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DUPE? Benefit Gimme Brow Vs. Essence Make Me Brow

This is one of those posts I have sworn up and down that I've already done. I was looking it up for a commenter via email a couple of months ago, and couldn't find it. I realized I took the pics LAST YEAR and never uploaded them. Luckily, Benefit recently revamped their brow line a couple of months ago, so I was able to compare the new vs the old Gimme Brow and see if Essence Make Me Brow is a dupe for it.

What is a brow gel?

• Also called a brow mascara
• Used to set brows
• Great for tinting brows (lighter brow hair or for greys)
• Sets powder or pencil
• For full/natural brows
• For no-fuss brows (me!)

First, the old Gimme Brow packaging next to Essence.

And now the new! Much cuter, right?

To test these, I tried 2 shades of each and wore them in different climates/situations. I used it on brows set with powder, with pencil, and just using the gel mascara. I compared brand new tubes and used ones. I compared the new Benefit packaging and the old to see if there was a difference.

Let's get into info on each:

Essence Make Me Brow
$2.99
ULTA, Target, online
.01 oz
3 shades (med-deep is pictured)

Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel
$24
.013oz
ULTA, Sephora, online
3 shades (deep is pictured)

 Wand size
-Wand-wise these are not a dupe
-Benefit is smaller, which I like. My fave brow brush of any brand.
-Essence is slightly larger, but still a nice size. Not too big.

Swatches:
-Shade-wise, these are not a dupe.
-Benefit is on your left, Essence on your right
-Both are very pigmented and don't melt away easily.
-The both hold well, aren't too crunchy, or hard to work with.
-Both remove easily and last through hot and humid temps.

Surprise! For the past couple of months, I've been wearing Essence on your left and Benefit on your right in every pic I've posted, including this one. Can you tell a difference?

To me, Benefit looks a little more natural, and not as thick as Essence. But to everyone else I've asked, they can never tell a difference, so I'm calling this one pretty much a dupe.

To see a demo and more, I made a REALLY quick video (3 minutes) below--watch and let me know what you think!

https://youtu.be/1_t_J0tXp5I

Do you think it's a dupe?

What would you like to see duped next?

Extra Elle:

I was featured on the Apartment Therapy website yesterday! I'm a huge fan of their site, so it made my day!!
Happy National Lipstick Day! and Have a great weekend!

Best Eyeliners: Pencil, Gel, Liquid, Felt Tip

Hannah sent me an email asking about the best eyeliners almost a year ago! After lots of testing and research, I've got some of the best eyeliners that last. I tried to be as versatile as possible, giving options of every price, need and type! I left out cake liners, since they aren't as common right now, but let me know if you need suggestions. Everything is linked below.

Best Pencil Eyeliners:

• Laura Gellar I-CARE WATERPROOF EYELINER--Great for sensitive eyes, comes in 19 colors, and nice on the waterline--sharpener in the cap
• Maybelline Unstoppable Mechanical Eyeliner--Great for small eyes
• Tarte Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner--My newest fave since it features a pencil on one end and liquid liner on the other. Dries matte!
• Urban Decay 24/7--A classic that comes in MANY colors and lasts for hours
• Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Liner--I love the smudger on the end. 

Best Gel Liners

• Loreal Infallible Laquer Liner--Very easy to use
• Stila Smudge Pots--Can be used as shadow or primer (there are plenty of colors other than black) or as a liner
• Bobbi Brown Long Wear Gel Liner--Comes in a few shades and is an award-winner
• YSL Long Wear Cream Liner--This stuff lasts on the oiliest of skin
• Tarte Clay Pot Waterproof Liner--Comes in matte finish or shimmer finish

Tip: Store pots upside down to help prevent drying out.

Best Felt Tip Marker Liners

• Sephora Fine Line--Picked this up on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. Very easy to use to get a cat eye
• Eyeko Black Magic Liquid Liner--Inspired by calligraphy in Japan, this liner lasts for years before replacing
• Jessie's Girl Liquid Liner--Found at Rite Aid (and online, I linked it and all liners) this is my pretty close version of the Eyeko liner, but at a cheaper price
• Stila Stay All Day--This comes in several colors and is usually at THE top of the list as being the best. It is my 2nd fave.
• Urban Decay Perversion--Love the fine tip on this!
• Kat Von D Tattoo--My fave!

