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Refy review: I tried every influencer’s favourite eyebrow products to see if they’re worth the hype

Created by influencer and model Jess Hunt, sculpt away for perfect slicked-up fluffy brows she’s known for

Pippa Bailey
Tuesday 16 March 2021 09:25 GMT
The result is full, defined and fixed brows, with no smudging or flaking
The result is full, defined and fixed brows, with no smudging or flaking (The Independent)
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The new brow brand Refy is influencer-approved in the very purest sense: it was created by an influencer, Jess Hunt – she of slicked-up, fluffy brow fame. Refy has just three products – a gel, pencil and pomade (£40 for the set) – that are all designed to be used at once, but can be layered for a lighter, less “done” look if you prefer.

They’re all double-ended, which we love as you feel like you’re getting more functionality for your money. Each is available in three shades– light, medium and dark: light is an ashy dark blonde, medium a neutral-toned brown and black a deep brown-black (there aren’t any reddy shades here, so those with auburn brows might struggle).

The packaging is very chic: minimally branded and matte, velvety plastic. Each is packaged in a different shade of grey-taupe, which are steadily darker to correspond to the order the products are intended to be used in. It’s a clever way to help you remember the regime when the products aren’t numbered.

Refy recommends you start with Brow Sculpt, the gel mascara, to brush up hairs and create your desired shape. Next comes Brow Pomade, a powdery-cream colour to give even shade and depth, and finally, pencil, to draw on individual, defined hairs. Cleverly, the Brow Pencil is slightly darker than the pomade, so the details stand out. The result is full, defined and fixed brows, with no smudging or flaking that stay put until you wash them off.

If, like us, you find using three at once too heavy, we suggest you set aside the most pigmented of the three, the pomade, and opt for the more classic combo of pencil and gel. We’d also suggest you try changing up the order: starting with a gel that stiffens the hairs can make it harder to work colour through your brows. Instead, try brushing the brows into shape with the tool on the end of Pomade, then add colour and finish with the gel.

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1
Brow sculpt

brow-sculpt-eyebrow-sculpt-refy_600x.jpg

One end of this houses a two-sided brow brush that has bristles and a plastic comb to brush up and shape your brows as wished (pull the cap to reveal it). Once you’re ready for the mascara, unscrew the packaging to reveal the long spoolie. The formula is somewhere between a wax and a gel with a matte finish. The hold is strong but not crispy and your brows won’t fall out of place as the day wears on. It’s white straight out of the tube but dries clear. Excess product tends to gather on the end of the wand so we suggest removing the build-up before applying to avoid a pile-on at the centre of your brows.

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2
Brow pomade

brow-pomade-eyebrow-pomade-refy-light-pomade_600x.jpg

Pomade unscrews at one end to reveal a small pot of pigment, and pulls open at the other for a fairly firm, slanted brush. Dip the brush into the pomade and then work the colour through your brows to fill as required. The texture of the pomade is somewhere between a powder and a cream, and it has a matte finish. The colour is buildable, so you can start gently and build depth where you want it, such as in the thicker ends of your brows. It’s incredibly pigmented, and we found it too heavy at first; if you want a more natural finish, tap into the pomade very lightly and remove any excess on the back of your hand.

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3
Brow pencil

brow-pencil-eyebrow-pencil-refy-light-pencil_600x.jpg

The pencil is our favourite of the three. On one end there’s a small, soft, straight spoolie for brushing and blending colour through. At the other is an incredibly fine, twist-up pencil. It’s more waxy and less smudgy than classic eyebrow pencils, and its tiny nib allows you to draw in individual hairs rather than fill in with block colour. In that sense it’s more like a brow pen than a pencil. If we were only to use one product from the range, this would be it. It allows you to fill in where your brows are sparse in a natural, 3D way, and gives real definition.

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The verdict: Refy brow collection

Using all three of Refy’s products at once in the order suggested creates a slick, “done” finish that definitely looks Instagram-worthy. It’s a little heavy and full-on for our preferences for day wear, so we’d recommend saving the trio for nights out and combining the gorgeous pencil and stiff but soft hold of the gel for a more natural finish.

For more new eyebrow product lauches, read our review of Charlotte Tilbury’s supermodel brow collection

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