Forever 21 Retractable Eyebrow Pencil | Review & Swatch

Let me just start off by saying wow, this Forever 21 eyebrow pencil has definitely been the best bang for my buck. I've tried countless eyebrow products within the last few years and never would have thought I'd be repurchasing a $2.80 eyebrow pencil from a fashion retailer. 

But you know what? Not only have a repurchased this eyebrow pencil, I have purchased 5 backups of this stuff! Those of you who frequently shop at F21 know that their stock is ever changing and most items do not get restocked or sold on a long-term basis; so I figured why not buy a bunch of backups since these pencils are so affordable. 

It's always been a challenge finding the right natural shade to match my black Asian eyebrow hair. I have found that the majority of eyebrow products on the market in the US have too much of a red undertone for black Asian hair. 

I recently caved and spent a hefty $21 for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in 'granite' (see my review/photos here). While I love the formulation, color match, and the ultra thin retractable pencil, it is quite pricey and I go through the product so quickly. That's why I use my F21 retractable eyebrow pencil on a daily basis and save my Anastasia Brow Wiz to use on other occasions when I wear more makeup.

PROs:

• SO affordable! $2.80 for one pencil!
• easy to apply
• easy to remove
• "grey" shade is a very natural match for my black asian hair
• has a spoolie brush on the other side
• quick & easy to blend out
• lasts all day 
• product doesn't run out quickly
• I'm still on my first pencil and I've been using it at least 4 times per week for a consecutive 3 months

?CONs:?

• only 3 colors available (grey, brown, dark brown)
• pencil is not ultra thin 
• tip becomes dull after the first use 
• I've gotten used to this and it's not an issue for me as I use a spoolie to blend/soften the lines
• the spoolie. 
• I noticed the spoolie brush on this pencil has more of a tendency to pull out my eyebrow hairs than my Anastasia Brow Wiz pencil. I used to think all spoolies were created equal; unfortunately this is not the case. 

More Photos:

Notice the various bald spots throughout my brows : (  Yikes.

This is due to over-plucking during my younger years.

My "after" brows may seem a tad harsh in the above pic, but it's probably because
my eyes are bare and I didn't apply any eyeshadow or liquid eyeliner yet.

 Dual-ended and retractable

 Packaging

 The shade "GREY" is a perfect match for jet black Asian hair

 I love that it's retractable :) I hate sharpening makeup pencils!

 The tip is sharp before use, BUT after just one use... 

it becomes dull (see photo below)

This is how dull the tip becomes after just one use.

I've gotten used to it, and it still works very well with a dull tip.

 Close-up of the spoolie brush
 

This Forever21 brow pencil is and has been my daily eyebrow pencil because of the great color match for my black hair, the easy of use, and it is extremely affordable.  You really can't beat this price! 

To see more brow products I've tried out to match black Asian hair, check out my other blog post here!

i thoroughly enjoy a good laugh...like one that has you smiling from ear to ear, maybe some tears and a good cackle...if you'd like a pick me up this afternoon, here and here you go :)