Tip: Shake before using

Best Liquid Liners:

• Lancome Artliner--Liquid liners can be tricky or intimidating, but this one is easy to use!
• Maybelline Ultra Liner--A classic, waterproof formula that never lets me down
• Paula Dorf Transfomer--This is my makeup artist secret. Take any shadow and turn it into a long-lasting liquid liner with this! Sure, you can do that with nearly any clear liquid, but this is smudge-proof. Works well on brides too, especially with false lashes.
• Lip Ink Liquid Liner--Polyvore wouldn't clip the image when I was making the collage, so no pic here--click the link to see. This is made in USA with natural, vegan, organic, & kosher botanical ingredients. 100% smear-proof, money guaranteed!

Of course, it is impossible to please everyone, 

which is why I welcome your favorites in the comments!

Extra Elle:

I usually do my eyebrows myself, but I prefer them threaded. I finally found a place I like in Atlanta!

Thanks for your comments yesterday on my post!

Beauty Find of the Week: ELF Gotta Glow Lip Tint

Time for another Beauty Find of the Week--an affordable beauty item that I love...and I hope you will too. This was actually supposed to be on my post last week on Color-Changing Lipsticks (if you missed it--it's right here), but I couldn't find it. I searched right up til it was time to post. Of course I found it the next day. 

It's just too good not to share. What is it? It's the ELF Gotta Glow Lip Tint in Perfect Pink.

And it is practically perfect--for when I need a natural look. Add a tinted moisturizer/bb cream/ serum foundation, mascara, and this. Done. And it's only $6.

ELF Gotta Glow Lip Tint in Perfect Pink:

• $6
• Online, but look for this where ELF is sold
• Comes in 3 shades, pictured is Perfect Pink
• Reacts with the chemistry of your lips to deliver a personalized, perfect shade of pink, berry. or peach
• Sheer flush of color that enhances the natural beauty of your lips
• The gel-based formula glides on smoothly 
• Infused with Shea Butter to moisturize and nourish

Just a pretty and natural-looking pink. Pics of me were chosen by a 6 year old for this post. She's very opinionated. ;)

And while we're speaking of pics, I have something that's been on my mind. I've gotten some comments here, on Insta, and on my Youtube about my mouth--that my lipstick or lip liner looks crooked/awful/weird/wrong/bad. I assure you, I apply product correctly. 

But I've been having issues with my TMJ--something I've discussed before. I have to really make a weird face to get the right side of my mouth to move into position because it hurts and is kinda stiff. It's hard to explain. It makes me talk out of one side of my mouth. I've tried to avoid pics lately to avoid the comments, to be honest. But it's very hard being a beauty blogger and not wearing product for blog posts, so for the time being, keep that in mind. Thanks, y'all. Your support means so much more than you'll ever know. xo

You Need to Try: Serum Foundations

You've got your foundations, your BB creams (et al), your tinted moisturizers...but what about Serum Foundations?

Here's why you need one:

• lightweight (hello, summer temps)
• concentrated, but gives coverage like a foundation
• made for dry and oily skin types (just find the right one)
• added bonus of skincare ingredients/benefits
• "no makeup-makeup" or "airbrushed" are common in serum foundations
• some have SPF
• pricey, but you only need a drop or two

You know those concentrated detergents, where you only need a little? This is kind of like that--you only need a couple of drops to get lightweight coverage.

