Cult Classics: Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 Eyebrow Pencil in Seal Brown

I haven't had the best of luck with eyebrow pencils lately: the oft-recommended drugstore option, Revlon Brow Fantasy duo, turned out to be quite a major let down, and when I decided to give the high-end Kevyn Aucoin Precision Brow a go, I disliked the shade and how scratchy it felt on the skin. Looking back though, maybe I should have given it another chance, because welcome to my current rotation, the hardest of hard eyebrow pencils - the Shu Uemura Hard Formula 9 in the shade Seal Brown 02 ($23 for 4g/ 0.14 oz). Have you heard the raves about this one way back in the day and always been curious? Yeah, me too.

The Shu Hard Formula 9 Eyebrow Pencils are long pencils made of wood with a simple clear plastic cap - the design certainly does not look very luxurious, but I don't mind. I vaguely remember some claims that these have to be sharpened a certain way at Shu counters, but a) no Shu counters in the US, b) it came sharpened just like any other pencil in the world, c) I don't see how special sharpening would change the performace, and really, who has time for that?

The Hard Formula 9 pencil is also the singular worst swatching product I have ever had the displeasure to use. I'm sorry you can't see anything in the arm swatch - I really tried, so much so that I actually scratched my skin pretty bad in the process and had a scab to show for it. To be perfectly honest, at this point I was ready to throw in the towel and I frantically started to look for my online invoice to return the bastard to the make-up torture chamber that it clearly came from. But! something urged me to still try it on my actual eyebrows, and boy I'm glad I did.

When used through the brows, the Shu Uemura Hard Formula pencil doesn't necessarily glide on the skin, but it does transfer color quite easily, both on the more and the less bushy areas. Because the formula of this pencil is so, so firm, it's easier to control and draw in the shape with more precision, which is especially nice for the arches and tails of my brows. When the pencil is sharpened to a nice point, you can also draw in very fine lines to mimick the actual brow hairs - and the pencil looks pretty much invisible, unlike the Revlon duo. I also find that the hard consistency of the Shu brow pencil translated into better longevity; while creamier pencils tend to slip and slide and fade more throughout the day, the waxy feel of Hard Formula 9 really does not budge.

L-R: Shu Uemura Seal Brown, Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Blonde, Annabelle So Foxy Eyeshadow (dupe for MAC Charcoal Brown which I sometimes use as an eyebrow powder. Also, poor inner arm)

Ingredients: Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Stearic Acid, Cera Microcristallina/ Micocrystalline Wax, Candelilla Cera/ Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Carnauba/ Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Rhus Succedanea/ Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Oil [+/- May Contain: Mica, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499/ Iron Oxides, CI 77891/ Titanium Dioxide].

As for the shade Seal Brown, it's a very ashy, cool-toned brown that's a touch lighter than the color of my brow hairs, which is exactly what I was aiming for. While the warmer tones in Revlon Brow Fantasy in Dark Blonde matched my hair quite well when I had it foiled, my natural hair color at the roots is darker and more ashy, and Shu's Seal Brown blends in much better now.

Looking majorly unimpressed here, but you can see not only my brows, but also my 'ombre' (root grow-out) situation.

I really enjoy using the Hard Formula 9 Seal Brown pencil - it's a great staple brow product to have on hand, and the pencil goes down so slowly that I can see it lasting for years to come. However, I find that when I'm in a hurry, the process of filling in with this firm pencil can get a bit time-consuming - so now, I'm on the hunt for something quick & easy; maybe the new Benefit Gimme Brow gel? Have you tried the famous Shu Eyebrow Pencil? What's your favorite brow product to use when you're pressed for time?