Essence Make Me Brow Gel Mascara Review February 23, 2021
Tired of pursuing the perfectly shaped and full Instagram block brows? Check out this review of the Essence Make Me Brow Gel Mascara to find your favorite ‘your brows but better’ staple.
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A Little Bit About Essence
Founded in Germany in 2001, Essence Makeup aims to provide fun, affordable, high-quality makeup to consumers. As such, the brand is one of the most affordable European drugstore brands on the market.
Essence Make Me Brow Gel Mascara Claims
The below claims were taken directly from the Essence website.
raise your brows! this tinted gel formula contains tiny fibers that fills in gaps to create fuller, more defined eyebrows. the perfectly sized fiber brush shapes and tames to brow perfection

Packaging & Price
- Clear plastic tube packaging with twist-top cap
- 3 shades available: blonde brows, browny browns, and soft browny browns
- Retail Price: $2.99
Ingredient Call-Outs
In terms of potential irritating ingredients, the only ingredients that stood out to me were Denatured Alcohol and Butylene Glycol.
- Denatured Alcohol is one of the top ingredients in the Essence Make Me Brow Gel Mascara likely due to the product’s intention to shape and tame brows into place. Although denatured Alcohol is a product that gets a bad reputation for drying out the skin, it has many practical uses in cosmetics.
- Also, Butylene Glycol is a known skin irritant that some consumers cannot handle in beauty products. With that said, I never experience any reaction to this ingredient in this formula or in other products.
Is Essence Cruelty-Free and Vegan?
The Essence Make Me Brow Gel Mascara is 100% Cruelty-Free, Vegan, and Paraben-Free.
Application & Wear-Time
- Before applying the gel to the brows, wipe excess product on the inner rim or the tub or the back of the hand
- Gently brush the brow gel upwards into the brows, working the product through the brows
- Build until satisfied with results
- Initial smudging or mess may occur during application, but can be easily wiped away with a finger, q-tip, etc.
- Once dry, lasts 12+ hours on the brows without smudging or fading
Where is the Essence Make Me Brow Gel Mascara sold?
In the United States, Essence’s Make Me Brow Gel Mascara is sold in Ulta, *Target,* and online (internationally).

Final Thoughts on the Essence Make Me Brow Gel Mascara
As someone who has tried a lot of brow gels over the years, I’ve developed a clear preference for formulas that add dimension and fullness to my brows. However, I hate when my formula looks too fake or boxy. Additionally, I dislike brow gels that have hairspray-like hold.
The Essence Make Me Brow Gel* is a pigmented, buildable formula that is affordable and easy to use for beginners. The product may smudge on initial application, but is easy to clean. Once dried, this brow gel provides naturally-looking full brows.
Although not a formula dupe, the Essence Make Me Brow Gel is an amazing, affordable alternative to Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Dipbrow Gel Pomade. Both formulas are pigmented and long-wearing, but Essence’s Vegan brow gel is a sixth of the price and much more forgiving of mistakes. Having tried both formulas, I prefer Essence’s to Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Dipbrow Gel.
Despite the aforementioned praise, the Make Me Brow Gel Mascara has one major flaw. The shade range is pitiful. For such a tinted product, there is not enough shade variety in the line. In particular, I am shocked that the brand has no black or red shades.
Are all Essence products made equal? Read my Essence Ola Rio Eyeshadow Palette review to discover how this affordable palette performs.
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Have you tried the Essence Make Me Brow Gel Mascara? What is your favorite brow product? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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I remember that I used to really like this brow gel but I haven’t repurchased it for a long time. I agree about the shade range- Essence don’t seem to do well with shade ranges in general
I never really purchased a lot from Essence growing up because they weren’t readily available to me, but I’ve come to realize that many of their product ranges (even their shadows) have poor shade ranges… which is such a shame due to the accessible price point!
Somewhere in 2015-2016, I used to be so obsessed with Essence Make Me Brow! It’s like a dupe for the Benefit Gimme Brow that I couldn’t afford during my college days. It’s a wonderful, inexpensive product that does the job but too bad Essence is known for its poor shade ranges.
Due to my eperiences with Essence I’m not really interested in trying their products anymore, I might even be scared lol.
This is so interesting to me! Essence always intrigued me since they seemed like a popular European drugstore brand, but I’m realizing that the quality isn’t as consistent as some of my fave American ones! (Like elf)
I am a brow snob for sure. Not to say I am good, at all at doing my brows…ugh. It’s actually the one one part of my makeup routine that I hate the most! However, over the years, I have tried everything under the sun to fill my uneven, sparse brows. They once were so thick and perfect but due to a terrible waxing job, I once had many years ago that nearly burnt my whole eyelid off, they’ve never been the same. Since then I am overly obsessed and stressed over my brows! I’m scared to go to a “professional after what happen to me but think I probably need too. Thank you seriously for this blog! I will for sure, try this product!
OMG I’m so sorry to hear that. Mine used to be thicker too but I def suffered from bad waxing & even worse plucking (that I did to myself LOL). Parts grew back but some parts were never the same.
I wonder if a “soap brow” product might work well for you since you brush your brows up into position and it gives them a thicker, fluffier look! (This is what I’m hoping for me LOL)
Beautiful review! I like that it is cruelty free and vegan!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Love this review, LP! That is a shame about the shades. I’ve not tried this line before.
I absolutely love some of Essence’s products although I haven’t tried this one. I would highly recommend the lip glosses- I use it almost daily and it’s so great for the price.
i love essence make up products, they’re so cheap and affordable yet still work really well! I haven’t tried the brow products, I definitely need to give them a go! X
Absolutely love this review! Xx