Ask any makeup artist or brow expert for their favourite eyebrow product, and there's a good chance they'll mention a 'brow pomade'.
Me? I've always found brow pomades to be... intimidating.
Maybe it's because I've been burned in the past by thick, concrete-y formulas that shrivel up and flake everywhere.
But honestly, the thought of a brow pomade gives me flashbacks to that one time in 2002 when I accidentally tinted my strawberry blonde eyebrows black.
The night before school photo day. Yeah.
Then, I tried the brand new brow pomade from Benefit, the makeup brand known for making some of the best-selling eyebrow products in the world.
It's called Benefit POWmade, and just like that, it changed my mind about brow pomades.
Never heard of a brow pomade before, or wondering if you need another eyebrow product?
Keep scrolling for all the details on this very exciting makeup launch, plus my honest road-test and review.
Benefit Powmade Brow Pomade is a creamy, pigmented brow pomade that's legitimately easy to use.
Here are this brow product's main selling points:
Benefit POWmade is a highly-pigmented, long-lasting brow pomade.
Creamy, non-drying formula lasts up to 36 hours.
Water-resistant and smudge-proof.
Pot comes with a built-in brush wiper that removes excess product.
Available in 8 shades.
This multi-use product can be used to fill in sparse brows, define unruly brows and sculpt brows for a sleek look.
When I saw professional makeup artist Kaydee Kyle-Taylor (@ithinksheafreak) using the new brow pomade on Instagram, I immediately slid into her inbox for help.
"This pomade allows you to have either a soft brow or a defined brow. Other pomades I've used in the past are thick or dry out quickly, but this one glides on super well," she said.
"I find it works well when applied using an angled brow or eyeliner brush, as well as a spoolie (naked mascara wand) to run through your eyebrows to help spread the product out evenly."
Another pro tip? Start off with less product on your brush than you think you'll need.
You can easily build up more as you go, but it's harder to dial it back if you accidentally go in with too much.
To see how I applied the Benefit brow pomade, plus a recap of which Benefit brow product is right for you, watch this YouTube video below.
You can also use your brow pomade alongside other brow products depending on the finish you're after.
Benefit Powmade Brow Pomade holds brows well on its own, but if you find your eyebrow hairs always fall down on you, add Benefit 24 Hour Brow Setter Clear Brow Gel over the top for extra hold.
Another option is to run Benefit Gimme Brow + Fibre Gel through afterwards. The microfibres add more body and depth to sparse brows.
OK, so what did this brow gel fiend really think of Benefit's new brow pomade?
Above is a close up before and after photo of my brow styled using the pomade and the Benefit Pomade Brush to apply and brush through.
Bad lighting aside, how good do my brows look?!
Here are some more of my first impressions after using this product:
Yep, the texture is ridiculously creamy and silky. (Before I shoved my brush into the pot, it reminded me of chocolate icing.)
The built-in brush wiper inside the pot is a small but genius detail, because usually I wipe off excess product on the inside of the lid... which gets pretty manky, pretty quick.
It's really easy to apply because the texture is so malleable, and it doesn't dry out in .89 seconds.
It doesn't set as fast as some brow pomades I've tried (and not liked) before, so you've got a bit of time to get your brows looking exactly how you like them.
But once it does set, this pomade WILL. NOT. BUDGE.
I applied the pomade at 8am to film the YouTube video above, and my brows still looked incredible several hours later on Zoom calls, see?
So, is Benefit POWmade my new everyday go-to brow product?
No, but only because I prefer getting my eyebrows shaped and tinted every 6-8 weeks so I don't have to do anything with them in the morning.
That said, I think I *finally* get the hype around brow pomades.
And now I've got the hang of how to apply it, this one gives me near-perfect brows in less than 60 seconds. Give or take.
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