Belated Birchbox Review: ybf beauty Automatic Universal Taupe Eyebrow Pencil

ybf beauty Automatic Universal Taupe Eyebrow Pencil

Handy brow brush on one end

Automatic pencil - yay for no sharpening!

I got caught up in the frenzy of recording and forgot about my birchbox products. This is, in part, because this was an unusually iffy box. By that, I mean that for one reason or another, I wasn't really feeling this months products.

This product, the ybf beauty Automatic Universal Taupe Eyebrow Pencil ($12), falls into the iffy category for me. I don't typically fill in my brows as they are pretty full and bushy all on their own. I just put a little brow gel on them to shape and tame them and go. So, from the start this product wasn't really for me. Personal preferences aside, however, it is a pretty good product and, as it turns out, my sister LOVES it. So, someone wound up with a product they use! On to the review.


I forgot to swatch the pencil, so you will have to rely on my description; I will try to do it justice. It is a dark, almost black, brown. I think this is what makes it "universal". The Birchbox site says that the universality comes in depending on the pressure you use to apply it....I can tell you that black-brown is black-brown no matter how hard you push. And on a medium brown brow, black-brown will look more dramatic (if not downright harsh) no matter how hard you push. So, as far as being a "Universal Taupe", I wouldn't say so.

Don't despair, though. There are some positives for those who find it is a good color match! First off, the automatic pencil is wonderful. I hate losing product to sharpening, so I am a fan of automatic pencils. Also, the pencil is narrow which makes this product great for creating thicker lines, or thinner wisps. The texture is great too; it's pigmented, creamy and almost waxy which is great for brows because it ensures that the shape holds. Finally, the other end holds a brow brush which makes shaping your brows, both in your usual beauty routine or on-the-go, an absolute breeze.

Ultimately, this is a great product for the $12 price tag. I don't find that the color is universal, but if it's a match for you, I highly recommend it! As I said before, my sister loves it.