We've got mixed feelings about this P238 eyebrow pen
Long-time readers of Project Vanity may know that I don't like doing outright negative reviews. I personally prefer not to waste time suffering through bad products just so I can waste even more time doing an elaborate, painstakingly-produced takedown of the thing. I know some content producers do that and I am aware that people enjoy reading/watching such, but I just can't get my heart into it. I want this website to remain as THE place to go to if you're looking for something good to try.
That being said, I thought long and hard about whether I should publish my review of the Nichido Acti Brow 24HR Eyebrow Marker (P238). I bought this a couple of months back because I saw some people rave about it, and I was mighty curious how the three-pronged tip would work. I got two shades to be sure, Honey Blonde, the lightest, and Auburn Brown, which seemed like a nice mid-toned warm brown. Both looked great when swatched.
The first time I wore Honey Blonde I was running late for an important meeting. Tough luck for me though because as soon as I put it on, I had to erase it with makeup remover immediately. It was ridiculously carrot red and my brows looked like something a cartoon character would be proud of! It was so so difficult to remove too.
It's a shame because the tip was actually pretty easy to work with, once I got the hang of it. It drew nice hair-like strokes and cut my filling-in time in half. The formula is also quite good - it was wetter than I'm used to, but it applied smoothly and evenly. Once set, IT DOESN'T MOVE. I wore this later on when I was just out to play tennis and it just stayed on like cement. It even set my brow hairs in place and thickened them as if I used a browcara.
Honey Blonde and Auburn Brown looks different when swatched, but on the brows they're *almost* the same. Auburn Brown is a tad less red but it's too minor to count. I can wear this pen with some modifications. Honey Blonde looks okay when set with a light brow powder; it holds down the product like you wouldn't believe.
Honestly, I'd totally hoard this if Nichido made a clear pen just for priming or setting the brows. I love the formula but the colors are just, wtf. If you have fiery red hair these shades should work for you. Otherwise you can tweak the color as I did in the photo above. It looks passable although my brows felt brittle when I was working the powder in.
What do you think, does the Nichido Acti Brow 24HR Eyebrow Marker look like something you'd try? Is it cheap enough that you don't mind fixing it a bit every time you use it?
