I originally titled this post “Brow Pencil Showdown”, but that word sounds so aggressive. This isn’t necessarily a showdown because they’re both winners, it’s more of a comparison between the two.

One of the biggest beauty trends of 2015 has been a great set of brows. If you’re around my age or slightly older, you were part of the “lucky group” who may or may not have over plucked their brows during their school tenure because that was the trend of the late 90s and early 00’s. What that means for you now during the bold brow phase is your past decisions of over-plucking have come back to haunt you. The good news is there’s a plethora of brow products to fix the sparse areas of your brows so you too can partake in the bold brow movement.

Today, I’m dissecting two options: NYX Micro Brow Pencil and the ever-so-popular Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. Why these two? Well, they look incredibly similar and have varying price points so surely they’re meant to perform the same, no?

Let’s start with the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

The Brow Wiz Pros

Why is this easily the most popular brow pencil on the market?

• Color range
• Accessibility
• Ease of use
• Natural, buildable results

I myself have raved about this lifesaver of a pencil. The packaging is slim and sleek so it’s great for travel, it comes with a spoolie, and there is a wide range of colors to fit every hair color.The best part of the brow wiz for me is how then the actual product is. I have very fine, sparse brow hairs naturally, especially near the tail. With a lot of brow pencils, the product is too thick to use on the tail of my brow because its circumference is wider than my natural brow. With the brow wiz, the product is thin enough to use on all areas of my brow.

Aside from the size of the product, I also love the finish. I’ve used brow powder in the past because it provided a natural-looking result more than previous pencils. With the brow wiz, the results are just as natural as a powder. When applying in short strokes, the brow wiz mimics the appearance of hair so your eyebrow doesn’t have the harsh, drawn-on look.

What’s the drawback to the ABH Brow Wiz?

The Brow Wiz Cons

• The price
• The quantity

The Brow Wiz retails for $21 at Sephora, Ulta, and the like. At first glance, that seems like an okay price for a high-end brand. It’s only after your first brow wiz purchase that you realize how quickly the product runs on empty. For the price, I would have hoped the brow wiz would last longer. You don’t realize just how much and how often you’re using the pencil until you twist the cap and are hit with the realization that there’s no more product to twist. I wish I kept track of just how long the pencil lasts, but I predict I’d go through 5-6 in a year’s timeframe, compared to 1-2 brow powder products.

The need to repurchase a high priced item so frequently is what made me start to look elsewhere. That’s when I discovered the NYX brow pencil.

What’s the deal with the NYX Micro Brow Pencil? Well…

The NYX Micro Brow Pencil

The Micro Brow Pros

• Color range
• Ease of use
• Natural, buildable results
• The price

Much like ABH’s Brow Wiz, NYX’s Micro Brow pencil has a good selection or colors. There are 6 shades to choose from, ranging from blonde all the way to black. Whatever your hair color is, there’s a shade for you. The product itself provides a natural-looking finish so your eyebrows don’t overpower the rest of your makeup or look too artificial. The best part about the micro brow is its price. A good brow pencil is hard to find, especially for an affordable price. NYX’s Micro Brow pencil retails for $10, a little over half the price of the brow wiz.

Great product, great price, what’s not to like? Well…

The Micro Brow Cons

• Accessibility
• The quantity

It took such a long time for me to create this post because it took such a long time to find this product in stores. I actually got incredibly lucky and found just one on clearance for $3 at Target, and it happened to be in my color. I looked around for other options, but only the one was on shelves. The accessibility of the micro brow pencil is its biggest drawback. When it comes to makeup, I prefer to buy in-store rather than online. If you’re like me in that sense, finding this product may pose as a challenge.

The Biggest Differences: ABH vs NYX

As you can see from the product breakdowns, the brow wiz and micro brow have some very similar pros. The main differences are price, accessibility, and product consistency. The NYX Micro Brow Pencil is more than half the cost of ABH’s Brow Wiz, but it’s harder to find if you don’t want to make an online purchase.

Also, it’s worth noting that while the products are nearly identical on the outside, the formulas are slightly different. ABH’s Brow Wiz is slightly waxy, so it requires added pressure upon application. The NYX Micro Brow has a smoother formula which makes the process of filling in your brows faster. You’re probably wondering which one is better, right? Well, as I mentioned at the start of the post, they’re both truly great products. Personally, I would choose the cheaper option if I could find it easier since the quality of both are nearly identical.

Have you tried both brow products? What do you think of them?