Thin brows? The 13 best eyebrow pencils that define and fill arches from just £3 – tried and tested

“An eyebrow pencil really can make or break your brows – so I am super particular about the one I use. When testing the Vieve Modern Brow Definer I knew I would be impressed – c’mon this is Jamie Genevieve we’re talking about – but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. The tip is so fine (1mm to be precise) so you can create the look of natural, real brow hairs and very precisely fill in your arches to the shape you want. I can get very detailed with this pencil but equally I can use it in a rush, quickly flicking the pencil through my brows, and still get brilliant results,” – Clare Stephenson, Senior Fashion and Beauty Ecommerce Writer.

Considering how waxy this formula is, there wasn’t much tugging when drawing my brows in. Instead, I can create thin, realistic baby hairs with ease using this pencil. The nib is really thin, which I love, but if you prefer thicker brows, you might find drawing in each hair tedious.

I’m not a cutie in the summer, mmkay – I sweat a sh*t ton, and I was worried about how a new pencil would shape up in the heat.

Well, with this pencil, there was literally nothing to worry about. It withstood a sweat-dappled forehead on a sweltering rooftop in France without budging, which was no mean feat. The shades are limited, but they are true to tone with natural hair colours. If you like a natural, full look that’s more IRL Paris filter than high definition, this is for you.

This used to be my go-to brow product, and after trying it again recently, I remembered why I loved it so much. It’s just waxy enough that it sticks around through sweaty gym sessions and blazing UK summer sweats, but when you apply it, it’s totally smooth! Also snaps for the impressive shade range, including an excellent grey shade.

Ok, this is going to sound shady, but this brow pencil is as basic as they come; it needs to be used with a pencil sharpener, comes in 3 standard shades, and the brush is on the lid, and kind of looks like a spare head of a car vacuum cleaner. Sometimes, though, that is literally all you need. If you want a pencil with punch-over precision, this is great; it's smudge-proof and costs less than an iced matcha.

This is one of the cheapest buys in my top picks, but equally, it's as great as the others. The pencil has great colour payoff and warms up the more you draw. I personally like it as the top-up pencil that I can throw into my handbag for an after-work touch-up.

For me, the best thing about this pencil is how pigmented it is. The shade Black, which I used, is coal dark with cool undertones, so I used a light hand to gently draw in hairs and mimic thickness. If you press too hard, you’ll be at risk of breaking the pencil. Ngl, I felt like an artiste, and my brows looked so healthy and thick.

They were not lying when they used to call this ‘Le Skinny’, the nib is so teeny it’ll have you questioning if it’s on the jabs. For anyone up in arms about L’Oréal Paris discontinuing the Le Skinny pencil, this is the updated replacement. Its super-thin nib allows you to draw those baby hairs really, really fine. It lasts all day but smudges a little if you have sweaty or very oily skin.

I’m a brow pen lover at heart, so this being a duo pen and pencil for all your brow filling pleasure, really spoke to me. Getting two brow filling options for the price of one does come with a couple of cons, though, the main one being that you get half as much pencil as other buys. It also doesn't come with a brush, but I guess that’s the price you pay for the option of both pen and pencil.

This pencil claims 24-hour wear, and while I have never kept makeup on for that long, knowingly, when I’ve been slapdash with my cleanser, I have found that this has lasted through to the morning, without transfer onto my pillow.

This pencil requires a little warming up, but once worked in, I love it. The nib is triangular, so you can go really precise where you want to and thicker everywhere else. The texture is a little waxy, which is why it doesn’t glide on, but honestly, it makes the wear time really good and completely transfer-proof.