Have also tried a similar creme product and although the convenience was great, it wouldn't activate and stain well (and yes ... [SEP] Works well for sparse eyebrows and helps stain skin where there are no hairs ;) The longer you keep this on, the darker this gets (brown/black). If you have very sparse eyebrows though i.e. areas where there is really no hair, the dye will not last more than 3-4 days because it is on skin. If you have a little hair, then no worries-  dye will probably last for a week at least (6 weeks HIGHLY unlikely). Have also tried a similar creme product and although the convenience was great, it wouldn't activate and stain well (and yes I used chemical i.e. peroxide gel/creme as specified). The powder capsules can be opened and used in smaller amounts since you won't need a full capsule for each use, so this is a very economical buy. Carefully open the capsule, place the powder in the included grey cap, or on one end of a plastic soup spoon (easier to clean) and mix with the creme. That's how little you need.