You may remember my obsession with the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Pen. There was just one problem with it; it was drying out so quickly, I was buying a new one every month. At that price point ($21), a product should last longer. A consultant at Sephora steered me toward the Anastasia Brow Pen Long-Wearing Brow Tint ($21), which I am absolutely loving.
I was a little skeptical at first because I was so used to the dried-up Stila pen, I pressed hard to get color out of the pen. That was a big mistake with the Anastasia version. The Universal Light shade (which I use because I’m blonde and fair) came out so dark, my brows looked drawn on. But with a lighter touch,
There are a few things I really like about this pen. The firm, fine pen tip holds really pigmented color, so I found myself naturally using short, quick strokes to apply it, which results in natural-looking brow hairs. Also, this pen feels sturdier in my hand than the Stila pen, which helps me get more precision when applying the color. The color doesn’t drip or run during application. And as the name implies, this tint stays on skin all day without fading (as does the Stila version).
As far as the pigment goes, this is a little warmer than the Stila version, which was more taupe-y. It has more of a reddish undertone, which I didn’t think would work for my cool coloring, but it does. I took photos of swatches on my NW20 skin without flash (left) and with flash (right) so you could see the true hue of the product.
Bottom line: this is an excellent brow product that beautifully defines and fills in sparse spots in my brows. Remember to use a light touch, and you can sculpt full, thick brows that are universally flattering. One more thing: it’s also a hit with my mom, who has very faint brows (due to thinning and lightening that comes with aging). This fakes fuller arches and transforms her entire face. It makes SUCH a difference on her!
Honestly, I still do love the Stila pen. If you have a beauty budget that allows you to purchase it monthly, I would definitely stick with it. Personally, I need something that lasts a little longer. So far, I’ve been using the Anastasia pen for a month and it’s still going strong. I think it’s a keeper.
I was faced with an eyebrow conundrum this week: my brows were unruly, and I had nowhere to get them cleaned up. My trusted aesthetician is on maternity leave, and I have no time this week to see the pro I found to shape my brows in her absence. All I needed was a clean-up, but I’m hesitant to go to just anybody because I’m growing out my brows, and I’ve finally gotten them to a point where they are a bit thicker.
In Sephora a few weeks ago, a sales associate used 
sugarsocial.wordpress.com 