Dupe Diary: The Essence Make Me Brow vs the Benefit Gimme Brow

I don't present dupe products often because I rarely find them. Sure, similarities may exist between a high-end and cheap find, but they aren't often close enough for me to say that they're on the same level. Recently though I realized that I have two things in my stash that are alike in many, many ways - well, except for the meteoric difference in the pricing that is. These are the Essence Make Me Brow Gel Mascara (P250) and the Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel (P1,400).

So how do these compare? Let's find out!

 What they can and can't do

There are eyebrow mascaras that can be used alone to completely shade and set sparse brows; these two gels are not the type. They're more for volumizing hairs and setting the base product. Those who have full arches though would enjoy these as a stand-alone browcara since they'd be enough to tint and groom lush brows! 

Consistency and coverage

Both the Make Me Brow and Gimme Brow have a gel-like consistency that offers light to medium coverage. The base feels almost the same except MMB has these tiny fibers that boost its volumizing properties (good when I use it as a setting product); GB has no fibers so I have to build up the thickness per layer and sometimes, per hair.

In terms of coverage as a stand-alone brow product though, I'd say Benefit performs a bit better as it looks more even. The fibers of the Essence browcara can be patchy-looking when I begin to layer it.

Color

The GB color I have is #3 (the reformulated and repackaged 2016 version) while my MMB's shade is Soft Browny Brows. These two shades, while both the middle ones out of three options, are not really the same as Soft Browny Brows is a cocoa brown while #3 is a chocolate brown. They do look the same from afar though! I prefer #3 as it's less stark on me. Benefit I think wins this round as Essence's selection of colors is not quite in the Goldilocks zone for me; it's either too light or too dark.

Brush and application

Both have a small, narrow brush. Essence's is a bit longer and has a straight shape; Benefit's is shorter and has a conical shape. There's no difference for me come application time as both are easy to work with. They're easier to maneuver around the contours of my brows and do well when it comes to breaking up clumps.

Both products are used on bare brows and layered on a couple of times

Staying Power

There is no difference. Both products have good staying power as is; they last up to 6-7 hours on me with minimal fading. Do note I have non-oily brows though! When I use them to set my brow makeup, they extend the wear time of the base for about 2-3 more hours and prevent fading.

Amount of product in the tube

The Gimme Brow has 3 ml inside while the Make Me Brow has 3.8 ml.

Verdict

If you've long wanted to try the iconic Benefit Gimme Brow but can't find it in your pocket to splurge, then the Essence Make Me Brow is a pretty close alternative. It's less snazzy-looking than Gimme Brow, but it offers more product for ~almost~ the same results. Not bad for P250! You can get it at Watsons and SM Beauty Stores. 

What do you think? Have you tried either of these browcaras?