Monday, November 5, 2012

Review: James Cooper Eyebrow Gel + Comparison with MAC Brow Set


I was born with thick and dark-haired brows which I find difficult to tame and match with my colored hair. All thanks to brow products which are readily available on our local malls and online shops. Eyebrow pencils, brow powders or even brow gels, name it, they have it! I've always been obsessed with nicely groomed and filled in brows like Noe's of Color is My Weapon. And of course, I want my brows to match my hair color. 


Guess what?! I finally found the perfect match for my trusty Ever Bilena Eye Pencil in Brown! Last weekend I am very ecstatic to find out that James Cooper recently released an eyebrow gel which is available in two shades: Frosted Brown and Dark Brown for only 299php each.


I got the Frosted Brown while my aunt got the Dark Brown.


I almost squealed upon swatching Frosted Brown from James Cooper makeup counter (SM North Edsa). It instantly reminded me of MAC's Brow Set in Girl Boy!! I only get to try my sister's, MAC is beyond my budget's reach at the moment.


The list of the ingredients used. James Cooper is made in France which is a sister company of Pinkie Swear, available on SM Department Stores and Watsons. The eyebrow gel is from their Jazzy Collections. James Cooper is famous among the blogosphere for its cream foundation which I want to try soon! The SA in the SM North Edsa branch  is very accommodating. She let me take pictures of their other products which have just been released along with their brow gels. (I'll make a separate post about that!)


Let's now move on to the review and comparison!
*Note: My James Cooper Eyebrow Gel is only four days old while my sister's MAC Brow Set is almost a year old already. I can only compare the products in terms of color payoff, consistency and staying power. How long will the product last is unanswerable at the moment. I asked my sister's opinions about both products because she's a long time user of brow gel.

Content, Price and Packaging: 

Left: James Cooper Eyebrow Gel in Frosted  Brown
Right: MAC Brow Set in Girl Boy

James Cooper is a lot cheaper for 299php compared to MAC which is sold for 700-900php locally.
Both has clear plastic packaging and black screw cap (JC has shiny finish, MAC has matte finish). MAC contains 8g while James Cooper has 7g of product. The label print, MAC Brow Set on the tube completely faded away after almost a year of usage. I hope JC's label print won't go off easily. 

Wand applicator and Consistency:


The wand applicator of JC is shorter, has a pointed tip, and the bristles are away from each other.

The consistency of the brow gel is thinner or more liquid than MAC's making it easier to apply and spread over the brow hair. 


MAC has a longer wand. The bristles are also closer to each other. Unlike JC's wand, MAC has a round tip making it difficult to apply product on the tail of the brows.

The consistency of the product is thicker and dries easily. The thick consistency of the product makes it difficult to spread evenly. A need to be extra fast in applying the product is also a must as it dries up easily!

Swatches:

Both appear shimmery. MAC is more golden than JC. JC appears to be bronze and darker when swatched.

Staying Power:

I exposed my arm swatches under running water and wipe it off with a tissue. MAC almost faded away instantly while JC remained intact.


I exposed my arm swatches for the second time under running water and rubbed it off vigorously. MAC completely went off. JC won't go off completely. I used a soap hoping it would completely go off but it still left a subtle stain on my arm.  I am very impressed with the strong staying power of James Cooper! 

When applied:

These are my younger sister's brows. She has darker and thicker brows so she's a better model for this comparison.


Her brow hairs on the left are already a bit thicker to start with that's why it appeared darker than the right. However, it's still obvious that James Cooper did a better job in tinting the brows. Her right brow looks so blonde, agree? 

When worn:

I love how the product can transform my black brows into a nice light brown shade that matches my hair color well.


What I like:
  • Affordable for 299php compared to other brow gels 
  • Locally available at SM Department Stores and Watsons
  • Great staying power : Water proof and smudge proof
  • Does a great job in tinting the brows
  • Pointed tip of wand applicator makes application easier
  • Consistency of the product is perfect
  • A little goes a long way

What I don't like:
  • None at all
Rating:
10/10
I've finally found the perfect product for my brows. The answer to my desire to have light-colored brows! To those who have dark-haired brows and who are in search for an affordable brow gel, this is it! Application is a breeze!
My elder sister, a long-time user of MAC Brow Set in Girl Boy, says that James Cooper Eyebrow Gel is a lot easier to use because of the consistency. Also, the results are better. She has the darkest and thickest pair of brows but JC is able to give her nicely colored brows!

Thumbs up to James Cooper! 

What's your favorite brow product? Have you tried any brow gels yet? Share your experiences and thoughts  below! I would love to hear them!  

47 comments:

  1. Definitely gonna put that on my "to buy" list in Philippines!!thanks for this review!!:))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome! Let me hear about your thoughts once you have this!

