Anastasia Beverly Hills' Brow Freeze Wax Makes Bold Brows Easy

We put the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Extreme Hold Laminated-Look Sculpting Wax to the test after receiving a complimentary sample from the brand. Keep reading for our full product review.

I've long had a love-hate relationship with my eyebrows. They've garnered compliments ever since I was little, but anxiety-induced picking and pulling means I'm often covering up unfortunate patches and holes. I've always felt particularly shameful about my self-induced sparse brows, which, to be fair, are far better now than they were in college.

Suffice to say, I've tried a lot of brow products in my day and feel very confident in my ability to weed out the good from the bad. And after years of eyeing Anastasia Beverly Hills' Brow Freeze Extreme Hold Laminated-Look Sculpting Wax, I decided to finally put it to the test. Ahead, read my honest review.

About My Brows: Thick hairs with a patchy shape

My individual brows are fairly ideal. They're thick but not rigid, straight with a slight bend, and long but not overpowering. As for the shape, it's pretty touch-and-go depending on my level of anxiety and current picking tendencies. At the moment, they're generally full with some slightly sparse areas near the ends and fronts.

Pulling woes aside, my brow routine is fairly involved, but I will say that it still gets me a ton of compliments, regardless of the actual state of my brows. I start with a powder to softly sculpt the shape, then usually use a fine-tipped pen, pencil, or a combination of the two to add hair-like strokes, definition, and coverage in sparse areas. I always top it all off with a strong-hold gel or wax. I told you, it's a lot.

That being said, I need a product that can easily layer with the rest of my routine, keep all my hairs in place (to avoid patchy areas breaking through), and last without getting too crunchy.

How to Apply: Precision is key

There are a few ways to apply this wax depending on whether you have the recommended Brow Freeze Dual-Ended Applicator (sold separately for $17, a sort of sneaky move if you ask me). As a result, the application instructions vary slightly depending on where you look.

If you have the applicator, use the flat spatula end to pick up a small amount of product (emphasis on small—a little goes a long way). Close the lid and transfer the wax onto the back of the cap. Swirl the spoolie brush end into the wax to evenly distribute product throughout. Then, using upward motions, brush a small amount of wax through the brow in the desired direction. For a more laminated look, use the spatula end to press the brow hairs down flat. Continue sculpting hairs into place until your desired shape and lift is achieved.

If you don't have the applicator, gently pick up a small amount of product using a spoolie brush. Using the back of the cap, work the product back and forth through the brush (this might be a bit difficult—I found that very lightly twirling the spoolie in the product is efficient and eliminates this back-of-the-cap step altogether). Finally, apply as you would any other brow gel.

While I do have the Brow Freeze applicator and find that it's the best way to apply the product, I tried using it with a regular spoolie brush to see if the results differed. It's definitely a bit more of an involved process fully coating the brush without getting too much on there, but once applied to my brows, the outcome was pretty much the same.

The instructions make a point of mentioning the cap must remain tightly closed at all times when not in use to maintain optimal appearance and efficacy. I assume this is in direct response to the handful of complaints claiming the product hardens, goes bad, or grows mold.

The Results: Fluffy, full brows

I had four major concerns going into testing: ease of application, how the product would dry down, hold and definition, and staying power. We talked about application already, and I will caveat that once you figure out a good method, it is fairly easy. I find that the key is using the right amount of product—grab less than you think; you can always go back for more.

What I really love about applying the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Wax is the room for error. It takes some time to dry down, meaning you can really play with your shape while applying and find what works best for you—I've found that many comparable gels and waxes only allow for one or two swipes through the brows before hardening, which means you need to work quickly and precisely (and I'm no professional).

There are two major hazards when it comes to thick, gooey brow gels and waxes like this one. The first is those little balls of pilled-off product and white residue flakes that can appear after the product dries down, and the second is a crunchy, sticky, wet-feeling brow. As for the first issue, I had no problems with product pilling or flaking off—whether I used the wax alone, on top of, or underneath other brow products. Again, I think the key here is using the right amount of product.

As for the sticky, crunchy feeling, I had mixed results. The product definitely takes a while to dry after application, and once it did, my brows were sticky and slightly stiff but felt fine as long as I wasn't touching them. I think this is pretty par for the course given the product—what you lose in brow softness, you gain in hold and staying power.

I'm very impressed with the bold, laminated effect this gives my brows. Because of the occasional patches and holes, I never felt like brow lamination would do much for me—I'd need to apply just as much product with or without one. I'm starting to rethink that now.

In the image below, my left brow is totally bare, while I used the Brow Freeze Wax on the right brow. While the difference is somewhat subtle, the right brow definitely looks fuller, fluffier, and bolder—and I'd need far less product to fill it in than I would without the wax. While my brows certainly don't feel fluffy with the somewhat-gooey wax on, they absolutely look the part.

To really test the staying power, I went to the mall—what better way to test a brow gel's hold than repeatedly dressing and undressing in tiny changing rooms? Despite many different tops swiping across my face (so much that my foundation ended up transferring onto my T-shirt) and some definite sweating, the brows stayed in place. The proof is in the uncomfortable close-up shot below.

The Value: Well worth it

I've never come across another brow product like this. While I know there are now dupes (which I haven't tried), I actually think $23 is a pretty reasonable price given the amount of product you get. Even after a month of use, I've barely made a dent. And while there are a lot of products that claim long-wearing hold and definition, I've yet to see one perform this well.

Similar Products: You've got options

e.l.f. Brow Lift: This affordable option ($6) seems to be a direct dupe of the ABH product. While I haven't tried it myself, I will say that e.l.f. has had a pretty good track record recently, and you just can't beat that price.

Refy Brow Sculpt Shape and Hold Gel: I've tried this brow wax-gel hybrid ($24) and to be honest, it left me with those dreaded pill balls all over my brows. That being said, I know a ton of people swear by this, so it could've been user error.

NYX Brow Glue Gel Styler: NYX offers another low-cost option with this glue-like gel formula ($9). The flake-resistant styler dries down non-sticky with a natural finish and 16-hour hold.