Brow Pencil Showdown: Anastasia vs. NYX

If you saw my post from a few months ago, you know I'm loyal to my MAC Pro Longwear Waterproof Brow Gel and Tarte Amazonian Clay Brow Mousse.  I still adore and highly recommend both of those.  Due to the eye surgery I had a week ago (PRK--more on that later), I am unable to wear eye makeup for two weeks.  Since I have also been keeping my face makeup minimal recently, I thought this would be a good time to do a little brow pencil experiment.  Of all the brow products I've used, I think tinted gels and pencils are the most beginner-friendly.  The problem with tinted brow gel is that you can't get very precise with it, but you can with pencils.  They are also extremely travel-friendly; I like to keep one in my purse at all times just in case.  While you will definitely get more bang for your buck with a brow mousse, pomade, or powder, a pencil is great to have in your arsenal.

The two pencils I'm comparing today are the Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Brown and the NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Ash Brown.  They both contain 0.003 oz, and packaging-wise, they are nearly identical.  They both come in a black container with two caps--one contains a pencil, and one contains a spoolie.  The pencils are both twist-ups and are both the same size and have the same consistency.  The spoolies feel identical on both.  Marlena from Makeup Geek posted a video comparing the two, which can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caQMhYEdt2M.  She mentioned that they seemed so similar that she thinks they're made in the same factory (and she would know--she has her own fabulous line of cosmetics).  Both pencils have decent longevity.  They usually last all day on me but can tend to rub off in some areas if I wear them to the gym.  Setting them with a clear brow gel helps them to not rub off as much in this case.

Left: NYX
Right: Anastasia

Left: NYX
Right: Anastasia

So, what are the differences between the two?  The obvious difference is the price--$9.99 for the NYX vs. $21 for the Anastasia.  The more subtle difference is color.  I would say they both have a decent color selection--the NYX one comes in eight shades, and the Anastasia one comes in nine shades.  I did notice a slight difference in the color undertones between the two brands.  Anastasia seems to have a good variety of warm, cool, and neutral shades, whereas the NYX shades overall seemed more neutral/warm.  Ash Brown is one of the cooler shades in the NYX line, but even that shade was warmer than Medium Brown from Anastasia.  Don't let this scare you though.  When I say "warm," I'm not talking auburn red like those old Maybelline brow pencils.  I think the colors in the NYX line are still pretty neural for the most part, and I really like the Ash Brown shade on me.  I think most people could find a good color in both lines, but if you need something very cool toned, you might need to look to Anastasia to find a more suitable shade.  I'm wearing Anastasia on the left side and NYX on the right side.  While similar, you can see that the left side looks more ashy and the right side has a little more richness to the brown.

Naked brow

Filled in with NYX Ash Brown

Filled in with Anastasia Medium Brown

Left: NYX Ash Brown
Right: Anastasia Medium Brown

Left: Anastasia Medium Brown
Right: NYX Ash Brown

Left: Anastasia Medium Brown
Right: NYX Ash Brown

Is the Anastasia pencil worth it, or should you save your money and go for the NYX product?  NYX is my pick, and as long as you can find a suitable color in the line, I think it would be yours too!