FYI: Benefit Gimme Brow Recall

ByLiz CadmanNov 2, 2017 | 32 comments

Benefit Gimme Brow Product Recall

A few readers have asked about this, so I wanted to do a post. Benefit Cosmetics has voluntarily recalled their Gimme Brow brow gel. (This includes both full size and sample sizes.) According to Benefit, there should be no issues if you use it on your brows, but could lead to eye irritation if it comes in contact with the eyes. They recommend you stop using the product.

If you received it in a subscription box (we've seen it in Birchbox, Ipsy, Macy's Beauty Box, and Play! by Sephora), I recommend contacting Benefit Cosmetics directly: [email protected], or you can try contacting the subscription box company, but it seems like readers are getting mixed results with that approach.

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32 comments

Ughhh. Anyone out there with good options to substitute? Headed to a wedding and was planning to use it (my dark hair doesn’t look so hot w my virtually non existent brows).

Angel

I swear by the Tarte eyebrow stuff. Sorry I can’t remember the name. It’s in the brown tube and comes in a bunch of colors. Brush is super tiny so I can actually do my brows without them looking painted on. Doesn’t smear, blends well and lasts all day. I’ve been using it for several years and haven’t found anything better.

Thank you!!! I had thought about trying the 100% pure stuff, but I don’t think it will ship in time.

Joni

Excellent.

Thanks for the great info (and product review!), Angel!

Katie

I contacted Sephora and they refunded me the entire box cost and gave me 100 points.

JennyK

Thanks for this info. I had a very short, polite, to the point chat online (where I said I knew Gimme Brow was recalled, and I would like a refund and 100 points as I had read this was what others were given) and was granted the same thing. I was on hold longer than the chat took!

Joni

I think it all depends on which Sephora PLAY rep answers your call:

I called the PLAY number last night and was told that my sample had no monetary value, but they would give me 150 bonus points.

I then spent 15 minutes trying to explain why I didn’t think the solution of “we will just give you 150 points” was an adequate customer service response because it’s the equivalent of a coupon (you have to buy something else just to get the little sample.)

It was such an awful experience. I finally asked to be transferred to a supervisor, who did apologize for the frustration with the beauty advisor and said she’d do a curtesy refund of the box because they had sent me the wrong color of the product (separate issue.)

The supervisor was nice, but the whole experience was way (way) below the customer service standards that you’d expect from a company like Sephora.

Hopefully this was a rare occurrence and everyone else has better experiences than this! 😊

Just wanted to prepare anyone who sees this that (as I was told by PLAY) a refund is DEFINITELY not the norm, nor is it their policy in this situation/instance.

Best wishes & Happy Holidays to you all 😘

Tara

Does anyone know if we can still find some stock that was not included in the batch that was recalled? I fell in love with this product. It comes up on all kinds of sites if I do a search but I click on them and they are listed as “out of stock”.

Wendy

Why are people putting this in their eye???… I personally love the gimme brow so i realllly hope they don’t discontinue it just because some people wanna use it as mascara?? ITS A BROW GEL!!!

Jttwinly

I thought that too but then I realized that I use the same brush to brush out my eyebrows that I use to brush my eyelashes before applying my mascara and I have been having irritated eyes lately so I wonder if it’s related. I love the gimme brow though so I’ll just stop using the brush for my eyelashes and see if it helps.

Reyna

I agree with Jessica and Kiales!

Patti

I’m distressed that the FOUR beauty boxes I’ve received it from did not contact me about this.

PoisonIvy89

Yes! I took the initiative to get Birchbox to acknowledge it. They gave me a full refund for my August box, but I always thought it should have been the other way round as soon as they knew!

Tiffany

I contacted Sephora directly because I received Gimme Brow in a recent Play box, and they refunded me the cost of the box plus tax.

Michelle

This is a classic case of someone being stupid. Just like the lady who is suing Sephora for get VD after using a lipstick tester. How stupid can you be?

This alert could be for mascara or glitter eye shadow or eye liner. Get it in your eye and it is going to irritate it.

monah

She is not claiming she got VD! Emphasis on VD! She is claiming she contracted oral herpes, most commonly known as cold sores! She is not claiming genital herpes!!!

Elena

It’s a relief! lol

Shana

I contacted Birchbox because I bought some through them… they just told me to use it on my brows and I’d be fine. LOL> That was all they had to offer me or say about the recall.

Jessica

Shana, I sent an email to the above listed email address and got a prompt reply for instructions on how to ship the product to benefit directly and in exchange get a refund through PayPal or a check. If you are concerned I would recommend trying that avenue.

Shana

interesting, because I also emailed the address listed above and got told I can take it to any store that sells benefit products and I could return it directly to them.. even if I didn’t buy it there. Seems to be a lot of different answers given by benefit

Jessica

There is a lot of misrepresentation out there.
If the issue is someone used it as a mascara, than benefit would not have said “recent batches of the product did not meet our stringent quality standards.” Not meeting quality standards is not the same as someone not using the product as directed.
Furthermore, even when used on the eyebrows correctly, it is still possible to get it in your eyes. I am someone who rubs my eyes frequently. It is very possible I could rub my eyebrows and mindlessly later rub my eyes without thinking about getting the gimme brow in my eyes.

Kiales

Exactly. It’s making me kind of mad to see everyone like, “well don’t be an idiot and jam it in your eyes LOL.”

Like, no, that’s not what happened, and stop acting like you have all the facts.

Jessica

Or if you sweat it could run down into your eyes— even if you used the product as directed (eyeroll). Benefit is walking a dangerous line with how they are representing a potential manufacturers defect. Recalls are very costly for companies, and I doubt Benefit would be doing one if the issue was someone was using it improperly. If people sustain harm when using this product as directed (as Benefit claims should be safe), then benefit is going to be in a sticky situation.

Kelly

On Monday I contacted Macy’s through their chat feature. They said they weren’t sure what they were going to do, but would get back to me. I still haven’t heard back. Their 1800 number was useless. The clerk kept trying to renew my box subscription. When I asked her what they were doing about the recall she told me to log into my account. There is nothing about this on their website as of this Monday.

kate

The whole thing started when someone used it as mascara and not on her brows, and then filed a complaint when one of the fibers got in her eye. Ridiculous.

Alicia

Do you have a source for this information, please?

Oh jeez….They should just put out a PSA instead of recalling all their product, if that’s the case. I can’t believe some people can be so dumb

Sharon

We have a saying at work about these types of people: “…SOME PEOPLE, I SWEAR.”

Allison

My mom and I both bought this about a month ago and loved it. So I stopped by Ulta to return it and the lady said the issue is with the most recent batch so not a lot of it was actually sold and they have pulled the product from shelves. She said ours are fine, but I might call benefit just to double check.

Michelle

Will you post here when you find out? I had some older samples that I love and don’t really want to give up!

Taren

It’s just the most recent batch.

Dani

As long as you don’t try to use them as mascara, you’ll be fine.

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FYI: Benefit Gimme Brow Recall

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