Product review: BGDL Brow Sealer

Image: Tim Beach   / FreeDigitialPhotos.net

[UPDATED: now with online shopping links for this product! Go get 'em.]

First, I must kick off with an apology for the radio silence - I have been moving my life's possessions across the globe! EyelineHer is now based out of the California Bay Area, so this means that I'll most likely be covering a lot more US products from now on. However, fear not UK ladies: I will endeavour also to give prices in GBP, as well as mentioning your shipping options.

So, let's kick off the invasion with a new brow sealer product review!



BGDL Brow Sealer

This is a product developed and sold by the non-profit US organisation Bald Girls Do Lunch (BGDL), which dedicates itself to supporting women with alopecia. Part of their 'Signature Brow Range', which also includes brow powder and a special slanted brush, this sealer is only available from them by mail order (apparently they're working on an online marketplace right now, which I'll keep my eye on.) So, unlike pretty much every other sealer product out there, this one is custom designed to suit 'our' needs - but does it cut the mustard?

Price: $25 for a full-size bottle (c.£15), $15 for a travel size (pictured - c.£9). I'm told that all proceeds from sales go back into the organisation to fund their support programs for women with alopecia - which can only be a good thing.

Availability: [UPDATED] This little baby is now available online, hurrah! You can buy direct from BGDL on the Makeup Shop section of their website. You can apparently also still make your order from info@baldgirlsdolunch.org or by calling the call the BGDL office with an order toll free at  800-578-5332 (UK ladies: you'll  need to add 001 on front of that number). US shipping costs $7, and they'll ship overseas too (extra charges of course).

Application: This sealer comes in a little bottle with a brush built into the lid (handy), so application is quick and easy. The liquid brushes over brows easily, with minimal smudging of colour.

Feel: All good - I experienced no stiffness, sting or irritation.

Staying power: I have to be honest and say that it didn't hold up as well against the 'rub-test' as other products. However, this kind of test is at the extreme end of the spectrum, and normal daily wear was absolutely fine - no flaking or smearing at all.

Shine test: This is where this sealer really comes into its own. For me, the megawatt shininess that comes with lacquering my faux-brows on is the one thing that annoys me. Not only can shiny brows make naturally oily skin look plain ol' greasy, they also work against the whole natural (ie. matte) brow look I'm trying to achieve, and dabbing powder over them can just cause the colours to mottle. So I'm delighted to report that this sealer results in a genuinely flat matte look, which makes faux-brows look even more realistic. What's more, it reacts very well to added powder, with no deterioration of the brow design. I have to admit my initial scepticism about a product being able to deliver zero shine, but on this score, this sealer is fantastic. Kudos, BGDL!

Sleep test: eyebrows sealed at noon (what can I say, it was a duvet day) and slept in overnight. All present and correct in the morning with very little brow loss.

Overall judgement: the total lack of shine, in addition to some impressive staying power, makes this sealer a total winner. I must confess to being initially worried when I found I could rub the entire sealed brow off with ferocious effort, but the fact that normal wear and tear throughout the day (not to mention sleepytime) did not affect my brows at all makes up for this almost entirely. At the moment, this product is selling almost entirely through word-of-mouth and BGDL's events, but when online purchasing is enabled this product will be near-perfect. If you hate shiny brows, this is the one.