To apply:

• Shake it well
• Use a drop or two (depends on coverage level you want)
• Can be applied using a brush, fingers, or sponge

Sounds good, right? Here are a few to check out:

For combo/oily skin:

• Juice Beauty PHYTO-PIGMENTS Flawless Serum Foundation--combo skin and for sensitive skin
• Bare Minerals Bare Skin--Def for slightly dry to combo skin--I swear I am the only person who likes this stuff!
• Kevyn Aucoin--oil-free but yet luminous coverage
• Dior Nude Air--Talc-free

Dry Skin:

• No 7 Airbrush Away--Get this at Target or Walgreens.
• Josie Maran Matchmaker Serum Foundation--Made with argan oil and works to match your foundation
• Perricone MD No Foundation Foundation Serum--Easy to build up coverage
• ELF Foundation Serum--Love how this looks on me, but it does break me out if I wear it every day. But only $8
• Bobbi Brown Intensive Serum Foundation--SPF 40 and helps to give look of tightened skin

Serum foundations are also made specifically for bronzing the face or as a luminizer--try this review for those

Have you ever tried serum foundations?

Extra Elle:

Some good news after the not-so-great stuff lately: Over the weekend my Pinterest reached 10k followers and my Bloglovin reached 3k! Thank you if you've followed!

Found a tiny secret park that's dog-friendly in my neighborhood. Charlie and I are making plans to investigate further.

Mascara Wand Types: Elle's Beauty School

So this post came about after a crazy experience last week: a lady in Target asked me my advice on mascaras. She shot down every mascara--she'd tried them all...even one I had made up on the spot. So bad, I know! They were all basically the same to her, she said. Long story short (the long story is on my FB), I left in a frustrated huff, but with a sign to finally finish this post. It had been sitting in the drafts folder for years. Think all mascaras are the same? Think again. Let's open up Elle's Beauty School and learn a little about mascara wand types:

I decided to keep this really simple with these basic types: lengthen, tapered, volume, and curl. Let's check out each one:

Lengthening Mascara

• Usually made of silicone, rubber, and/or plastic
• Long and narrow wand--usually bendy
• Gives length to lashes
• Excellent for bottom lashes
• Try L'Oreal Telescopic or Covergirl Lash Blast Length or It Cosmetics Tight Line or Benefit They're Real

Tapered Wand

• Can be nylon bristles or rubber wand
• Usually short on ends and bigger in the middle
• Designed to grab all lashes, especially the hard-to-reach ones on the end
• There are also hourglass wands that are the opposite in design
• Try Tarteist by Tarte or Covergirl Lash Blast

• Definition--a sub category of Tapered
• These wands are usually in an odd shape, like the ball one above from Givenchy. They give definition to a certain area of lashes, like the ends. These are kind of gimmicky to me, but I did want to mention them.

Volumizing Wand

• Traditional bristle wand, stiff
• Gives thickness to lashes
• Try L'Oreal Voluminous or Tarte Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara (pictured) or Too Faced Beter Than Sex

Curved Wand or Curling Wand

• Usually traditional bristles, but other types exist
• Gives appearance of curled lashes
• Try one from Rimmel or Maybelline Falsies Benefit Roller Lash (this one lengthens and curls) or DiorShow Over Curl

What's your favorite type of mascara wand?

If you'd like a post on mascara formulas or tips/tricks, let me know!

Extra Elle:

• Got food poisoning from a salad and ulcers from taking a Goody's powder over the weekend, so my weekend was very low-key. I did check out the Somm documentary on Netflix. It is SO good and I don't really drink or know much about wine. 
• Do you follow me on Snapchat? I share previews of new products, hauls, bits of my daily life, and of course, CHARLIE! Click the link here or use your Snapchat app to add me below:

Haul--NEW Beauty from Sephora, ULTA, ELF & Drugstore

Let's check out what's new in beauty for this summer--and there's something for every budget. If you want mini reviews and swatches, be sure to check out the video at the end!

First up, new makeup from Sephora and ULTA:

Mascaras:

• Lancome Grandiose Extreme--This is the new version of my favorite Grandiose. The wand is longer and the formula is different. You've seen it in lots of my pics lately on here.
• Tarteist by Tarte
• Smashbox X-Rated--Included this just in case I haven't shared this before--got it a few months ago

Concealers:

• Too Faced Born This Way
• Tarte Shape Face Concealer

Highlight:

• Cover FX Enhancer Drops--Add a drop to foundation for glow or use as a highlighter

Lips:

• Bare Minerals Gen Nude Lip Gloss & Matte Liquid Lipsticks--New collection of 60 lip products all in nude shades. You'll be seeing more of this soon on here.

