SPEND OR SAVE?: NYX Micro-Brow vs Anastasia Brow Wiz

HIGH END ITEM: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz 
RRP: $21USD (excl. shipping)

DRUGSTORE ITEM: NYX Micro-Brow Pencil (U.S. Link and Price HERE)
RRP: $10USD (Price on Ladymoss excl. shipping)

Sorry that I have been completely MIA for a long time! Exams, events and catching up on rest have consumed me. BUT I have and will continue to be active on Instagram no matter what so don't forget to follow me @mnh.beauty (Link is provided).

So to kick start the second half of the year, I am bringing you another SPEND OR SAVE between the immensely popular Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz and the affordable NYX Micro Brow Pencil.

LEFT: Anastasia Beverly Hills
RIGHT: NYX Micro Brow Pencil

As usual, we will kick off with the high-end product.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
Price: $21USD
My shade: Soft Brown

My opinions on this product:
I have used this product for a loooong time now and overall, I love it. That's why I have grown through more than 2 or 3 of these. The colour range isn't too wide, but will actually cater to the vast majority of people. The tip of the product is so fine and skinny that it really allows you to mimic hair strokes on your brows. The formula is definitely long lasting. It is pretty stiff and hard - but it has just enough creaminess to have the product glide on your skin and gives good pigmentation. The spooly which comes with the product is also on point. It's a strange thing to love in a product but it really is amazing. It is densely packed, skinny but not harsh on the skin. It's really really effective in serving it's purpose.

This is the product with nothing else. No brow gel, no wax, no foundation, no base.

However this product is not all perfect. I feel that the newer products getting released in this line are becoming somewhat fatter on the end. Not the product itself, but as you can see below, the packaging at the tip is not coming to a point, it's rounded off and makes the product a bit fatter. Although an extremely minor detail, it really makes a big impact on the application method. Also, some people have found that because the product is quite stiff and dry, it can pull out brow hairs. Now this doesn't annoy me but it is something that I have had happen to me.

Although blurry, the top is the new tip and the bottom is the old tip
(The new tip is fatter as you can see)

Left is the new tip and the right is the old tip
(The new tip is fatter as you can see)

Now the affordable option:

NYX Micro Brow Pencil
Price: $10USD
My shade: Espresso

My opinions on this product:
Once I bought this product, I couldn't stop using it. It is super pigmented - even with the lightest touch. It glides on so smoothly across the skin, but because of its fine tip, you can control exactly how thick or thin you want the lines, and how natural or bold you want the brows to look in the end. It is extremely fast and easy to use - so you can use it for everyday. But because of it's great pigmentation and the formula, you can use it on the days that you want to have a really bold brow. The formula is pretty dry and hard but it is definitely creamier than the ABH one. This is both good and bad (creamier is easy to put on and more pigmented, but drier means more fine wispy lines and possibly lasting longer. But with a good brow gel, both will last forever).

This is the product with nothing else. No brow gel, no wax, no foundation, no base.

The two downfalls on this product are the spooly and the colour. I have espresso - the second to darkest shade. It however pulls a little red for my liking. This is a personal preference type issue so I don't know if it will bother everyone, but I would prefer it to be a little more grey or olive like the ABH one. However, it's not noticeable enough for me to not use the product. Also, the spooly on this is very sparse and not very good. It is not dense enough to really comb through the brows and force them to sit the way that I want. It really need to press very strong onto the skin for that to happen.

Different tips
Left to Right
ABH New Tip - NYX Micro Brow - ABH Old Tip

The Spooly
Top: NYX Micro-Brow Pencil
Bottom: ABH Brow Wiz

Similarities

• Physical appearance of product: Both are skinny and thin with a double ended stick.

• Longevity: They are both very long lasting and do not smudge or fade during the day.

• Application: They are both easy and quick to use. They can both create a really bold carved out brow look, or a very natural wispy everyday brow look. The finish can change depending on how hard you press down.

• Formulation: Apart from the creaminess (look below), the products are quite similar in formula. Both stiff, both hard, both rather dry and both pigmented. 

Differences

• Spooly: The ABH Brow Wiz definitely has a much better spooly than the NYX Micro-Brow Pencil.

• Weight of product: The NYX is much lighter than the ABH. This does change application methods a little bit but you can adjust according to the weight so it's not a huge burden.

• Colour range: The NYX pulls a little more red than the ABH ones. This makes the ABH ones a better colour range in my opinion, but that really depends on your hair colour and your preference. I also find that the NYX is a bit more warm and red toned whilst the ABH are more olive or grey toned.

• Creaminess: The NYX is ever so slightly more creamy than the ABH. It's not a huge difference, but the ABH is extremely hard and dry whilst the NYX has the slightest bit more creaminess.

• Pigmentation: Again, this is one of those attributes that has the finest hair of a difference. The NYX is ever so slightly, more pigmented than the ABH. However I feel this can be attributed to the difference in creaminess. It is not an obvious difference though - especially when you're putting it on the brow.

Verdict: SAVE! Yes the spooly isn't that great, but the product (which is the part that matters) is almost identical, and for half the price. I love both and will use both but I would definitely recommend people to go for the NYX and save yourself some cha-ching!