It’s a true make-up bag staple (iStock/The Independent )
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Whether it’s the brand’s signature hoola bronzer (£26, Amazon.co.uk) or porefessional primer (£21.95, Amazon.co.uk), many of Benefit’s products have become much-loved beauty staples, but perhaps none more so than its brow heroes. From pencils that carve, define and polish, to waxes that sculpt and hold an arch in place, odds are you’ve had a Benefit eyebrow tool (or three) in your make-up bag at some point.
Founded in 1976 by two sisters Jean and Jane Ford (both were successful models and make-up artists at the time), Benefit Cosmetics has always been at the forefront of a pioneering, but playful, approach to beauty.
Take, for example, its hoola bronzer – thiswas the first shimmer-free matte bronzer on the market when it launched 20 years ago, while the brand’s 10-year-old roller lash curling mascara (£21.60, Amazon.co.uk) was inspired by hair rollers, capturing and curling every lash for a dramatic flutter. Some of its bestsellers can even be traced right back to the Seventies (see the rose tinted lip and cheek stain (£25.99, Amazon.co.uk), originally created for dancers as a nipple tint).
But it’s the beauty brand’s brow roster that Benefit is most loved and lauded for. From the tinted and clear gel to the precisely brow pencil, the brand is the gold standard for creating salon-quality brows at home.
When I first got into make-up as a young teenager, my mum took me straight to the Benefit counter, and I’ve been in a committed relationship with the brand’s beauty products ever since – chiefly the precisely brow pencil. Helping you create the illusion of fuller brows, the precise tip lets you draw on individual hairs while the brush tool buffs the formula for extra volume.
The precise tip lets you draw on individual hairs (Daisy Lester)
I’ve been using the precisely pencil for years and setting my look with either Refy’s clear gel or Benefit’s precisely brow wax (£20.80, Lookfantastic.com). From application, the formula, staying power and the finished look, here’s why Benefit’s precisely brow pencil will always be a cult classic.
Why you can trust us
Daisy Lester frequently writes about the beauty products worth buying. She has previously reviewed new launches and cult favourites, from Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road gel eyeliner to Refy’s new skincare range. She has, crucially, assessed Benefit’s hero products before, to bring our readers the ones she thinks are most worth buying. Sitting at the top of that list is the Benefit precisely my brow pencil, and this is her full, honest review.
Benefit precisely, my brow pencil
Shades: 12
Shade tested : Warm deep brown
Why we love it
Precise tip
Impressive staying power
Great shade range
Takes 10 seconds to get desired look
Not too thin to be fiddly but precise enough for definition, Benefit’s bestselling brow pencil boasts an ultra-fine tip for a natural-looking effect. The tip can be used to draw on hair-like strokes to create a fuller and volumious brow. The pencil has a twist-up retractable design which means there’s no need for sharpening, the spoolie brush on the oppostite tip helps to blend and buff out the product for a softer effect.
Filling in any sparseness but also creating a more defined arch, I use it to even out my brows (mine are certainly not twins, but odd sisters) before feathering out the arches.
I opt for a colour one shade darker than my natural brows for a bolder look, but there are 12 to choose from. The pigment is rich while the colour lasts a good 12 hours (my brows look just as defined on the morning commute as they do in a late night bar). Other formulas on the market tend to fade or smudge towards the end of the day, but Benefit’s formula impressively stays put.
What’s more, the full look takes me less than 10 seconds, and there’s little room for error thanks to the foolproof spoolie and well-formulated pencil.
You really can’t go wrong with Benefit’s precisely brow pencil. Whether you’re looking for a subtle, soft look or want to go full Lily Collins, the brow pencil boasts a precise tip that lets you create your perfect eyebrows. Complete with a spoolie for blending, the pigment lasts all day without the need to top up. A true make-up bag staple.
