Hey kittens! Hope you’re all having a lovely lazy Sunday (I know I am!) however, if you’re feeling a little restless and are looking for something to fill your time today, why not pop down to your nearest Benefit counter? Throughout March, Benefit Cosmetics have been offering a complimentary brow arch service (worth £11.50) for a requested donation of £5. Not only is this a bargain, but the proceeds will go directly to Look Good Feel Better – the only worldwide cancer support charity, giving support to ladies struggling with the side effects from cancer treatment. A PRETTY good cause, right?

Earlier in the week, I popped down to my local Benefit Brow Counter in Debenhams, Market Street, Manchester, to learn more about #BrowArchMarch. Now, since my first ever reviews of Benefit last year, I’ve been converted to the Benefit eyebrow. Every month, I religiously visit the girls at Benefit for a wax and tint. At £18.50, it’s a little monthly treat to myself – in the same way that some girls will get their nails done every four weeks, I prefer to get my brows done. If you follow me on Twitter or know me in real life, you will know how OBSESSED with eyebrows I am… They frame your whole face! I love a strong arch and dark brows. A “power brow”, if you will. 

The ladies at Benefit are not only always helpful, approachable and friendly (unlike SOME cosmetics counters… *ahem*, Mac), but they are also eyebrow experts. They map out your brow shape based on the shape of your eye, check it’s okay with you before even touching the wax – very important, I feel – and then get to work. Because I also like to have a tint, they will apply the tint for two minutes, before wiping off the excess and starting to wax. It really is incredible how much of a difference a little bit of hair dye to your brows makes; instantly they look fuller, more filled in and for me, it almost makes it unnecessary to use any after products on them at all.

When I visited on Thursday, the Benefit counter manager at Debenhams, Cassie, looked after me. Although all of the girls always stop by and have a chat, Cassie is always a pleasure and is a real brow perfectionist (I feel like we properly bond over a brow). She told me that #BrowArchMarch had been so successful that on Saturdays they have had up to 20 people waiting at a time for drop in appointments! So, definitely an incentive to get yourself a booked appointment like myself, whilst you still can! She told me that their waxing techniques had just been updated, too, starting with applying the warm wax to underneath the brow first to create the arch, then taking this around the rest of the brow. Plus, the waxing part is over so quickly, that you really don’t feel any pain at all.

After my eyebrows were tinted and waxed, into a shape that would be natural for my eyes and, I feel, a classic shape, Cassie used a cold compress to counteract the redness left from the waxing and closed my pores using a tonic to make sure no bacteria would get in. Then, the girls always offer to use concealer to cover up the little bit of pinkness from the freshly waxed area before showing off their latest brow products. I usually don’t need to use any sort of brow product for a week or so after visiting as my brows naturally look so full after the tint, however, this time Cassie told me about Benefit’s newest product, Gimme Brow. It’s a small, mascara-type brush that helps to add volume to the brows by brushing in some tint to fill in any gaps in hair, whilst also containing vitamins and fibres to help encourage hair grow. I tried the dark colour and it was just enough product to finalise shaping my brows. At £17.50, I’ve not invested in this yet, but I feel I might have to next time…

There are also a variety of other eyebrow products that Benefit offer, with my other personal favourite being Browzings. This is a little brow kit containing a gel and powder, with two small brushes – the gel is used to fix hairs in place, with the powder adding some extra tint. I personally use this nearly every day and can understand why it is the UK’s no.1 best selling eyebrow product. Benefit Cosmetics have been raising brows since 1976 and I can personally vouch for their service. Plus, an annual collaboration with a charity throughout March is just another bonus.