And now new products from the drugstore and ELF:

Masks:

• Freeman Beauty Infusion Hydrating Cream Mask--I got these at ULTA, but put them in this section since they are $7.99. These are a collab with Beauty Infusion.
• Freeman Beauty Infusion Purifying In-Shower Mask with Sea Kelp + Probiotics--not pictured, but it is in the video

ELF (online--now at ULTA!!!):

• ELF Micellar Water
• ELF Matte Nude Palette
• ELF Matte Eyeshadow (it looks like a lipgloss in the pic above but it's more like an eyeshadow base)
• ELF Beautifully Bare Makeup Base
• ELF Sponge Trio
• And more, but you'll be seeing those items soon on the blog!

RIMMEL:

• Kate by Rimmel Nude Lipsticks
• Rimmel Good to Glow Highlight

For mini reviews and swatches, please check out the video below:

https://youtu.be/blIy-xwP_f8

There's some silliness in there, so I hope you enjoy.

What products are you interested in trying?

Extra Elle:

-Two videos this week, back to back! Not doing that again, hehe. It has been a long week. 

-This one was originally over 18 minutes and I got it down to 8!

-No plans this weekend, since I have some traveling coming up the next 2 weekends! Have a great weekend.

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale starts today for everyone. Did you see my beauty picks?

DIY Mirror Nails Tutorial

After trying different options over the years for chrome nails, I was about to give up, when I came across this polish set on the Born Pretty (an online Asian beauty store) website earlier this year. I was surprised to finally get those mirror nails I wanted. These were $9.99. Not an affiliate (I worked with them once years ago) link, fyi.

I shared a link on my blog's Facebook about this polish, and all of you wanted a tutorial on it. It's so easy and fast!

I received 2 polishes--one that says Top Coat and one that says Mirror Nail polish. There were no directions, so after a couple of attempts, here are the directions:

Paint the Top Coat (it's clear) and allow to dry fully. It doesn't take long at all.

Paint the mirror polish on top. It will instantly turn into the mirror effect and dries immediately. It looks exactly like chrome/mirror. No top coat can be added.

Here's a very quick video of the tutorial in action with more tips and tricks:

https://youtu.be/3Au7YVDppR4

Extra Elle:

• Not into these nails? Check out this collection of toxin-free polishes.
• I have been playing around with powder chrome nails, so if you'd like to see that, let me know.
• My blog's design will be changing soon and I'm seeking advice. Anything you'd like to see changed? I'm debating removing the ads from the top and side, but I make $200 a month on them. I debated signing up for affiliate codes, but does anyone ever click on those/make a profit?

#NSale Beauty: What To Get & What to Skip at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

With everyone talking about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, I thought (thanks to your suggestions) I'd add my two cents, but focusing on the best beauty buys. I was sent the list of all of the beauty items from Nordstrom, and I've gone through every item, picking out the deals, the good stuff, and what to skip. Everything is linked (no affiliate codes), so click on what you want. Happy shopping!

ENTER TO WIN $1350 Nordstrom gift card

Best of Hair:

• Sarah Potempo BeachWaver--Check out my review here. I love this for beachy waves.
• Phytophanère' Dietary Supplement for Hair & Nails Duo ($120 Value)--These work for everyone I've recommended them to.
• Drybar Beach in a Box--Everything you need right here. Use together or they work separately.
• Phytodéfrisant' Botanical Hair Straightening Balm--One of my faves to tame this frizzy wild hair
• Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Kit--Healthy hair for cleaner, longer

--I didn't make a collage since fragrance is so personal, but check out the perfume deals--

Best of Skincare:

• Sisley Paris Spa To Go--Straight up, this section is full of luxurious skincare at a good price. Everything is pricey, but worth the splurge. This one is no exception.
• Bobbi Brown Hydrating Skin Supplements--My dry skin loves these!
• Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Radiance Peel--One of my fave peels--great for soft skin.
• GlamGlow Masks Kits--There are 2 of these kits, so check them out of this cult-fave.

