Tarte’s New Tinted Brow Gel Builds Bold But Soft Brows

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Knowing how much I freaked out over Benefit Gimme Brow earlier this year, I was SO excited when Tarte's new Colored Clay Tinted Brow Gel arrived with my fall beauty mailings.

The year 2014 has totally been the year of the tinted brow gel. I can't even remember what I was doing with my brows before. Dior pencil and Givenchy brow wax, I think? I still love those products, but I've concluded that you can't beat a brow gel for building up sparse 'fans' (the hairs at the inner corners).

I was particularly excited about Tarte's entry into the market because I'm partial to brands that are a little more natural (this formula is clay-based, vegan-friendly and paraben- and phthalate-free). I also found that the other brow gels I was using—from Benefit and Maybelline—weren't quite perfect.

While I love Gimme Brow's brow-bulking fibres, it does have a tendency to deposit clumps. The other brow gel I've been playing with is Maybelline Brow Drama, which I've had since June or July but I can't tell you about until October when it goes on counter. Anyway, it's very nice, too—except when it dries, your brows turn crispy like you would not believe.

Which brings me to the Tarte Tinted Brow Gel. This waterproof gel formula has neither a clumping nor a crispiness problem. In fact, the first time I used it, it felt so soft on my brows that I almost wrote it off as being too wimpy. I didn't think it was capable of building me the bolder look that I wanted.

But I was wrong. There is a trick to using this brow gel, and that is to keep brushing with the skinny brush over and over the area, until you get the look that you want. I did that for the fans, and then the rest of my brows only needed a few quick strokes.

Here are my sparse “before” brows:

And here they are “after” with the Tarte Tinted Brow Gel and nothing else:

Pretty impressive, right? I used Taupe, the lightest shade, and there are two others, Medium Brown and Rich Brown. With my other brow gels, I'd always have to use some combination of products to get the results I wanted, but here, I'm pretty comfortable using the Tarte alone.

It sounds weird to say “touchable brows” but that's exactly what you get. They felt soft and normal… not hardened or greasy. That said, if you have VERY unruly brows or are overdue for a brow appointment, then you may want to still combine this with a wax pencil for extra hold, like my fave from Givenchy.

I'll leave you with a more detailed before and after close-up because why not magnify my eyebrows on the internet, right?!

I say it's a winner. Would love to hear what you think!

Where to Buy

Find the Tarte Colored Clay Tinted Brow Gel at the following retailers:

  • Sephora
  • Beauty.com
  • ULTA Beauty
  • TarteCosmetics.com

Have Your Say

Have you checked out the Tarte Tinted Brow Gel yet? What's your favourite product to build bold brows?