Kanebo Kate Designing Eyebrow Powder Palette N EX-5 Review

Hey guys!

I bought this kit a half year back when I was searching for a good, solid powder eyebrow product. At that time, I had great success in finding hidden gems of the drugstore aka Kate products. This product currently ranks #1 on Cosme for Powder Eyebrow product.

Brow products in Japan are a bit weird. They are most often not pigmented and this makes perfect sense for their target consumer, a typical Japanese woman (who is 20 shades lighter than me). Even if you use a heavy hand, you can get away with a natural looking brow considering you are tan like me. It is baffling that even international brands like L’Oreal, Rimmel, Bourjois, Revlon to name a few, have introduced the same formula as typical Japanese eyebrow products. So if I want an eyebrow product that performs better in low color payoff and slightly waxy aspects, I have to order them online!

Product Description:

Eyebrow powder to create shadow along eyebrows and the bridge of the nose with 3 shades of light to dark colors. Add shadow at eyebrows and bridge of the nose for a natural contour.

Price:

¥1200

My Experience with Kanebo Kate Designing Eyebrow Powder Palette N EX-5:

Packaging: I love the packaging of this product. It is very portable with a dual-ended brush and a mirror inside. The brush has a small, narrow, angled brush on one end and a flat, slightly larger, contouring brush on the other. Since the contouring brush has a lot of give, it is perfect for contouring the nose. This is because you don’t want a concentrated line of color, but rather a more diffuse application. I like the idea that there are 2 brushes for applying all the shades in the kit. The kit snaps open and shut and is pretty secure. It has not come undone on its own so far.

Consistency/Texture: All shades have matte finish and apply well. The lightest shade is actually of a powder consistency to be used for contouring the nose. The consistency of the 2 darker shades is a low color payoff and a powder-wax mix. This slight waxiness actually helps to adhere to the product well onto the brow. The shades blend well and are smooth.

Shades: I picked up the shade EX-5, which is the darker of the 2 shades that they have. The darkest shade is a true dark brown, the medium shade is a taupe brown and the lightest shade is a true light brown. All the shades are cool toned.

Pigmentation: The pigmentation of the darkest shade is slightly better than the middle one, but still since these 2 shades are slightly waxy while being powdery (even though they don’t feel like a wax during and after application), the pigmentation is bad. So I have to layer on many times for it to show up and properly fill in my eyebrows. But the positive is, that it layers on itself well and can be built up.

Longevity: Longevity is one of the main problems for me with the product. It does not last long on me at all so, I have to fix it in place with clear mascara or Mac Fix+/Elf Makeup Mist & Set sprayed on a spoolie then run it through my brows as a final step. Since the darker shades are wax-based, they are smudge proof but the powder disappears the instant water hits it.

It is important to note here that I have combination skin, so I don’t know how much that factors into my experience with its longetivity of all the shades. It might be different for a person with dry or normal skin.

How To Use Kanebo Kate Designing Eyebrow Powder Palette N EX-5:

I use the darkest shade on the arch and end of the eyebrow, because this is the area which needs the most filling in for me. I tend to use the middle shade on the first half of my eyebrow, because it is slightly lighter and looks more natural. You can also use the darkest shade only on the bottom of the eyebrow and fill in using the middle shade. I do not reach for this when I am in a hurry simply because it takes time to pack it on.

I use the lightest shade for cleaning up under the brows to neaten the eyebrow look. I generally don’t use this shade, but when I do, I find that it does not make me look ashy at all and blends in beautifully. It slightly highlights too,since it is a couple shades lighter than my skin tone. Light skinned ladies can use the lightest shade as contour, and tan to darker skinned ladies can use it for cleaning up underneath and above the eyebrows.

If you are the kind of person who has very sparse brows and have to draw them in and define them every day, then this is not the product for you. But if you just want to fill in your eyebrows, this is a good product to use. Even then, light skinned ladies will enjoy this product the most.

Pros of Kanebo Kate Designing Eyebrow Powder Palette N EX-5:

• Portable packaging.
• Has a mirror and dual ended brush.
• All colors can be used and incorporated into eyebrow routine by light to medium and tan to dark skin tones.
• Shades can be built up if layered.

Cons of Kanebo Kate Designing Eyebrow Powder Palette N EX-5:

• Darker shades are slightly waxy and not pigmented.
• Have to pack on many layers for it to show up for tan to dark skin tones – takes time and effort.
• Does not have a spoolie.

IMBB Rating: 3.5/5

Would I repurchase Kanebo Kate Designing Eyebrow Powder Palette N EX-5?
No, I prefer the NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder instead since it is more pigmented.

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