I Tried Benefit’s Virtual Brow Try-On—Here’s What Happened

From blue lipstick to glossy lids, I’ve done my fair share of experimenting with makeup. My eyebrows, however, are the one feature I don’t play around with. Maybe it’s the memories of going HAM with the tweezers in high school, or the fact that thick brows (which I have) are trending and I want to take advantage of this cultural moment before the tides turn and pencil-thin arches (which I do not have) are back in again. Whatever the reason, my brows are basically untouchable. So when I heard that it’s now possible to virtually try on brows with Benefit Cosmetics’ Brow Try-On tool, I jumped in head-first.

First, here’s what my brows look like in real life:

Hello and welcome to my brows.

I like the look of a full, feathery, slightly unkempt brow, so I don’t pluck them at all (save for thinning out my uni if I remember to). I usually groom them into place with a tinted brow gel and call it a day. Considering my low-maintenance routine, I was curious to see what they’d look like if I tried something new.

The Influencer

Am I Instagram famous yet?

Like any person would if they were given the power to try on fake brows at random, I went with the Instagram brow first. The shape is more defined than my go-to, but I liked how they instantly made me feel more polished and put-together, like someone who sends thank-you cards and always pays their rent on time.

Recommended for: YouTubers, bloggers, perfectionists, people who are really good at selfies

The Super Skinny

Contemplating brows.

If I were a lot more adventurous, I’d love to pluck my brows into oblivion and go full Clara Bow. Are these the most flattering brows for my face? Maybe not. Are they interesting in an Old-Hollywood-meets-editorial kind of a way? Definitely yes. According to Benefit, all I need to get them is Precisely, My Brow Pencil and Gimme Brow+ Brow-Volumizing Fiber Gel. Probably a healthy amount of concealer, too.

Recommended for: vintage screen sirens, Rihanna on the cover of British Vogue, most people in the ‘90s

The Mommy Dearest

Sorry not sorry for the crazy eyes.

Next, I channeled the patron saint of dramatic brows: Joan Crawford. Let me just say that I did not hate these bad boys. I looked like the evil stepmother in a ‘90s kids movie, and I wasn’t mad about it. If a brow could make you drunk with power, this would be it. Benefit aptly titles this look “Bold & Angular.”

Recommended for: Disney villains, high-powered executives, Scorpios

The Straight Brow

Life is so hard!

I’ve always wanted to try straight brows—they give you this wistful, innocent beauty that I naturally do not possess. My theory is that it’s impossible to ugly-cry when you have straight brows. Benefit says that to get this look, I’ll need Ka-Brow! Eyebrow Cream-Gel Color and a brow wax, which sounds about right.

Recommended for: ingenues, Natalie Portman, K-pop stars, people who look pretty when they cry

My takeaways from this experiment were 1) Benefit’s virtual brow technology is surprisingly convincing, and 2) I’d definitely consider doing a more angular brow in the future. I liked how it made all of my features seem more dramatic—maybe even a little bit scary? Who knows what that says about me, but I’m into the idea of styling your brows differently depending on your mood or as part of a look. I tend to think of my brows as something that should stay the same day in and day out, but there’s no reason I can’t switch up my brows like I would lipstick or eye shadow. Because sometimes you just really need that supervillain, don’t-eff-with-me power brow.

Try Benefit Cosmetics’ Brow Try-On for yourself, or explore the brand’s full collection of brow products and more.