SKIP:

-Evian Spray--It's just water, y'all.

-La Mer--I love it, but not the price, and so many of you can't tell a difference, so I say skip.

-Fancy silk pillowcases--You don't need a pricey one. A regular-priced one does just fine. But I do recommend getting a silk pillowcase. I've used one since 1998. No bad hair days and no sleep crease on the face.

Makeup Palettes:

• NARS Best Cheek Palette--If you had to buy 1 cheek palette, this is it!
• Hourglass Ambient Luminous Light Palette--A set of highlight, blush, and bronzer
• Charlotte Tilbury Instant Beauty Palette--If you've ever wanted to try this brand, this is a bit of everything.
• NARS Survival Kit--There are 2 of these, but I like it because you get a mini gloss and mascara along with the blush, bronzers, and highlight

Skip:

-Lotions and body wash--Unless you stock up on these, don't order them blindly based on the product brand name. Plus, you'll see deals on these quite often.

Best of Beauty Tools:

• FlashNGo Hair Removal--This was my longest review of a product! I used it for 1.5 years and it really worked. 70% hairless legs
• PMD--Fabulous exfoliation tool. I've had one for years. There are different colors.
• Clarisonic Mia--I shared my unboxing of this on Snapchat. I love this (there are other colors too) as well as other Clarisonic sizes on sale. Fan for years.

Beauty Kits:

• Stila Stay All Day Set: Love this eyeliner and liquid lipstick
• Laura Mercier Wink of an Eye Artists palette--A great intro to LM products
• Bobbi Brown Bobbi on Trend Pink--There is a nude one too. Great kit.
• Anastasia of BH Brow Studio Kit--Dip brow, gel and a brush. Fab price too.
• BeautyBlender Kit--2 bbs and a cleanser, all for $35
• YSL Rock Pink Set--There is another one in nudes, too!

SKIP:

Tom Ford--Lovely packaging, but I've yet to be impressed with the products enough to spend that much. And I adore, ADORE TF.

-Dior Hydra Lipstick--$35 for a fancy lip balm? PASS.

-Butter polishes--these just don't last long on me at all

Did you buy anything from the #NSale?

What are you planning on purchasing (for us non-early birds)?

What luxury item would you purchase if you could?

Extra Elle:

I'm at work super early today, so I'll be late stopping by to visit your blog. Send me all the coffee!
--Which one of you posted about the ELF matte palette? I made a video featuring it (coming Friday) and think I have the wrong name!

Too Faced Brow Quickie Vs. Benefit Gimme Brow: This or That?

It has been a minute since I've done a This or That, where I compare two similar products in price and perhaps quality, to see if one is better than the other. This isn't necessarily a dupe post (there will be one next week!) since they are pretty close in price. Today I'm comparing Too Faced Brow Quickie Vs. Benefit Gimme Brow.

Too Faced Brow Quickie

• New product
• Sephora, ULTA, online 
• $22
• .17 oz
• A 12-hour wear, waterproof, brush-on brow fiber gel to fill in sparse brows.
• 2 shades
• larger brush compared to Benefit

Too Faced Brow Quickie

Benefit Gimme Brow

• New packaging (see comparison to old packaging below)
• Sephora, Ulta, online
• $24
• .1 oz
• An award-winning, brow-volumizing fiber gel that mimics the look of real hair for fuller-looking brows.
• 3 shades
• smallest brush

FYI: This is the new vs old Gimme Brow. The product is the exact same, just the packaging changed.

Benefit Gimme Brow

Swatches of each--Too Faced is on top

Brush size comparison--TF on your left, B on your right

• Wand--Benefit
• Firmness--Too Faced, but could get crunchy easier
• Pigmentation/Thicker--Benefit
• Wear--same
• Overall, I am still a Benefit fan--the biggest issue is the brush from TF. It's still too big for me, but it's worth a try if you have larger brows.

Have you tried either of these products?

Extra Elle:

• On Sunday I finally visited the Ponce City Market in Atl. I loved it and will definitely be back!
• Have you tried the new color-changing Maybelline Baby Lips Glow? I have and I'm giving one away right here.