PRODUCT REVIEW: Eye of Horus Eyebrow pencil

Eyebrows are fabulous for defining the face and adding character, but once you've lost some or all of the hairs, they can be a right pain to perfect and getting the right make-up is a challenge!

A few weeks ago, I got my hands on three eyebrow pencils from Eye of Horus, a gorgeous make-up brand with a really cool image. According to its blurb, the Australian brand pencil adds shape, colour and definition to sad looking brows, and is also enriched with Castor Oil which is known for its hair-growing properties. An added bonus is that the products aren't tested on animals and are paraben-free, as well as being rich in natural essential oils. The packaging is great too! (Photo by Kayleigh - thanks chick!)

Now, it would be really unfair to put these hair growing properties up against alopecia (we know which one will win), but we still thought it would be a good idea to put the pencil to the test... People who don't have alopecia, but have thin brows, gaps or slow-growing hairs, may well find this particular property useful, but will have to try it for themselves!

With three individual pencils clutched in my paws, I kept one in 'Dynasty' colour, sent a 'Dynasty' to Kayleigh and 'Husk' to Jenny; the only colour not tested was 'Nile' which was simply too dark for any of us...

The general consensus for this product? A positive one...

My feedback:
Bearing in mind I never used an eyebrow pencil or powder before I lost my hair, learning how to freehand eyebrows was a serious challenge. I did initially have semi-permanent make-up, but cost, time and laziness meant I've let these fade out. Anyway, two of the biggest challenges I faced during this learning was 1.) Finding a product that was easy to use, and 2.) Finding one to last as long as I did, which didn't inadvertently fade, leaving me with no, or worse one eyebrow left on my face!

For me, this eyebrow pencil was a revelation! I cannot stress how handy I found it, and the single biggest reason is the teeny-tiny nib. About half (or maybe even a third) of the thickness of any of my other eyebrow pencils, this wind-up end offers incredibly precise application, enabling you (and even me) to deliver individual 'hair' strokes, creating a very natural and realistic eyebrow look. In fact, even my mum commented at the 'hair growth' on my face, assuming I'd put pencil through some natural regrowth! Sorry mum!

The pencil itself is lovely - not too soft that it goes on thick and dark and not too hard that it hurts to apply; a winner. The colour (Dynasty) is perfect for my brunette colouring and is a fab match to my chosen wig colours. The other bonus - I actually have to remove it with a make-up wipe at the end of the day, because it stays put with zero re-application! That said though, it's not a case of scrub it off either as they come off easily with make-up remover.

I adore this product and the only downside as far as I'm concerned is the price - they're £15 each and I've never spent more than £5 on an eyebrow pencil - then again, that might be the reason they always slide off!

See my scores below...

With the Eye of Horus pencil

With powder - thicker and less precise

Before going to work

After work the same day - long-lasting

Before a day at Alton Towers

After a full day at Alton Towers - sorry for the grumpy face! #Tired!

Jenny's feedback:
Jenny is a lighter hair colour so she opted for the 'Husk' colouring which is advertised for blonde or greying tones. Commenting on the colour, she said it was "just right and went on smoothly". What's more, she comments "The coverage was good and looked natural over my semi permanent make up. It stayed really well and lasted all day."

For Jenny however it wasn't all good and she comments "The only down side was it doesn't seem strong enough. The actual pencil part is very thin and I find you have to be very gentle with it, otherwise it snaps off. Also it sort of slides out and that could also cause premature breakage."

She her scores below...


Kayleigh's feedback:
Like me, Kayleigh opted for the Dynasty to suit her brunette colouring. She is a huge advocate for the product and gives an even more glowing reference than I do! She says...

"The Eye of Horus Ultimate Brow Define - Dynasty pencil may be my favourite make up product! Now coming from a make up novice, this will not mean much but I hold this gorgeous pencil in very high regard!

From first impressions Eye of Horus seem to be a very glam brand. Their packaging is extremely stylish and, if it's possible for a bag and tissue paper, sexy!

The pencil itself is sleek and lightweight, making it easy to handle. It has possibly the smallest nib I've seen on an eyebrow pencil which means you can be as precise as you need with your brows! Now, I'm lucky enough to still have my eyebrows but I do like to pencil them in to give a more defined look. The texture of the pencil also means that it's virtually impossible to go overboard while doing this and end up with huge dark slugs on your forehead. Winner! The product does claim to contain a component (Castor Oil) that encourages hair growth on the area used, but I haven't noticed any difference; although I have only been using this product for a week or so and it may be you need continued usage over a prolonged period of time for this to take effect.

Another bonus with the Ultimate Brow Define pencil is that it comes with its own brow comb meaning you can switch between drawing and shaping your brows with so much ease it's no effort at all. I found that once my brows were done in the morning, they stayed looking great all day - even during work outs! - and washed off easily at the end of the day.

The Eye of Horus Ultimate Brow Define pencil is a fantastic product to have in your kit and I will definitely be investing in the future!"

