| Review | Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax
Ok, when it comes to my brows I am particular but I also feel like I don't really know what I'm doing and it may be the reason why doing my brows is my least favorite part of my routine. I just want something easy and lazy that will make my eyebrows perfect. Is that too much to ask? Apparently, yes so, I thought I'd try the legendary Partick Ta's magical model brow wax in hopes I can figure out how to get my brows to look runway perfect.
The Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax retails for $22.00 USD and is available at Sephora. This wax is packaged in a classic reflective rose gold compact that is aligned with the rest of the Partick Ta collection. This packaging is beautiful but also very prone to fingerprints and scratches. The compact of this particular product is also a bit confusing because it looks like the Tom Ford blushes and compacts, which open with the edge of the compact being attached to the bottom portion of the compact.
However, with this compact, the edge is actually attached to the top portion of the compact and it snaps to the bottom portion of the compact, which is smaller than the top. Being used to the Tom Ford packaging this confused me for a second but it is a very secure compact. This packaging, in my opinion, is AWFUL because it makes it very difficult to open the compact, especially if your hands are slippery. My hands tend to be slippery because I use my hands to apply my skincare and moisturizer prior to doing my brows. There is no good place to grip the compact while trying to open it and with slippery hands, it's even worse. The interior of the compact also comes with a small mirror, a helpful little addition.
SHADES
These waxes only come in two universal shades at the moment a clear wax and a universal brown tint. I chose the tinted version because I was hoping the wax would help fill and add a little something to my sparse brows. The tint looks very dark but the wax isn't actually that pigmented when applied to the brows. It will definitely work for anyone with brown or black brows but even those who have blond brows and want your brows to look deeper.
FORMULA
The wax itself is quite sheer and doesn't offer a whole lot of color at all to the brows. I also purchased the brush to go with this product just to ensure that I get the ideal result. The Major Brow Dual Ended Brush retails for $18.00 USD and is available at Sephora. This brush has a reflective rose gold metal handle. It has a very fine and stiff angled brush at one end and a beige spoolie at the other end. This brush isn't anything special or that innovative. You can find a brush like this just about anywhere for less and in fact, I own some but I wanted to have the complete duo to test out. I would say you can totally skip this brush but it is very high quality and beautiful.
I recommend if you want more fill to your brows, fill your brows in a bit before using the wax. You can't apply the product after the wax because the wax gets in the way of your product sticking to the skin. It's best to use this product to set the brows after you fill them in.
The biggest issue I have with this brow wax is the method of application because it causes your spoolie to get clogged up with wax. So after several uses, your spoolie will be packed full of wax and while you can spray you spoolie with some setting spray to attempt to use the wax that is stuck in there, it doesn't work that well. That means I have to wash all the product out, which is a huge waste of product.
On the right is a Tom Ford Blush compact, you can see how confusing and frustrating this brow wax packaging can be to use. |
SHADES
These waxes only come in two universal shades at the moment a clear wax and a universal brown tint. I chose the tinted version because I was hoping the wax would help fill and add a little something to my sparse brows. The tint looks very dark but the wax isn't actually that pigmented when applied to the brows. It will definitely work for anyone with brown or black brows but even those who have blond brows and want your brows to look deeper.
FORMULA
I have used brow waxes before but never one like this before. I used to tear through this brow wax from Laura Mercier for several years but I don't believe it is available anymore. This brow wax was intended to be used to actually fill in the brows. I would use an angled brush and take the tinted brow wax and draw in some little strokes and for blending, I would take a spoolie and brush through my brows. This brow wax is not intended to fill in brows! It is intended to set and shape the brows.
The wax itself is quite sheer and doesn't offer a whole lot of color at all to the brows. I also purchased the brush to go with this product just to ensure that I get the ideal result. The Major Brow Dual Ended Brush retails for $18.00 USD and is available at Sephora. This brush has a reflective rose gold metal handle. It has a very fine and stiff angled brush at one end and a beige spoolie at the other end. This brush isn't anything special or that innovative. You can find a brush like this just about anywhere for less and in fact, I own some but I wanted to have the complete duo to test out. I would say you can totally skip this brush but it is very high quality and beautiful.
The dual ended eyebrow brush |
Spoolie end |
Angled brush end |
As Patrick Ta instructs, you're supposed to take a setting spray or water to activate the wax. You don't need much, I would start with a little squirt and if it still feels a little dry, add more. Then using a spoolie, you rub the spoolie against the wax and pick up some product. You can then apply the wax to your brows brushing and shaping them as you please. The wax works very much like a brow gel and it adds a touch of color and holds the brows but on my black brows, the color is really only left when the wax touches my skin. The hold of the wax is very soft and won't give you crunchy or stiff brows, which can happen with very intense brow gels.
After you brush the product through your brows, you're supposed to use the handle of your brush to press and push the hairs upward. I have never had the brows that looked good sticking straight up and they looked even more bizarre pressed up on to my skin so, I ended up using the spoolie to fluff them up again. While the tinted wax did give me some filling to my brows, I wanted a bit more. I tried to use the angled side of the brush to pick up the product and draw strokes into my brows but this wax is so sheer, it really didn't work at all. It's really not meant to fill in the brows.
The biggest issue I have with this brow wax is the method of application because it causes your spoolie to get clogged up with wax. So after several uses, your spoolie will be packed full of wax and while you can spray you spoolie with some setting spray to attempt to use the wax that is stuck in there, it doesn't work that well. That means I have to wash all the product out, which is a huge waste of product.
You can see how clogged up the spoolie gets |
This is only after several uses and you need to remove this product to make the brush viable again |
Clogged spoolie |
FINAL THOUGHTS
This product is neither easy nor lazy, which I knew coming in but I was just hoping it would work some kind of magic on my eyebrows. That being said, I really like the way the wax makes my brows look and the way it shapes my brows. However, I don't feel like this product is that much different from using a brow gel and I find with brow gels I can get my brows filled and shaped in one go. Now, it's not perfect, I will still use a pencil on occasion but for a quick and lazy look, a brow gel is enough for me. With this wax, I just don't feel like it does enough to my brows and I really need anything to fill it in.
I think this product is for someone who has perfect brows already or those who enjoy taking their time perfecting the shape and styling of their brows. If you're a lazy person, like me, you'll enjoy a brow gel so much more. I will use this product when I have the time to play with my brows but it just doesn't suit my routine or makeup style.
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