Our newest Vice: P195 micro pencils & tinted brow gels that deliver perfect feathery brows
We were legit shookt when Vice Cosmetics started teasing what looked like a brow kit on social media. It was high time the local brand took on brows! Still, I felt it was a tad ambitious to start off with a retractable microbrow pencil and a brow gel as both are regarded as relatively more advanced and premium tools for makeup enthusiasts. I was truly curious with what the brand would come up with, considering their affordable product price range.
I felt like a doll as I stepped into the launch party for the Vice Gandoll Brow Collection. Everything and everyone was PINK! The dollhouse-themed displays got me into the right mood as I finally got up close and personal with their new brow products. I was pleased to see that the Micro Brow Pencil and Volumizing Brow Gel came in four shades each. There were two warm-toned shades: Light Brown (blonde) and Soft Brown (reddish brown). I personally favor cool-toned brow products, so I was more excited to try Ash Brown (grayish brown) and Natural Brown (deep brown).
At just P195 for each product, Vice Cosmetics stayed true to their #GandaForAll philosophy with making natural, feathered brows accessible at affordable prices. The accommodating shade range also promises to suit different hair colors and complexions. Although I initially doubted the brand’s choice of brow product, I realize that all brow shapes could make use of quick detail work with a microbrow pencil, while a brow mascara that provides lasting hold would be a big hit.
The brand’s celebrity endorser Maymay Entrata shared how grateful she is to witness Vice Cosmetics’ growth, and how the brand helped to bring out her “ganda that’s SO Pinay!” She personally uses Soft Brown, which is a perfect match for her hair color and skin tone.
Vice Cosmetics Gandoll Micro Brow (P195 for 0.10 g)
I honestly cannot get over how affordable the Gandoll Micro Brow is. I mean, I knew the Ganda For All motto, but still I couldn’t believe that a microbrow pencil could retail for less than 200 bucks! You could buy 7 or even 8 of these pens for the price of one popular micro brow pen at Sephora. Even so, you get a standard amount of product - it took me quite a while to twist up the pen to its maximum. Most importantly, it really works!
The microtip allows for easy precision work, particularly for the base and tip of the brow. It’s not too creamy, but blends rather easily. I also like the shape and size of the spoolie that comes with it. The tapered tip allows you to really get into your brows without sacrificing accuracy. I also appreciate that the colors of the pen caps match the product within! Best be careful if you get two or more colors though, as the shade name is printed in such a small font on the body.
I spied hydrogenated castor oil that promotes hair growth, and anti-aging vitamin E in its ingredients list.
Still, this pencil not without its caveats. I tried swatching Light Brown on the back of my hand, and it wouldn’t show up, probably because it was too light. I also noticed that the color shows up differently when applied on brows, so it would be best to try the product directly on your brow if you’re purchasing in-store. The micro tip can also feel a bit too hard on sensitive skin, and can break off if you’ve twisted up the pen too much.
Vice Cosmetics Gandoll Volumizing Brow Gel (P195 for 5ml)
The Gandoll Brow Gel promises to give flexible hold, as well as add a bit of volume and length with its fiber-infused formula. Again, this is a total steal at the price! You end up getting quite a bit of product, as well. I’m impressed that they came out with four shades, to perfectly match the Micro Brows. And, yes, they actually do tint the brows! Those with thicker arches could probably get great results using this alone. I like that it gives good hold on my brows, without the crunchy feel.
Still, I do wish they could improve on the applicator. It’s much too big for someone like me with thinner brow ends. A smaller wand with a more tapered tip would have been so great! Paired with this formula, it would be the brow mascara for me. As it is, I’ve had to keep some cotton buds on hand whenever I use it, to mop up the excess product around my brow area.
Gandoll Brow Collection in action!
On to the much-awaited part: how do they actually look on brows? The brand recommends using both brow pencil and brow gel together, but we’ll see how they perform individually, as well.
Nine has nicely shaped straight brows. She typically uses retractable brow pens to fill in gaps and enhance the natural shape of her brows. She’s also looking to try brow products that could add dimension to her look without spending too much! Let’s see how the microbrow pencils and brow gels in Light Brown and Ash Brown look on her:
Gandoll Volumizing Brow Gel in Light Brown looks natural on Nine - too natural, to be honest. Her brows look somewhat thicker, but the brow gel didn’t add any tint to her brows. The Micro Brow Pencil delivered as promised, adding a warm blonde color to the brows. Nine got the most impact when she layered the Volumizing Brow Gel over the Micro Brow Pencil, successfully getting a natural-looking blonde brow to match her dyed hair!
Nine was impressed that the Ash Brown Volumizing Brow Gel already looked awesome on its own. Her brows look filled out, with brow hairs perfectly groomed. The Micro Brow Pencil alone allowed her to do detail work easily, defining the tip of her brow and drawing realistic-looking hairs at the base. Using the two products together, she was able to get definition and volume exactly where she wanted! She says, “My brow looks microbladed!”
My eyebrows (below) have a curved shape, but one arch happens to be higher than the other. I try my best to make them look even by shading the underside of one brow, and the upper side of the other. This results in a softly angled brow shape. I’ve favored sword-type retractable brow pens for a long time, as the broad shape allows me to do my brows the quickest.
Off the bat, I liked how the Gandoll Brow Gel in Soft Brown added length and volume to my brows! The Micro Brow Pencil took a while longer to use than my sword-type pen, but I did manage to define both the base and tail of my brows with ease. Layering the two products lightened my brows to a soft chocolate brown. Using both definitely brought out the warm brown color as promised. Still, I favor cool-toned colors as I feel like warm colors emphasize the red tones of my sensitive skin.
Feathered brow look, achieved! The Gandoll Volumizing Brow Gel in Natural Brown put my stray brows in place, and lengthened the brow hairs near the base of my brow. I was able to shape and fill in my brows easily with the Micro Brow Pencil, as the Natural Brown shade is a close match to my natural brow color. I got event-ready, natural-looking, volumized brows when I used the two together. Hands down, this is my favorite shade of the four.
The long and short of it
The Gandoll Brow Collection thoroughly surpassed all my expectations. It’s affordable, accessible, and would work for most people’s skin and hair coloring. I feel like this collection just raised the local brow game not just for consumers, but for other beauty brands, as well.
Still, I find myself wishing there were a darker version of Ash Brown, or even a straight-up ebony color! You know how your brow looks fine IRL, but disappears in photos? My fix is using a really dark, cool-toned brow pencil to define the tips of my brows. A microbrow pencil would be amazing for that.
So, are you going to go out and get it yet? You might want to check out the Vice Cosmetics’ Official Lazada Store. Get #AngGandaGandoll brows in online-exclusive Brow Kits for only P375, which includes both the Micro Brow Pencil and the Volumizing Brow Gel in matching shades.
Gandoll Micro Brow Pencil ingredients
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Mica, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cera Alba, Talc, C10-18 Triglycerides, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Hydrogenated Coco-glycerides, Cera Microcristallina, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Paraffin, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E). May contain (+/-) Titanium Dioxide (Cl 77891), Iron Oxides (Cl 77492, Cl 77491, Cl 77499)
Gandoll Volumizing Brow Gel ingredients
Water (Aqua), Acrylates Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Synthetic Wax, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, PVP, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, PTFE, Stearic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Mica, Nylon-6, Acrylates/Dimethicone Copolymer, Dimethicone, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Silica, May contain (+/-) Iron Oxides (Cl 77499, Cl 77492, Cl 77491)
