According to www.sallybeauty.com, this gel is "a lightweight gel formula that keeps unruly brows in place. Contours and defines brows while providing all-day hold and conditioning. The precision mascara wand applicator shapes brows beautifully for a full and natural-looking brow."
I am reviewing the clear brow gel. It comes in a transparent tube, with a silver wand and large mascara spoolie for application. However, Ardell also markets an Almost Black and Light Brown formula of this brow gel as well. I can't speak as to the pigmentation or application of the colored gels, but I assume that they would follow (somewhat) along the same lines, performance-wise, as the clear gel.
I bought this product after I shaved off part of my one eyebrow early in 2011, and wanted something to help set the brow powder that I was using so it would last all day. I had never used a brow gel before, and had no idea of what to expect.
My brows are pretty thick, and for the most part stay in place pretty well. So my only real need for the gel was to keep the powder I applied in place. As far as that went, this product performed pretty well. I didn't notice my brow powder moving at all or fading significantly during the day. This gel, on me, didn't dry my brows crusty, but it really clumped them together and made them more dense and crunchy feeling than normal - personally, I wasn't really digging that look.
Not wanting to throw out the product I'd paid good money for, I tried it on my sister, because she has unruly brows that don't stay in place. For her, this seemed to work fantastically. On my sister's brows, Ardell's Brow Sculpting Gel held them in place for most, if not all, of the day. This gel does not leave your brows crunchy or stiff, but allows for a flexible, natural-looking hold. It does not flake off or leave visible residue on your skin or brow hairs.
The large mascara spoolie is helpful for coating one's entire brow in one sweep, and the tapered tip makes precision work a lot easier. The spoolie bristles are not too rough or abrasive, but are very soft and flexible - this is very nice when you're combing the wand through your brows - it doesn't scratch or irritate the skin surrounding it.
It dries transparent and does not add any color to one's brows. The gel is very thin and light in consistency, not necessarily watery, but it is incredibly lightweight. It does not dry rapidly, but doesn't take an eternity either.
For me, personally, this product was a waste of money. Because of the stiff, stay-in-place nature of my brows, this did nothing but help prolong the wear of a brow powder that I no longer use. It was pointless to add product to hold my brows in place, especially when they didn't need holding anyways. For my sister, however, this was a very helpful, practical product for her to have and use. It kept her unruly, untamed eyebrows in check in a natural, comfortable way.
I can't really speak to the 'conditioning' claim that Ardell makes about this gel. I suppose if you had very dry, brittle eyebrows, with time you might see an improvement in the condition and/or longevity of your brows - however, I never noticed a difference. As well, while some other brow gels might be somewhat drying or taxing to the health of your brow hairs, this product may not - hence the claim that it 'conditions.'
As for the price, it's incredibly affordable and it's conveniently accessible for most anyone in range of a drugstore or WalMart.
Overall, I'd rate this product more highly, just because of what I know about it and how it performs. Just because brow gel isn't something I need or would use, doesn't deter from the fact that this is actually a decent brow gel as a whole. If you were looking for a brow gel to try out, I would definitely recommend this one :)
4 out of 5 stars.
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Do you need to use brow gel as part of your every day routine? What gel do you prefer to use??
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