Kayleigh's Brows - Before and After...

See her scores below...

Overall scores:
As part of the review process (and to stop us gushing too much), we also agreed to give scores out of ten for different aspects.

Branding / Packaging:
Victoria: 9 /10
Jen: 8/10
Kayleigh: 10/10

Colour:
Victoria (Dynasty): 10 /10
Jen (Husk): 9/10
Kayleigh (Dynasty): 10/10

Usability:
Victoria: 10 /10
Jen: 6/10
Kayleigh: 10/10

Durability (Staying Power):
Victoria: 10 /10
Jen: 7/10
Kayleigh: 10/10

Price (£15):
Victoria: 7 /10
Jen: 7/10
Kayleigh: 8/10

Overall scores:
Branding / Packaging: 27/30
Colour: 29/30
Usability: 26/30
Durability: 27/30
Price: 22/30

Grand Total: 131 out of 150 or 87%

Video blog:
I haven't had a minute to record one yet, but I absolutely promise that I will! As soon as I have, I'll share a link on Twitter / Facebook so you can take a look!

So there you have it! The Eye of Horus Brow Define Pencil Review - an overall winner and one we'd like to stock through Pretty Bald in the near future! In the meantime, you can buy the product online through Beauty Bay.

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

#100HairFreeDays Third Part Round-Up

Just in case you haven't seen it already, I've set myself the #100HairFreeDays challenge to come up with 100 positive things about losing your hair. Don't get me wrong, this challenge isn't designed to make you embrace your hairloss, but it is designed to highlight the silver linings so it doesn't seem quite so bleak! Challenge yourself to find the positives and see if it helps make things more bearable!

As promised in the first blog, here's a summary from the third week of posts on Twitter! The reasons are getting less obvious now, but I'm determined to do it!

#100HairFreeDays:

• means I never have a 'bad hair day' - at least not in my opinion! I just change wigs instead!
• gave me the opportunity to take part in a magazine photoshoot for Cosmpolitan Magazine which you can read here http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/body/news/a33154/my-amazing-body-alopecia/ and also my personal experience of it here
• stops me having to pluck stray eyebrow hairs that just won't stop growing
• gives me an opportunity to make a difference, at the same time doing something I am totally passionate about
• hairloss has connected me to people in every corner of the globe, from Jamaica to Australia, Brazil to Sweden
• helped me find the man of my dreams (aaaaahhhhh), someone who loves me for me, not for what I look like!
• allows me to join a great bunch of people at Alton Towers this year, all thanks to Alopecia UK

These posts mean I'm officially one fifth of the way there with #100HairFreeDays! Let's hope I can think of another 79 days! Don't forget, if you want to help me out with a suggestion or two, you can Tweet me or email me with a suggestion...

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

An eyebrow-raising story! Beauty blunder leaves girl with four eyebrows - how to avoid the same problem

A story doing the rounds in the newspapers this week features the real life story of Delsha Campbell, a girl left with four eyebrows after making the wrong choice when it came to her cosmetic tattooing!

In a bid to make her eyebrows neater and more defined, filling in gaps in her natural brow, Delsha decided to use an online voucher for cosmetic tattooing, having the treatment at a bargain £100 instead of £350. She left her natural eyebrows in place as a guide, and visited the therapist appointed to carry out the work; the therapist outlined the brows, carried out the aesthetic treatment and then waxed off the original brow leaving what should have been a gorgeously shaped brow that's perfectly defined.

At this point, Delsha looked in the mirror and knew something was wrong as she spotted the shadows of her natural brows beneath the tattooed ones. The therapist reassured her that the distortion was a result of the swelling from the treatment and that they would go down. Regrowth of the natural brow three days later showed how wrong this was, as Delsha was left with four eyebrows in place of two, and wobbly, sub-par tattooed eyebrows. The traumatic experience left her in need of counselling and two years on, the eyebrows have yet to fade, despite £400 spent trying to lessen their appearance.

Delsha's 'clown' brows:



Now, despite horror stories like these, cosmetic tattooing or semi-permanent make-up is actually a viable, realistic choice for women, particularly those suffering with hairloss. It's something I personally opted for (as have many people I know) and although I haven't got round to having them redone, it isn't something I've ever regretted - thank god!

Eyebrows have two key functions; first, to keep dust and dirt away from the eyes and second aesthetically they add definition to the face. Whilst cosmetic tattooing cannot help with the former, with the latter its great for those who have little or no eyebrows and want facial definition. What's more, they can look really natural when done by an expert!

So how do you know if you're picking the right expert?

