Listen up—this is the product beauty editors lean on for long lashes and enviable brows on 'no make-up' days

Nine times out of ten, when a make-up brand has an *actual* make-up artist at its helm, you can guarantee the products are going to be great. Case in point: Ruby Hammer Beauty Mascara and Brow Duo, which I recently tried for the first time.

The thing about beauty editors is, if we rate a product the people around us—even if they are only vaguely interested in beauty—are probably going to hear about it. So, it was actually Marie Claire’s Executive Beauty Editor, Shannon Lawlor, who put me onto this Ruby Hammer pick. “I feel like it doesn’t get enough air time,” she told me when she instructed me to try the half-mascara, half-brow gel hybrid. And lo, I went on to test it for myself. Here’s what makes it a good one…

Ruby Hammer MBE, as I’ve already alluded to, is herself a make-up artist. With decades of experience in the industry, she’s got legendary status at this point, and the list of celebrities and campaigns she’s worked on is probably longer than both of my arms put together. TL;DR: I had high hopes for this product given that it’s from a make-up artist’s brand.

Housed in the signature colourway of black, white and burgundy, as its name suggests, at one end of the Mascara & Brow Duo sits the mascara and at the other the clear brow gel. Its compactness will appeal to space-savers, travel packers and minimalists alike—and I can assure you that you don't get any less bang for your buck.

First up, the mascara. The thing that struck (and, dare I say, somewhat surprised) me when I unscrewed the lid was the wand design. The brush is very narrow—if you’re familiar with the IT Cosmetics Tightline Mascara, it’s a very similar vibe. This allows for great precision, especially with lower lashes, and can be wiggled right into the roots to really encourage lift. It builds a little length but mostly defines your natural lashes for a subtly elevated look—think noticeable, but not obviously enhanced as with a volumising mascara.

As for the clear brow gel, the teeny weeny brush set-up is the same here. You’re able to comb through and shape eyebrow hairs with ease, though do note that it sets in place, then is fairly inflexible (which, let's be honest, is sort of what you want from a long-lasting brow product), so make sure you’ve brushed through and shaped before the drying time is up. It’s a good answer to the best brow gel if you like a subtle, lifted, nearly laminated look. In the above shot, I have a tiny bit of brow pencil at the front end of my brows, but that's it.

All in all, for £28 for two products in one, this is a great product to have in your kit for low-key, minimal make-up days where you just feel you need a little 'something' to enhance your features and feel more 'done'. Yep, I can see why fellow beauty editor Shannon is such a fan.