[Review] Shu Uemura – Hard 9 Formula Brow Pencils in #Acorn & #StoneGray

Hey everyone, HAPPY NEW 2016!!!!! Apologies for the long hiatus! I’m back with a review of Shu Uemura’s Hard 9 Brow Pencils! These have been raved and used by so many bloggers lately isn’t it?  It’s strange as I started using them wayyyy before they got so famous and it’s great to see more people realise its beauty :p

Brand: Shu Uemura
Product: Hard Formula Brow Pencils (or commonly known as “Hard 9”)
Shade: Acorn, Stone Grey
Price: SGD 33, USD 23, JPY 2300
Type: Eyebrow Pencil
Origin: Made in Japan

THE PACKAGING

Nothing fancy.  A simple pencil with a transparent cap lol XD.

THE PRODUCT

Quoting from shu uemura website:

“This unique eyebrow pencil only releases color pigment when it interacts with the oils in the brow hairs. The result is a natural, defined brows. Smudge-proof and long-lasting.”

If you try to swatch the colour onto the back of your hand, good luck!  The colour somehow only reveals itself when you draw it on the brows themselves… how intriguing!

Also, notice how they sharpen it to the shape of a “samurai sword”.  Sharpening is free at any shu uemura counter and I simply love this special “cut” of the pencil!  Makes it much easier to define and outline the brows and I believe it also enhances colour payoff.

THE SHADES

I have got two shades for you today – Acorn and Stone Gray.  Don’t you love the samurai sword cut? *always impressed*

Acorn is a warm brown tone suitable for Asian or fair skin stone, while Stone Gray is a darker gray-brown suitable for dark-hair girls like me.

There are many shades available!  I realised different countries offer different shades but Japan should have the most variety 🙂

Top row (Hard 9):  Sound Black, Seal Brown, Brown, Stone Gray, Acorn, Walnut Brown, Tea Beige

Bottom row (Hard 6): Seal Brown

Looking at the palette, I find Seal Brown, Stone Gray and Acorn to be safe bets for fair skin tones.

Check out the transformation!

The samurai sword shape really helps the outlining at the end of the brows before filling them in.  I typically use Acorn to outline, and then a mix of Acorn and Stone Gray to fill in.  Or I would use Stone Gray alone if my eye look suits a grey-black tone rather than brown tone.

Tips:

• Stroke it quite a few times to fill in as the colour comes out really soft and light so you don’t have to worry about having harsh brows at all.
• Need some slight pressure too, but be careful not too press to hard or you’ll break the beautiful sword!
• Hold the pencil at an angle where the sword is parallel to your brows, and you can also draw brow hairs to mimmick your natural brows for a natural look.

Small trick discovery!  I used it for nose contouring too.. so handy!

Just use fingers to blend. It’s so quick and easy!

MY VERDICT

PROS

• Super natural look, no worries on harsh fierce brows
• Samurai sword shape is unique in the market and helps in outlining corners of the brows
• Long lasting (I typically need to sharpen once in 4-6 weeks) and the pencil probably lasts a year or so
• Variety of neutral shades available
• Tried and tested (and loved!) by many since 25 years ago

CONS

• Pricey – so many cheaper alternatives available
• Colour a bit too light?  The ‘natural’ result is a good thing, but can be annoying if you prefer slightly more defined or darker brows
• Cumbersome to go pencil sharpening at shu uemura counters every now and then

OVERALL

If you are into natural soft brows, I think this is a great product for you.  I’ve tried many other brow pencils (Korean, cheaper alternatives) and sometimes those can come out stronger than I want it to be but this shu uemura ones never does that.  Always soft and natural no matter how much you fill in.  I did repurchase mine after who-knows-how-many-years because it took me soooo long to finish ONE pencil.  Try it out at the shu uemura counter before you make the investment – remember you need to draw it on your brows to experience it, not on your palm or back of your hand 🙂