      Delete
  2. OMG!! I hope they have those here in Cebu,I checked the James Cooper here recently and its very limited in stock :(

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very nice review iya!! Will try it out soon! There are a lot of products out there that are of same quality as high end brands but cheaper ;)Thanks for this one! :*

    http://rubypalabasan.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm really glad to find out about this and it's my pleasure to share it with my readers! You are welcome!

      Delete
  4. Wow! I must try this out... way better than MAC I think. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Base on the comparison the James cooper looks better than Mac, Actually I haven't tried brow tint. :)

    http://eyahnism.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It definitely is! You must give this a try! It's great for women with thick and dark-haired brows!

      Delete
  6. Will definitely buy one the soonest! Thanks for this review, Iya!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're the first person I thought of when I found out about this! I knew you'd like this!

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  7. OMG, only 299? I'm so buying. Thanks! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have tried Etude's brow mascara but I didn't quite love it because it looks weird once I apply it >_< So in the end, I end up just bleaching my eyebrow..hehe =)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tama ka it looks weird yung etude :) hehe

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    2. Super light hand dapat yung sa Etude House >.<

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  9. Thanks for sharing! Been looking for a brow mascara that is super cheap!
    And the comparison to MAC, hmm, the pictures justified that this mascara is a lot better. Thanks for sharing! :)


    ~Elle
    http://littellebratontheloose.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pleasure to share! Thanks for dropping by my blog!

      Delete
  10. omg I must buy this! my etude one dried up already :( I love that brow mascara but it has such little content in it. will def try this :D was about to buy mac girl boy but then its so expensive :( omg and the staying power of frosted brown! amazing! you should def try their cream foundation sis :D super nice talaga! supr love this review <3 Thanks!!

    http://rrraych.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I heard Etude dries up easily! James Cooper is perfect for girls with thick, dark-haired brows. Good thing you still haven't bought from MAC. I will! Welcome! My pleasure to share this with you! :D

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  11. I'm gonna check this out! I love Etude House's I just think you need a super light hand when applying it and whatnot but I get the effect nmn that I need ^^ Baka mas malove ko to :)) Thanks!! ^^

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Agree! The key is using light strokes. Kasi, if the product is directly applied/brushed to the hair the result would be weird talaga. :)

      Delete
  12. saw this earlier today :D

    i bought it without hesitation, i think this will go better with jazzy brow powder no. 1 :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haven't tried their brow powders yet. I put this on top of my EB Colour Pencil in Brown. Thanks for dropping by my blog, Aika! :)

      Delete
  13. I usually don't buy this eyebrow gel because maybe the color won't fit me or maybe it's a bit messy to apply. But when I saw this post, it makes me wanna try it, plus it affordable. Thanks for sharing! :)
    Btw, new follower here. :)

    http://simplyyleah.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're welcome! Frosted brown works great with thick dark-haired brows while dark brown is perfect for thin, sparse and light-colored brows, just a tip. Thanks for following! I'll follow back <3

      Delete
  14. wow really great review, a must buy for me.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Hi Iya! :)
    I am having my first giveaway. :) You might win an awesome COSMETIC ORGANIZERS! ^_^
    I am hoping for your participation. ^_^
    Here is the link: http://thepiinkrouge.blogspot.com/2012/11/novemberrific-giveaway.html

    Much Love!
    -Jan

    ReplyDelete
  16. ang ganda ng brow gel ha! di mo na kailangan bumili from MAC and Majolica Majorca since it delivers the same result! Fab find sis!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Bought one yesterday and i'm loving it!! :) Many thanks to you for reviewing this product! :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. weeee... I wanna try this! :) Thanks for sharing this product. Tagal ko na naghahanap ng ganito na pasok sa budget ko. haha. :)

    Maggie
    http://morbidfrank.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Affordable compared to other brands no? Try it na!

      Delete
  19. Will definitely check this out! Looks promising, tapos cheaper pa. Great review. :) Followed you already :)

    Thumbelisha's Corner

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  20. I saw this in Watson's and wondered if it was any good since I own the mac boy girl set. it's good that there's a cheap alternative when mine finally runs out.hehe

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  21. Oh wow, I didn't know this was available. Thank you for your review Iya.. I'll definitely be getting these 2 instead of MAC or In2It like I planned. :) You're a lifesaver!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are welcome! I'm glad I didn't give in and buy MAC girl boy too. This one is waaaay cheaper!

      Delete
  22. Yiyks! Ive tried the tester in the mall and its really beautiful! But wala silang stock now.. Tsk anyways' id like to ask, anong gamit mo
    Para matanggal ang jazzy ? I find it hard to tanggal
    Kc eh..

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for the review Ms. Iya! :D trying d Frosted brown very soon.. :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Great review! I recently changed my hair color so I am planning to buy a tinted gel for my brows. I will definitely try this one. Thanks for the review!

    Grachel
    http://marvellousmuch.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete

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