Brand: MAC Cosmetics
MAC Cosmetics Veluxe Brow Liner - Brunette: rated 4 out of 5 on MakeupAlley. See 7 member reviews and photos. MAC 'Veluxe' Brow Liner - Velvetstone Description. Veluxe Brow Liner is the artist's pencil of perfection. Its highly pigmented formula gives immediate precise application while its rich powdery texture gives a matte and velvety payoff. It features a high degree of temperature stability making it ideal for warmer climates. Mac MAC Veluxe Brow Liner, Deep Brunette. Average Rating: (0.0) stars out of 5 stars Write a review. MAC Brunette Veluxe Brow Liner MAC Brunette is a moderately warm-toned, medium brown with a matte finish. It is a permanent brow that retails for $19.50 and contains 0.042 oz.
Product: Veluxe Brow Liner – Deep Dark Brunette
Price: £16
Size: 1.19g
Mac Veluxe Brow Liner Deep Brunette
Overall Rating: 10/10
Everyone hold your breath – this product has a bad name but I’m about to absolutely rave about it…
If you search for this product online at MAC and read some of the reviews, you will see the same thing come up again and again:
‘It doesn’t sharpen.’
I read so many reviews saying the same thing that I almost ended up not even trying it in-store. What I did do instead, however, was read about much better-reviewed eyebrow products from MAC, only to find them totally underwhelming when I tried them in-store. The moral of the story – don’t rely on reviews only.
To put a long story short, this is one of the absolute best makeup items I’ve ever used, and I wish beyond belief that it wasn’t criticised as much as it is. The point of this product is to give a lovely and soft, blurred definition to your eyebrows in a way that is defining, without being too noticeable or too precise.
If you like your eyebrow definition to be super-precise, then by all means, this wouldn’t work. If you like a slightly softer definition, and your brows to look ever so slightly unruly, however, this is a real contender.
The pencil, despite being a pencil, doesn’t give your eyebrows the typical ‘pencil lines’. Instead, it applies more like a soft powder, which I find perfect for filling in gaps and corners, whilst avoiding the dreaded drawn-on look.
The texture is also extremely easy to use, considering that many eyebrow pencils are notorious for being hard and scratchy (and likely to pull out your eyebrow hairs).
It also works extremely well with other products. My favourite combination currently is quite basic – the MAC Veluxe Brow Liner in Deep Dark Brunette to start with, followed by the Benefit Ready, Set, Brow! Clear Brow Gel to set it afterwards.
I’m also a huge fan of the packaging. There is a lid for either side (one for the pencil, one for the spoolie) which keeps the product clean and hygienic for use around the eye area. It is also neat and concise, and easy to keep stored in a makeup bag. I’ve never been a fan of eyebrow products that have an exposed spoolie or brush that collects dust and bacteria when you aren’t using it, so I’m doubly glad of the lid here.
In these pictures I’ve used the MAC Veluxe Brow Liner first, followed by a coat of the Benefit Ready, Set, Brow! Clear Brow Gel. As you can guess from the pictures, I haven’t plucked my eyebrows in about six months, as I’m trying to get more of their natural shape back – however, both this pencil and the Benefit gel work well to give shape to unplucked eyebrows.
And, just to clarify – the sharpening issue is true to an extent; it doesn’t sharpen to a precise point. But it also doesn’t crumble into ash either. What you get is a bluntish end, suitable for shading rather than drawing (which, in my mind, is the purpose of this pencil in the first place). The picture above is my pencil having been freshly sharpened.
Step 1: Bare eyebrows, brushed into place with the spoolie.
Step 2: Shaded eyebrows with the flat of the pencil for the body, the tip of the pencil for the underline.
Step 3: Finish with a single coat of Benefit’s Ready, Set, Brow! Clear Brow Gel to lock hairs into place.
To summarise – I absolutely love this pencil and its beautifully soft, powder-like application. I have always been a little wary of eyebrow pencils for their hardness, but this is the perfect texture for gentle application, whilst being long-lasting, and a great combination with the Benefit brow gel. I can only say, ignore the bad reviews and try it!
What do you think? Scroll down for a list of pros and cons!
Pros
Wide range of shades
Lovely soft texture
Easy to apply (doesn’t tear out eyebrow hairs)
Easy to remove
Doesn’t smudge
Works well on its own
Works well with other eyebrow products
Tidy packaging (has a lid for both ends)
Contains spoolie
Cons
Mac Veluxe Brow Pencil Brunette
Doesn’t sharpen to a point