Was not shimmery at all, although I never tried to wet it.

It has a matte finish. Wet it to use it as a long lasting eyeliner or leave it dry to use as a brow powder. I've used mine daily for nearly 2 years now and I'm only halfway through it.

This is definitely matte -- no one wants sparkles in their eyebrows!

No shimmer...let your shadows do that. This is for eyebrows and liner.

It is a flat color even though it appears to have shimmer. It doesn't look muted though. It looks extremely natural!

Oddly, not with this product. This stays natural all day. My brow wax, which was very expensive, became like a pencil thin moustache at the end of the day.

It wont flake or fade off through the day watever you use wax or not. This hold very well. However if you need a better hold, you can always wear wax along with it.

Nope..won't smudge or flake off throughout day...been using this in BL3 for about 5 years..

Well, funny you should ask that...I count 1-2-3 on brown on my brush and then 1-2- on black and then stroke from the beginning of my brow to the outer edge. I need that mix to not look like Cruella DeVille. So, yes, this compact is for just that person who has to find a balance between black and brown and I am her. If you are her, you will have this compact forever.

No, the black and brown can be combined together. If you have black hair, wouldn't you want a darker brown to blackish shade anyway? I'm guessing your skin is fair. It really is just a matter of how you apply the product. If you completely fill in your brow the same density all the way across, it will look severe with any color. If using this product dry, it will also create a denser look. I suggest ditching the supplied brush/applicator and getting your own thin hard brush. With a fine line, you can create a nice thin tail to your brow. I do this by making the product wet with the brush. The brush should be nice and thin. I use Shiseido caligraphy pen type Fine Eyeliner brush, but ditch the cartridge that goes inside. That brush on the pen makes perfect lines. I can use it for my brows and my eyeliner with this compact.

You can go with the darkest shade. I do own it and it looks perfect even if I have light brown eyebrows/hairs, very natural, no redish undertone, not carbon black.... just perfect.

Well, in my part of the country, we have darker eyebrows than our hair. And darker eyeliner usually than our eyebrows (latter for evening only though). Almost all of us, highlight, tea dye or do something to our hair. So you maybe should ask the Sephora people about that question.

The color in the picture is the darkest shade.

Ask the Sephora beauty people on that. I am using a new compact that makes me happy but only because I wear glasses that adjust to the light now. So my shadows are a bit more dramatic because the lenses never really lighten up indoors. No one wears much eye makeup where I live during daylight hours either. So I keep it to three shades, starts dark at the rim and gets progressively lighter to the brow.

It depend... I'll go with your natural eyebrows color : if they are dark to medium go with the darkest shade, if they are blond to pale brown, go with the lighter shade.

I am athletic like you. It is sweat resistant, but not water. But you have to relax. Get a waterproof brown mascara and poof up your brows a little and then be an athlete. You will see that you photos will be great with just some waterproof liner and lips and brows with the waterproof mascara. I think the reason is the healthy glow we all get from a happy work out!

This is not waterproof. It would last all day at the office but i wouldnt wear that at the beach. However, if you do, dont worry the product will likely fade away but wont strike. If you want something (more likely to be) waterproof (but really no product will last through a swimming session) try Make up for ever brow gel. I did try this at the waterpark... it passed the humidity/sun test but didn't lasted through all the swimming. However it is the best I've tried so far!

I apply it dry.

Yes. You can just wet it with water to use it as an eyeliner. I wet it with Makeup Forever Eye Seal and it lasts more than 24 hours if I need it to.

I do not know, check the site here. They are a very responsible company.

Go with the darkest shade. It doesnt look severe or too dark or unatural. Plus, because you've got too shades, you can custom it to make it your perfect shade. I

I live in Anastasia country and she is amazing. You need to decide what kind of brow you want. That is not my preferred brow. It is very arched. I have friends and family who go to her salon religiously. They are beautiful. I have a different sensibility. I love the Asian ideas of beauty. This is what makes me feel beautiful. By the way, I am Irish. But this idea runs through Boticelli's idea of beauty and many others. But so does Anatasia's run through many cultures, Persia's, the Balkan's and many others...at the end of the day...what makes you feel beautiful. Look a books of art of women through the ages. What draws your beauty out? Today's magazines do not get it. You are beautiful.