• Do your research - start by researching experts in the field and look for recommendations from others. Good reputations have to come from somewhere and the same with bad reviews. Obviously this won't be definitive, but if you opt to look for an expert, rather than the cheapest price or the best voucher, you're more likely to end up in safe hands. 
• Start with the training - semi-permanent make-up is complicated but safe when carried out by an expert; to become an expert however the therapist needs proper training. Unfortunately, there isn't a definitive list of training courses that people can take (the Government is working on changing this at the moment), so you need to use a little bit of initiative here; ask questions about who they trained with, how long the course was, whether they had to submit case studies, were supervised during training etc. Someone who has done good quality training will be confident talking about their qualifications, will be able to answer your questions and what's more, you'll be able to check out the academy they've trained with. You can also then ask how often they revisit their training to make sure they're keeping up with the latest information and guidelines. Therapists whose training isn't up to standard will most likely struggle to answer your questions, may start to act uncomfortably and won't necessarily check out.
• Ask for testimonials and before & after images - people who've had a good experience will be happy to talk about it, so look around for testimonials, online reviews, ratings etc. and also ask the therapists for their before and after images. If possible, also ask for 'after' shots that are taken after six and 12 months to see how they look and last; not all therapists will have these, but if they do, you have extra reassurance! 
• Consider the price - again, this will require you to make your own judgement, but price should be a factor in your decision! Rather than opt for the cheapest, go for the best value - it's about those that will look after you and understandably, some of the more expensive ones will be better! Now this isn't an exact science, but the price they are charging should be fair and prices should be consistent in the area. If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is! Cosmetic Tattooing isn't cheap for a very good reason!
• Ask about insurance - this isn't just something you should ask when it comes to cosmetic tattooing; you should ask about it for any beauty treatment even waxing. Whilst the insurance itself doesn't stop the treatment going wrong a) a professional won't be without it - it's a good sign and b) it will cover you in case of any repair work required.

Once you're happy with all of the above, you should also feel personally comfortable with the treatment and the therapists; there should always be a consultation BEFORE you go ahead and you should be given time to think about it (a few days) before the actual treatment happens. 

What can you expect?

Personally here I can only comment on semi-permanent eyebrows because they're the only thing I've had done; eyeliner, lip liner and other areas of the body may be a bit different!

Once you've chosen your artist, you'll be given two appointments (for eyebrows), usually two weeks apart. You'll have a consultation and 'before' pictures taken. You'll chat through the options and what you are specifically hoping to achieve; I opted for a 'feathered' look where individual strokes are used to create the appearance of individual hairs, rather than a block colour approach for really defined brows. You'll also discuss size and shape at this point. (For a guide, don't forget to read up on how to measure your brows).

Numbing cream will be applied in advance to help lessen the pain in the area and then the tattooing will be carried out, with cosmetic-specific pigments. The second treatment will be used to fill-in any gaps, darken the pigment and make any small changes. Personally, as a result of my alopecia and the effect it has on my skin, it actually took a third application in a few spaces, but that's a personal experience!

I hope this helps. If you do have any questions you want us to get answered, please email or tweet us and we'll be happy to answer them or get a reputed expert to help with any technical bits. If you've had semi-permanent make-up done, please send us your pics and we'll share them and add them to the blog!

Victoria x 

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald

Measuring your #eyebrows; sleek chic not clown frown...!

Now, eyebrows are a devilish fiend and it can be really difficult to create them! There are plenty of shapes you can create and plenty of products to use, but first things first, you need to work out where they should go and how big they should be. There's a really simple three step trick which can show you where they need to be on your face. You can choose style, thickness and colour as you like, then apply them as follows:

Step 1:

Take an eyebrow pencil or something with a straight edge and place it at the side of your nose, vertically up your face, past the inside of your eye like this:

This gives you the start of the eyebrow. Mark it with a little dot where your natural brow line would be. You need to position the dot either at the top, middle or bottom of where you want the brow, then remember where you put it.

Step 2:

Take the eyebrow pencil again and line it up with the corner of your nose (edge of the nostril) and the outside corner of your eye like this:

This gives you a mark for the end of the eyebrow. Again, mark it with a little dot as a reference - put it in line with the dot on the left; i.e. if you marked the bottom of your brow last time, do the same this time.

Step 3:

Measure the arch and find it's highest point. To do this, take the pencil again and hold it vertically to your face. Look straight ahead and line it up with your pupil, straight through the centre of the iris. Place a third dot slightly higher than the others so that you have the arch. Like this:

The third marker simply provides a reference point for where the highest part of the arch should be; where it should rise to and fall from. As before, position it in the same way as the other dots - if you picked the bottom of the brow, make this the bottom of the arch and so on. How high you make it will be personal preference and you can try a few different points to see what works best. 

Finally, using the three dots join them up in your chosen style, colour and shape. I promise we'll do another post with some fab products and styles when we get a chance! Using the above method however is the perfect guide to the positioning and size so that you can concentrate on the style and application! 

In this photo, I have exaggerated the eyebrow - I don't normally wear them this harsh or dark but I wanted you to be able to see it in the photos! Also not wearing any make-up which is scary ;-)

A very good friend of mine taught me this and she's a make-up artist! I use it all the time, particularly now my eyebrow tattoos are fading! 

Hope it helps!

Victoria x

www.prettybald.co.uk Twitter: @PrettyBald