Smackdown: Tarte emphasEYES for brows vs. Maybelline Define-a-Brow

Today's smackdown, is all about the brows. I personally like to fill in my brows with a pencil. I think I have better control, and I also feel like it looks more natural than filling them in with a powder, expecially when done correctly. Tarte emphasEYES for brows and Maybelline Define-a-Brow are 2 pencils that are specifically for your brows, and they are very similar. But how similar? I'll tell you my expiriences with both of them and compare for you, so that you can decide which would be better for you. In this smackdown, I'm comparing the Tarte emphasEYES in Taupe - light taupe. And the Maybelline Define-a-Brow in dark blonde.

Lets start with the price of these 2 products. The Maybelline Define-a-Brow for .001 oz. is around $6. Where the Tarte emphasEYES will set you back $19.50 for the exact same amount of product, .001 oz. So, the Tarte emphasEYES is quite a bit more expensive. Expecially considering you can often find Maybelline products on sale at your local drug store.

Both pencils have a very fine tip. In fact, other than the color of the plastic surrounding the product, I cant tell a difference between the 2 of them. The application is the same for both. Using short stokes to fill in your eyebrows where needed, to create the illusion of little hairs where they may be sparse. One thing I do want to point out, is that the Tarte emphasEYES is much easier for me to twist up than the Maybelline Define-a-Brow. I'm not sure if all of the Maybelline Define-a-Brow pencils are as difficult to twist as mine is, but it is definitely a noticeable difference.

 

Tarte emphasEYES has a spooly on the opposite end of the pencil for you to groom your eyebrows before and/or after you apply your pencil, where the Maybelline Define-a-Brow has a small comb for the same purpose. I personally think the spooly on the Tarte emphasEYES is much better for it's intended use and grooms my eyebrows a lot better and easier than the comb version on the Maybelline Define-a-Brow pencil.

The color payoff is the same and they even look very similar when swatched out. Maybelline Define-a-Brow is a much harder formula than the Tarte emphasEYES, so the Tarte emphasEYES goes on a bit easier and creamier, however once applied they have the same effect.

Personally, overall I like the Tarte emphasEYES a little bit better. And, I think I lean toward liking that one better only for the fact that it has the nicer grooming tool on the other end of the pencil. That being said, the  Maybelline Define-a-Brow is certainly a wonderful alternative and very close dupe that costs a lot less for the same overall end results.