BEAUTY // The Benefit Brow Bar

Hello there!

Following my vow to take part in more exercise, take more time for myself and make healthier choices I decided that something had to be done about my brows. Sure, eyebrows don't exactly fit into the whole 'healthier lifestyle' thing I've got going on but, if you take into account I was moaning about my eyebrows between 1-5 times a day, you could say that getting them done is a bit of stress release and therefore contributing towards a healthier lifestyle. Okay, that's what I'm telling myself to warrant getting them done on a complete impulse.

Story aside, about a month ago I took the plunge and got my eyebrows done by one of the girls at my local Benefit counter. There are plenty of places which offer much cheaper services (I paid £12.95 for just a brow wax) but for someone whose dream was to have a brow arch, Benefit do put on a good show. Their website promises to make even the most untamed brows perfectly flawless and I cannot say no to good advertising.

So, here I am at my local Benefit counter browsing the sale items when I see someone getting their brows tinted. Right on the spot I make an appointment for later that afternoon. As they were, my brows were pretty dark and bushy so I just went for a wax. It turns out that shaping them has made them look much lighter so next time a tint is on the cards.

 After wandering around, wasting time before my appointment, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't freaking out. I've had my eyebrows done once before, yes - once, by my mother who went a little crazy with the tweezers. Since that god awful night (just before my prom), I have not even gotten rid of a stray hair on my forehead in an attempt to get brows as luscious as Cara D. Because of this, I had no idea what to expect and I now hate myself for not getting my brows done sooner. 

Now, time for an actual review.

I sat down and was asked what I wanted. All I said was 'an actual arch please' and that is what I was given. I perhaps should have said to keep my brows as big as possible, as they have shrunk considerably, but I have got to admit that they look 100,000 times better. I didn't receive the whole show of brow mapping which worried me a bit - how would she know where to wax?! - but I really shouldn't have had doubts. These girls do this many times a day and, considering they were really quite busy, I can't expect them to spent copious amounts of time on each customer. In the end, my brows actually had an even arch, were so much tidier and it has made my eyes look much bigger (which is something I am really conscious about. I have tiny eyes!)

I'm pretty sure I was in and out within about 20 minutes. I was given something to soothe the skin once they were finished, concealer to cover any red marks that may have been lurking and was even shown how to use Gimme Brow properly (I didn't buy it but now have and I am loving it! It's just so easy to use!)

So, you want to see if it made a difference. See my brows before....

And after.....

For those of you thinking about getting your brows waxed and are wondering how painful it is, I'll give my opinion. It's manageable and completely worth it. My eyes did water a little bit and it took a few seconds before I could open my eyes because OUCH but once I put my make-up on the next morning I was honestly like 'WOAH, why didn't I do this sooner? I'm such an idiot'.

As an update, it has now been 4 weeks and now the stray hairs are coming out to play. I'm still deciding whether to get rid of them myself or just wait another month or so to get them waxed again. What would you do? I'm a complete brow novice!

So, to cut a long story short, I'm loving having had my brows done. I'm really glad I went to Benefit as, whilst it was a little pricey, I'm seriously happy with the results. Sure, I could have gone anywhere but the staff were lovely, they knew exactly what I wanted and delivered. You cannot go wrong with that can you?

Have you ever had your brows done by Benefit? What did you think? Have you got any tips on how to maintain my new brows? Let me know!

P.S. If you pop into Starbucks, don't forget to pick up one of the pink coasters for a free makeover! Benefit at Debenhams counters also have coffee sleeves as a 2 for 1 coffee offer. What a way to spend  an afternoon this Feb!