If you read my 2014 Favourites, you will have seen that Benefit Gimme Brow made the cut as it’s my absolute favourite eyebrow product although it’s on the pricey side at £17.50 for only 3ml of product, so even though I love it, I’ve been on the hunt for a cheaper alternative. When I clocked Essence’s new Spring releases for the first time, one product in particular really stood out to me; the Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel me as the packaging is very similar to my beloved Gimme Brow for under £3? Could it be a dupe?
Just like Benefit’s Gimme Brow, Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel* is available in two shades, and I have the palest shade 01 Blondy Brows which I knew would be too light for my dark brows, but there is a darker shade called Browny Brows. Essence describe Make Me Brow as being a 3-in-1 product offering colour, density and shape, and it contains tiny fibres to fill any unwanted gaps.
Gimme Brow is said to also contain fibres but I can’t honestly say I’ve ever noticed fibres in the formula, but there is definitely noticeable fibres within Make Me Brow. The Make Me Brow contains 3.8ml compared to Benefit’s 3ml so it actually contains a little more.
The tubes are identical in size and thickness, and both products have a tiny, micro wand although Make Me Brow’s wand is slightly longer and wider than Gimme Brow, and the bristles on Make Me Brow are more spaced out with quite wide gaps.
Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel Swatches
Now I can’t obviously compare shades as one is for dark brows, and one is for blonde brows but formula wise they’re pretty much identical with the same pigmentation except the Essence Make Me Brow does have noticeable fibres when swatched like this, although they’re not as noticeable once applied to the brows.
Blondy Brows is quite a warm toned, light brown but somehow it actually works in my brows which I never expected but it blends into my brow hairs very well. Because this shade is a little too pale for my brows, it doesn’t create a full brow effect like the darker shade of Gimme Brow, but I am dying to get my hands on Browny Brows as I just have to try it.
Consistency wise, they’re almost identical.. although the only noticeable difference for me is that when I apply Gimme Brow, I cannot feel it whatsoever but with Make Me Brow it does make my brows feel very, very slightly stiff.. and I mean very slightly which doesn’t bother me at all, but as this is a comparison, I needed to mention it.
It doesn’t make my brows feel crispy or hard – it looks very natural just like Gimme Brow. I’m so impressed with the Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel, as it really is a very credible dupe for Benefit Gimme Brow yet it’s below £3 which is just amazing. I can’t believe how similar they both are, with the only difference being the very subtle stiffness which disappears with a couple of strokes of a spoolie anyway.
If I can get hold of the darker shade, I honestly can’t imagine I’d repurchase Gimme Brow as this delivers everything Gimme Brow does but it’s over £14 cheaper and it contains more product.
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Gemma Etc.
Hi, my name is Gemma, and I’m the writer behind GemmaEtc.com. I’m a true beauty obsessive, and love writing about anything to do with beauty. In addition to Gemma Etc., I also own MakeupMuddle.com, and love sharing my thoughts and feelings about beauty and lifestyle products.
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