myself always going back to. Not to say there aren't more eyebrow products I love but as far as  brow pencils these 2 are the TOP 2...

M.A.C. BROW PENCIL in SPIKED

This brow pencil is the perfect dark brown for brows in the medium brown to black colored brow category (I wouldn't recommend ALL black to fill in brows but if you mix a little black with the darkest brown you'll get the dark color you may need WITHOUT the harshness against your skin.) This pencil is not to waxy and stays put all day long when applied. No sharpening necessary. Holding the pencil at an angle as you lightly apply brush strokes to mimic your own eyebrow hairs is all you need to do to refine a point on this pencil. The pencil comes with .003 oz/.09g of product. I know definitely not much but I interchange this pencil with others so that I don't use it all up too quickly.

MAYBELLINE DEFINE-A-BROW in DARK BROWN

This is the best DUPE (very similar) to the M.A.C. brow pencil in SPIKED. Literally all the same rules apply EXCEPT the tip tends to become a little rounded and no matter how much you use it on an angle it still stays rounded. So the "hairs" you create will look a little thicker and not as fine as the M.A.C. brow pencil BUT don't fret just be sure to make "less" hairs and use a lighter hand upon application. This pencil is a tad waxier and if you have oily/combo skin may fade if you use it alone. Be sure to set it with clear mascara or brow tamer (Check out the review I did on Black Radiance clear mascar & brow tamer HERE) AND a little setting or foundation powder. This pencil even comes with a brow comb but unless you have long brow hairs it won't be of much use. Use a spoolie or clean mascara wand to comb hairs flat before applying any brow product.

Here are the pencils compared side by side....

I love both these pencils and use them often. They both come in an array of colors so don't fret: from the blondest to black eyebrows hairs you all are covered! They do aid in making your brows look flawless but its MORE about application and technique than the product. I've included photos comparing swatches of the 2 pencils side by side in both daylight, indoor light and flash photography. Unless you did the swatches yourself I'd say that the distinction between the two pencils are unnoticeable. See for yourself...

NATURAL LIGHT: M.A.C. (left) Maybelline(right)

FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY: M.A.C. (left) Maybelline(right)

INDOOR LIGHT: M.A.C. (left) Maybelline(right)

So next time you get all dolled up and forget your brows remember that they MAKE your face! So don't ever leave home without showing them love too! :)

Until Next Time,

Later Blossoms

(First 4 photos provided by Google images...all other photos are my originals)

CELEBRITY INSPIRED MAKEUP MAKEOVER!

Hey Blossoms,

I'm back with another Sherry Blossom MUMO: MakeUp Makeover! This look was inspired by Kandi Burruss.

Kandi Burruss is a R&B singer, songwriter and record producer. She is best remembered for being a former member of Xscape. After Xscape disbanded, Burruss went on to help produce and write hits like TLC's "No Scrubs", and Destiny's Child "Bills,Bills,Bills" and "Bug A Boo" and even Pink's debut single "There You Go". Burruss was the first African-American woman to win ASCAP's Songwriter of the Year Award (2000). Most recently, she is best known for her debut in the second season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

A childhood friend of mine flipped through a hair magazine and decided she wanted to go with a makeup look that was worn by Kandi Burress.

In the photo Kandi made great use of purple, lavender and pink. I thought the look was fun and definitely doable so we began.

I did not get a chance to snap a before photo(sorry blossoms I will try harder to remember sometimes you just get caught up in the excitement of a makeover!)

So on my childhood friend, I used a stick foundation, filled in and shaped her brows(she didn't get a chance to get them shaped no worries I made the brows up to look as if she had just came from the eyebrow salon), I used MAC's stars and rockets eyeshadow(lavender color with a iridescent purple glow) on her entire eyelid and stopped just below her crease and blended the color out for a softer look.I also used MAC's star violet(purple color with lighter lavender flecks) along her lower lash line to complete the eyeshadow look and make the eyes POP with color even more, black mascara to upper and lower lashes to open up her eyes more by defining her lashes and lash line, blush and a berry and pink colored lipstick and clear lipgloss went on to finish the look! See the results! She looked gorgeous, Kandi Burruss inspired but still unique to her face and skin tone!

This look was definitely fun to recreate and my friend had fun as well. She's a wonderful girl! Always on the go, a young woman with a degree in Journalism, she is a managing editor and writer for www.africastyledaily.com. As usual, a happy client and my work is done(until next time!) Stay tuned for more Sherry Blossom MakeUp MakeOvers(MUMOs)!!!! Later Blossoms!