*Links marked with asterisks are affiliate links, they help Ree with the cost of running the blog
Price in
I always get really excited when MERIT launches new products and it looks like 2024 is all about the brow because they’ve released a brow pencil and reformulated their brow gel. In this post I’m showing you the MERIT Beauty Brow 1990 gel pencil. I have swatches of all the shades to show you.
What is MERIT Beauty Brow 1990 Gel Pencil?
MERIT calls it a clear gel pencil, designed to “combat the stiff, sharp application of other micro pencils without sacrificing precision.”
- Ultra thin 0.9mm tip, arguably one of the thinnest brow pencils on the market
- Gentle gel formula for sheer, buildable color
- Soft shadow finish contrasts with hair-like strokes
- Designed to be an easier application method for non-experts
- It applies smoothly without tugging or tugging on sensitive skin
- It offers volume and definition with a natural look
- Available in 4 shades
Basic Ingredients
Sunflower oil – provides light moisture, rich in nourishing vitamin E
Safflower extract – to encourage softer, more bouncy hair.
Hibiscus flower extract – rich in amino acids that help in hair care
MERIT Beauty Brow 1990 Gel Pencil Shades & Swatches
There are four shades to choose from in the pencil collection:
- Taupe
- Light brown
- Dark brown
- Black coffee
Samples
Here are samples of grey, light brown, dark brown and black-brown:
Before & After photo
I chose the shade Taupe as I do with most eyeliners. With my blonde hair, I find this suits me best. It’s also the shade I use in the Victoria Beckham Beauty Baby Blade Brow Pencil – see the review and swatches of that here.
My review of the MERIT Beauty Brow 1990 Gel Pencil
I think this is a really great brow pencil that is super easy to use and gives a defined but very natural result.
The pencil itself is very thin, so you need to make sure you only twist a small amount of product to avoid any breakage. From the first few times I used the shade Taupe, I wasn’t very careful and ended up losing some of the product.
The color glides on effortlessly, without looking too heavy, thanks to its sheer formula. This makes it pretty foolproof to use and has a great spool to help blend and smooth out any heaviness.
Also, the shades have a nice neutral undertone so you won’t have to worry about colors looking too warm, which is one of my pet peeves when it comes to brow products.
The finish is very long and I found that my brows stayed put until it was time to remove my makeup. I also left the swatches on my arm as an extra test, and they really didn’t budge. It performs really well.
The only negative, and I actually have a similar opinion about the VB eyebrow pencil, is that I think you might outgrow each pencil pretty quickly. When I’ve used them, I find that I have to twist the product a bit a few times to do both brows.
Where to buy it
The MERIT Beauty Brow 1990 Gel Pencil is £20 and is available via the link below:
