This 2-in-1 Brow Pen Will Cut Your Routine in Half

There are a few words that I would use to describe my style of makeup. The one that rings true the most? Convenient. As much as I'd love to be the person who wears a full beat every single day, I simply do not want to lose any more hours of sleep, so I've made it a point to perfect my no-makeup makeup routine. Still, as a beauty editor, it's my job to test new products for a living and thankfully, this allows me to constantly tweak my beauty regimen as I discover the latest launches that the industry has to offer. So, while I've been pretty content with my brow routine lately, when I saw that Maybelline came out with the Build-A-Brow 2-In-1 Brow Pen and Sealing Gel ($15), I needed to get my hands on it.

Build-A-Brow 2-In-1 Brow Pen and Sealing Gel

From

$15

$15 at Ulta

The product comes with a pen and gel in one, making it easy to fill in and set your brows without reaching for two different products. Reviews of the pen are varied, with some people saying that it is the best product they've ever used and others saying that it needs more work. Before you head to your nearest Ulta, read my review of the new pen ahead.

I really enjoy the gel side of this pen. It's clear, not too overpowering, and doesn't leave my brows with that super crunchy feeling. I also really like that the brand offers the pen in extra-dark shades for the color range. Too often, many drugstore brands just create one brown and black shade for dark hair and it doesn't always cut it. This line offers a deep brown and a brown-black option, which I love.

The pen itself is really easy to navigate. It has a semi-flexible fine point, which makes it really easy to use for beginners and more experienced users alike. It's also extremely pigmented, which makes it a breeze to create really fine, hair-like strokes without having to go over the same area multiple times.

The brand recommends using the brow pen to fill in sparse areas first, then setting it with the gel. However, I have somewhat unruly eyebrows, especially as I try to grow them out to fix their shape. If you have the same problem (or just have curly brow hairs), I recommend doing the opposite. First, brush your eyebrow hairs into place using the gel, then go in with the pen to fill in any gaps. This allows the fine tip of the pen to not skip around as much because the brow hairs are already lying in the direction that you want them to. This helps the pen to glide smoothly between each hair and look more uniform.

While I enjoy the color range of this line, I think there could be one more addition, particularly for people with red hair. I'd love to see more affordable lines championing this hair color when it comes to the brow space.

You can buy the Maybelline Build-A-Brow 2-In-1 Brow Pen and Sealing Gel at Ulta.com, Amazon.com, Walmart.com, and Walgreens.com.

Rating: ★★★★