My One Product Brow Routine | Shu Uemura Hard Formula Hard 9 Eyebrow Pencil

Eyebrows are everything. They are the single most important step in my makeup routine - besides SPF, of course. 

I'm here today to tell you all about my holy grail brow product, my ride or die since I knew filling in your eyebrows was even a thing - which was sophomore year of college. Late, I know. Safe to say all my pictures before then (and after my initial craze that led me to tweeze them into oblivion) have been permanently destroyed. Introducing Shu Uemura's Hard Formula Hard 9 Eyebrow Pencil. Paired with my e.l.f Essentials Eyeliner Brush, and the rest is history.

Shu Uemura Hard Formula Hard 9 Eyebrow Pencil

$195 HKD at Shu Uemura

7 Shades (Hong Kong and Japan) | 4 Shades (USA)

Let's start off with the coolest aspect of this brow pencil - the shape. All the Shu Uemura eyebrow pencils comes pre-sharpened in the shape of a naginata - the traditional Japanese samurai sword. Hi-ya! The unique sword-shaped tip is incredibly handy to sculpt out and define the bottom and top parts of your brows with precision, and allows for drawing fine lines to mimic natural brows. Also, this brow pencil only works when interacting with the oils in your brow hairs, so you can try to swatch this on the back of your hand but you will fail. Genius!

Shu Uemura offers this pencil in two formulas - hard 9 and hard 6 - and I've always sworn by the former, since the latter is just a tad too soft for my taste that allows for a thicker, darker application. The firmness of the hard 9 formula is absolute perfection for giving you the most naturally defined eyebrows without ever looking too harsh or fake - like, sorry to all the Dipbrow fans out there, but that stuff scares me! However, I have noticed that when the pencil becomes blunt and loses its sword-shaped tip, it never applies as nicely and my eyebrows never look as good. My shade has always been 06 Acorn - the perfect brown with a hint of grey that perfectly complements my jet black hair as well as my previously colored chestnut brown mane.

Shu Uemura Hard Formula Hard 9 Eyebrow Pencil in 06 Acorn

All Shu Uemura stores offer sharpening services, so you always have the option to bring it by (or drop it off during peak hours) and have the staff carve out the desired naginata shape. Speaking from personal experience, I've always been slightly disappointed at how much shorter my pencil is when it is returned to me. I'm talking a good inch or two, which means money wasted! The staff's explanation was always that the lead inside was broken (either from me dropping it or knocking it around) which made it much more challenging to sharpen. Either way, I decided to finally try it myself and have now (somewhat) perfected the art of sharpening with a box cutter. Just look at how tiny my old brow pencil is - I've filed it down to a tiny nubbin!

Shu Uemura Hard Formula Hard 9 Eyebrow Pencil in 06 Acorn

After I've filled in my eyebrows to my satisfaction, my final step is to take my trusty e.l.f Essentials Eyeliner Brush (which is just $1USD!) and run it through my brows to soften and perfect my look. The brush is way too thick for its intended purpose - c'mon, e.l.f., how is this thin enough for eyeliner?! - but it's the perfect shape and density for a brow brush. And voila, brows on fleek!

I don't see myself straying from this brow routine anytime soon - you just gotta stick with what works! - but I would love to hear your eyebrow routines and the products you swear by to give you flawless, glorious eyebrows. Thanks for reading!

MONTHLY FAVORITES | May 2016

It's June already. How the heck did that happen?

May was quite a chill and laid-back month for me, and that really reflected in the makeup that I chose to wear. My favorites last month were all products that gave me a very minimalistic yet summery look, and I didn't really fuss over blush, eyeshadow or mascara. I just wanted to have a radiant, glowy complexion and look put together. Wait, I want that all the time..

Chantecaille Just Skin Anti-Smog Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 in Vanilla|  

I did a full review on this product last week, but long story short - I love how this applies and how it makes my skin look natural and perfected. It's been my go-to base for everyday (when I'm not directly in the sun - I talk more about my issue with the SPF in the review).

First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy: Brighten, Depuff and Smooth in Fair/Medium |

I hauled this recently and have been using it every single morning, without fail. It's the best morning pick-me-up since the applicator is cold and helps you feel awake instantly while helping cover your dark circles (albeit not completely). Works great under concealer and I look forward to using it every morning.

Sonia Kashuk Undetectable Cream Bronzer in 42 Rich Bronze |

I've wanted this cream bronzer for years (seriously) after hearing it was a dupe for the ever-so luxurious Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base. Those who own both attest to the striking similarities in texture, application and finish, and whenever I can save money, trust that I will! This applies as a cream but blends into a smooth, powdery finish. It's great for using on natural days - there's no shimmer or glitter - and warms up the skin without looking like makeup.

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop |

This has been the only highlighter I've been reaching for all month. I already raved about it in my haul post, but I'll say it again - this is stunning. The peachy gold shade is so beautiful and flattering and you look like a freakin' Greek goddess in the flesh. Need I say more?

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Super-Translucent Mattifying Powder |

Just because I want to look glowy doesn't mean it's okay to look like an oily mess. This mattifying powder used to be my absolute favorite - before Laura Mericer's Translucent Loose Setting Powder came into the picture - and now I use them interchangeably, with this being a lot less messy than Laura Mercier's jar format. It's very well-loved and for good reason - it has a smooth texture, is invisible on the skin and keeps the areas I want (like my T-zone) shine-free for hours.  

Sonia Kashuk Rich Bronze | Becca Champagne Pop | Soap & Glory Mattifying Powder

NARS Satin Lip Pencil in Rikugien |

I got this sample as part of the birthday gift from Sephora last year, and it's a super pretty rose pink, MLBB shade that is perfect for everyday. It's not overly opaque (yet rather buildable, which I prefer) and is really comfortable on the lips. Doesn't last too long on me - only about two hours 'cos I'm always munching on food - but I don't mind reapplying.

Fresh Sugar Lip Polish |

You can't look beautiful and radiant if you have dry, chapped, flaky lips. This is a gentle but effective exfoliating scrub that gets rid of dry flakes (yuck) and makes my lips feel super soft and smooth afterwards. A tip would be to apply this dry, since the crystals slightly dissolve when wet. Also, try not to get this in your mouth, because although it smells amazing - like lemon and brown sugar - I can't say the same for the taste.

e.l.f. Cosmetics Small Tapered Brush |

I hauled this from Target recently with the sole purpose in mind of using it with my highlighters, and it has been perfect for that. The tapered end makes it super versatile - I can also see myself using this to blend concealer, set the under eyes, and even for contouring. Definitely picking up a few more when I get the chance.

Wet n Wild MegaLast Nail Color in 205B Sugar Coat

This is a milky, nude pink shade that has been my favorite nail color for any and every occasion. It makes your hands look so darn pretty and elegant, and helps pull your entire look together (it really does!). I've been wearing this all summer and I don't see myself stopping anytime soon. Oh, and did I mention this is $1.99 USD?!

That's a wrap, thanks for reading! 

Here's hoping the month of June lasts a bit longer than May did. Next thing you know, summer with be over and fall will be upon us..