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Big, bushy, skinny, or sparse brows—through thick and thin, eyebrows serve as the defining feature that frames your face. The best brow products do more than just shape; they help groom, accentuate, and even create the flawless brows we’ve always dreamed of by filling in sparse areas. “Eyebrows help to ground your facial structure and enhance overall visual balance. A polished and groomed brow will always make your overall makeup look intentional and cohesive,” professional makeup artist Kasey Spickard tells Vogue.
With an overwhelming array of brow products available—pencils, pens, pomades, gels, and more—it’s easy to feel lost in the choices. But fear not: The key is knowing what you’re working with and selecting the right tool for the job.
Vogue’s Favorite Brow Products:
- The Brow Pencil: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Whiz, $26
- The Brow Pen: Glossier Brow Flick, $18
- The Brow Gel: Victoria Beckham Beauty FeatherFix, $32
- The Brow Pomade: Refy Beauty Eyebrow Pomade, $20
- The Brow Tint: Maybelline TattooBrow Long Lasting Tint, $24
“Your brow shape has the power to completely alter the look of your makeup,” celebrity makeup artist Naïma Bremer tells Vogue. “If you do the exact same makeup with a skinny brow, it will look completely different than if you go for a big, fluffy brow.” Bremer goes on to explain that brows are central to the overall makeup look: “You can perfect every other detail, but if your brows don’t look right, the entire look seems off. Brows really are the essential for framing the face, so it’s essential to get that part right.”
Below, top makeup artists break down the various brow products on the market and share expert advice on how to choose the best one for you.
Brow Pencils
Looking to create your base structure? Spickard advises opting for a brow pencil—they’re often wax-based, making them beginner-friendly since mistakes are easily blended. “Generally, a pencil is a bit more soft than a pen. I like using it to draw softer hair-like strokes,” adds Bremer. “I always grab a shade that is slightly lighter than my client’s natural brow hairs, and I fill in the entire brow with it, focusing more so on the end of the brow and keeping it softer at the beginning of the brow.” Ilia and Ami Colé offer fine-tipped retractable brow pencils, allowing you to create the illusion of hair strokes and easily blend with the dual-ended spoolie. Meanwhile, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Jones Road offer brow pencil options with wider tips, ideal for filling in larger sparse areas (plus, Jones Road’s brow pencil shade range includes the perfect one for gray hair).
Brow Pens
While pencils are ideal for soft focus brow filling, pens are best for detailing. “Brow pens are typically felt tipped and have a microfine brush tip that allows you to mimic the look of real individual brow hairs. It’s helpful for delicate detailing work to create the look of a real eyebrow,” says Spickard. With that in mind, Bremer suggests using a brow pen as spot coverage, only creating faux-brow strokes wherever a gap of hair is missing. “Remember, pens are less forgiving than pencils, so don’t overdo it—apply with minimal pressure and a soft hand so it doesn’t start to look harsh or unnatural,” she says.
Glossier’s Brow Flick boasts a semi-sheer pigment for a natural hair-like finish. Meanwhile, Benefit’s triple fine-tipped pen is perfect for creating multiple hair strokes at once on sparse brows. You may have to squint to spot Anastasia Beverly Hills’s brow pen tip—it’s the ideal tool for ultra skinny brow strokes. Still on the fence about brow pencils versus pens? Urban Decay’s dual-ended tool offers both options in one product.
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Brow Gels
The pros agree—brow gels are the most versatile of all brow products. “You can achieve many different looks with brow gel. For a laminated look, clear brow gels with high grip help to keep brows locked in place,” says Spickard, with options from Victoria Beckham Beauty and Kulfi being fan favorites. “You can really comb them up and cheat a fuller brow even if you have quite thin eyebrows. I love to comb a gel in the opposite direction than the hair grows first, to really coat the brows and then comb them up and outwards for a nicely groomed look,” adds Bremer.
On the topic of cheating a fuller, thicker brow—there’s a gel for that, too. “There’s also fiber-based options like Hourglass Cosmetic, which deposit microfibers that adhere to the brow hairs and give extra volume and fullness that a typical brow gel just can’t provide,” says Spickard. Meanwhile, for more natural grooming, Bremer suggests opting for a colored brow gel, like Kosas Air Brow, for the appearance of tinted brows with shorter-term results.
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Brow Pomades
“People are traumatized from the 2016 block brow trend, but pomades are more versatile than you think,” muses Spickard. “Brow pomades typically have a high volume of pigment, so you need to work with more precision and build slowly rather than dip right in and apply it directly to the brow.” For traditional pomade pot formulas like Benefit, the right brush is key for application (though Refy’s pomade has an attached brush and portable packaging).
For hair-like strokes, Spickard recommends saturating a brow brush or fine eyeliner brush with setting spray and then dipping it into the pomade. Next, remove excess product on the back of your hand and start flicking the brush to create strokes like a brow pen. To build brow structure, Spickard suggests reaching for an angled brow brush instead and dipping straight into the pomade. He recommends removing any excess product again before filling in sparse areas.
“A brow pomade is great for oily skin, or if you know, you might break a sweat because a good one does not budge. You can even go swimming while wearing a pomade,” adds Bremer. On the topic of more modern formulas, Merit and Surratt offer pomade options that brush on like gels.
Brow Tints
Plenty of expert-approved options exist for tinting brows outside of a salon. On the one hand, there are tinted brow gels (a celebrity makeup artists’ go-to) that come off after one wash or long-wearing options that can last days or even weeks. Celebrity hairstylist Angela Calisti loves Ardell’s brow tint for a drugstore option. “It includes 12 applications in a full kit; it’s very user-friendly, and it has simple color options to choose from,” Calisti previously told Vogue. She recommends always using an eyeliner brush for precision when applying tints to avoid unwanted stains and smudges.
Celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose says Rye’s brow tint is his go-to. “I love it because it’s the perfect formula that instantly darkens the brows minus the clump, which is unique for this category,” Barose previously told Vogue. “This is so easy to use and looks so natural. You only need a few coats to darken and define the brows.” Meanwhile, celebrity aesthetician and makeup artist Erica Marie Gatt prefers Maybelline’s peel-off tint for quick and waterproof results. Cilrofelr also offers a similar peel-off option.
Meet the Experts
- Kasey Spickard is a professional makeup artist based in New York and Los Angeles with more than 10 years of experience in the beauty industry. Spickard has worked with clients such as Jenna Lyons, Kamie Crawford, and Brynn Whitfield.
- Naïma Bremer is a London-based celebrity makeup artist with over a decade of experience. Her clients include Saweetie, Kali Uchis, Iris Law, Imaan Hammam, Jasmine Tookes, and more.
- Angela Calisti is a celebrity hairstylist and colorist whose clients include Bella Thorne and Olivia Culpo.
- Nick Barose is a celebrity makeup artist whose clients include Lupita Nyong’o and Kim Cattrall.
- Erica Marie Gatt is a celebrity esthetician and makeup artist who’s worked with Kim Kardashian, Sofia Vergara, and Travis Barker.
