So, I did this thing.
I tried out that incredibly Frankenstein peel off brow tint thingy you’ve been too chicken to try.
It’s called the ‘Maybelline Tattoo Brow Gel Tint’ (currently on sale at Chemist Warehouse for $12.39) and look, I don’t blame you for having reservations because it looks goddamn terrifying.
If that isn’t enough to jog your memory, it’s this thing:
The product claims to deliver a 'long-lasting tattoo effect in just three easy steps' - as someone who has been tinting her almost invisible eyebrows since the age of 12, I was keen to face my fear of black, Russian lady eyebrows and give it a go.
Mainly because big, bold, bushy eyebrows are everywhere.
Everywhere you turn, I see eyebrows like these and I feel long for them on my own face.
Yes, this product looks a bit extreme, but I was ready to find out if it's as full on as it seems.
Here's the play-by-play...
The preparation
I... showered. And took off my makeup.
I also watched precisely 1,000 tutorials on YouTube, because honestly, I was pretty bloody scared (this was my favourite tutorial btw...)
To give myself the best chance of not f*cking it up completely, I used my eyebrow brush (also known as a 'spoolie') to brush my eyebrows into the shape I was imminently going to draw.
The application
After reading the instructions four or five times, I applied the product liberally to my eyebrows. Although I'm quite fair, I decided to try the colour 'medium brown' because I prefer my brows on the darker side.
But not too dark, hence the sense of impending doom I felt smearing black, gooey looking gunk on my face.
The actual 'application process' was far less fraught than I thought it would be. The applicator is slim like a lippy brush, meaning I could easily paint on the product without going too far outside the lines. After perfectly applying my right eyebrow, I stuffed up the left - but a cotton tip around the edges did the trick.
The waiting
While the instructions recommended leaving the product on for between 20 minutes and two hours, I felt really uncomfortable about that time frame so I left it on for 15 minutes. To the second.
The removal
This was the part I was most excited about. I was so ready to have it peel off like it does in the ad, but I found it came off in bits rather than in the shape of my brow.
I used my spoolie to remove the product, but one of my co-workers who is now a firm convert said the reason it didn't peel off perfectly for me is because I didn't put on enough. Duly noted.
The result...?
Drum roll please....
Yep. Not so scary, right?
I 10/10 would use this product again.
The main point I want to make is the overall effect is really, honest to god not as frightening as you might initially think. As the photos show, the 15 minute application darkened my brows by a few shades - I actually would have preferred them darker so will leave it on for the whole two hours next time.
Surprisingly, the results also lasted, as advertised, for three days. In those three days I did all the normal things like washing my face, showering and sweating on the way to the train, but the colour stayed in place through it all.
Here's the full thing to see exactly how it worked:
In conclusion, I would 100 per cent use this when I can't be arsed/don't have time to go and get a professional tint at the salon.
Or for when you just need a bit of an extra brow boost to get you through the day.
Not so scary after all, eh?
What was your take on the Maybelline brow tattoo gel? Let us know in the comments...
P.S. Everyone is also really into skincare right now. Mamamia Out Loud discuss why we care about our faces so much at the moment below.