12 Best Eyebrow Pencils for Fluffier, Thicker Brows
So realistic, it’ll look like you were ~born with them~.
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IMO, filling in your eyebrows is the most important part of your entire makeup routine (after applying mascara, of course). I mean, take it from celebrity makeup artist Brandy Allen, who says she begins with the brows first because they frame the face. The key to getting thick and full eyebrows? The best eyebrow pencil. The right pencil will literally take your arches to new heights and fill in even the sparsest of brows. Meanwhile, an eyebrow pencil with a subpar formula will have you legit looking like you drew them on with a colored pencil.
But with so many eyebrow pencils on the market, where TF do you even start? That’s where I come in. I found the very best eyebrow pencils that will make your brows thicker and fuller without budging. So stop wasting your money on crappy formulas and try out one of these 12 pencils below. But first, here’s a little sneak peek of what’s to come.
Our top picks for the best eyebrow pencils in 2022:
Best eyebrow pencil for beginners
Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Waterproof Easy Shape & Fill Eyebrow Pencil
Read more
Ready for the rest of the eyebrow pencils guaranteed to give you some holy-wow brows? Cool, because I handpicked the best—with the help of an expert makeup artist—from brands like Anastasia Beverly Hills, E.l.f. Cosmetics, Benefit Cosmetics, Hourglass, and more.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
Pros
- Very pigmented
Cons
- May have to clean spoolie often
It’s the super-fine tip on this pencil that makes it a go-to for virtually every makeup artist and beauty vlogger. When drawn on in faint, tiny strokes, this pencil, which comes in 10 shades, replicates the look of actual brow hairs.
THE REVIEW: “This is so popular for a reason. The colors are great, and the spoolie brush is hugely helpful—I use it to brush my hair into place, and then again to blend out the color. The product looks great and stays in place,” one customer writes.
E.l.f. Cosmetics Instant Lift Brow Pencil
Pros
- Great shape for mimicking brow hairs
Cons
- May leave clumps if you press too hard during application
Okay, this eyebrow pencil is definitely very inexpensive, but don’t let that scare you away because I swear it’ll give you the brows of your dreams. The pencil glides right on (making definition a total breeze), and the spoolie blends everything out perfectly.
THE REVIEW: “I have a couple of brow pencils that I love and have used for years, but an influencer had suggested this one, and at only $3, I figured it was worth a try. This pencil is just as good if not better than the more expensive brands. I will have this on hand going forward!” reads one review.
Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Waterproof Easy Shape & Fill Eyebrow Pencil
Pros
- Lasts all day long
Cons
- Dries quickly, so you have to work fast
This bb is my current everyday eyebrow pencil I grab for. Thanks to the larger head, I can cover a lot of ground quickly, but it still looks natural due to the slanted tip. Plus, beginners have nothing to fear due to the foolproof design, hence the name.
THE REVIEW: “The design of the pencil changed the way I do my makeup, turning it into an easy day to day routine. Plus, I love the pigmentation and color,” one tester writes.
Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil
Pros
- Doesn’t smudge
Cons
- V expensive for a brow pencil
Have you ever filled in your brows, glanced in the mirror, and noticed that they look kinda fake? And no matter how much you try and blend, those harsh lines are still freaking there? Yeah, that nightmare comes to an end with this eyebrow pencil. The combo of powder and wax in the formula allows you to create natural and full brows, and the spoolie at the other end of the pencil easily blends everything out.
THE REVIEW: “I’ve been using this product for over seven years now. I always buy one during the sale, and it lasts me almost the entire year. I can honestly say it’s the best brow product I’ve ever used, and I always go back to it even though it’s stupidly expensive. The shape of the pencil is the perfect thickness and angle for the best brow. I mainly use it to create the outline/define my arch and extend the tail. Because of the built-in wax, it stands the test of humidity in the summer and doesn’t smudge,” one customer writes.
Kosas Brow Pop Clean Dual-Action Defining Eyebrow Pencil
Pros
- Contains castor oil
Cons
- Not waterproof
If you have brows that go every which way, get yourself an eyebrow pencil that is designed to fill in every brow sitch. Thanks to the triangle tip, you can easily fill in sparse areas with the thicker side and create more defined strokes with the thinner end.
THE REVIEW: “I absolutely love this brow pencil. I’ve never found one so easy to work with—the shape of the is great for filing in my brows, and the color match is perfect for my medium-blonde hair. I’ve bought this twice now and will continue to use this as my go-to brow product. Also, the pretty packaging is an added bonus,” reads one review.
NYX Makeup Fill & Fluff Eyebrow Pomade Pencil
Pros
- Creates a very natural look
Cons
- Some users say that in order to get the best color payoff, you need to press harder than usual
Drugstore beauty products can be better than a lot of the $$$ sh*t. I mean, take this NYX eyebrow pomade pencil, for example—not only is the shape of the pigment ideal for filling in both small and large areas, but it also comes with a teeny tiny paddle brush for some serious blending.
THE REVIEW: “There are SO many brow products out there, but what makes this one stand out, to me, is the pencil tip and the brush. I’m so pleased that I’m going to give up on microblading touch-ups!” one review reads.
Haus Laboratories The Edge Micro-Tip Precision Brow Pencil
Pros
- Great color payoff
Cons
- Won’t cover large areas fast
Haus Labs is having a moment rn (s/o to the TikTok viral Triclone Skin Tech Foundation!!!). If you were blessed with thick brows and only need a few strokes or you are a perfectionist and want your brow hairs to mimic natural hair, this here is your bb.
THE REVIEW: “The pencil gives a very natural looking eyebrow, it’s very easy to apply, and it stays pliable to make application smooth and easy without any tugging,” one customer writes.
Uoma Beauty Brow-Fro Baby Hair
Pros
- Long-lasting
Cons
- No shades for red hair
Whether you want fluffy, natural-looking brows or sculpted, IG-girl arches, this eyebrow pencil is for you. The soft-powder formula allows you to build your brows, whatever vibe you prefer, without worrying about flaking.
THE REVIEW: “This brow pencil draws perfectly on bare skin and fills in those sparse areas better than any prestige pencil I have tried. I worked outside in my yard all day, and my brows still looked good,” reads one review.
The Super Fine Eyebrow Pencil Automatique
Pros
- Low-oil formula makes it long-lasting
Cons
- Tip can break easily
Ever wonder how celebs get those picture-perfect brows that seem to look like they are naturally fluffy and thick? Well, a lot of times, it’s because of this super-fine eyebrow pencil by Kimiko Beauty that makeup artists absolutely looooove.
THE REVIEW: “LITERALLY A GODSEND. I’ve never been more satisfied with an eyebrow pencil. I’ll get random compliments on how good my brows look, and people are shocked when I tell them I use pencil...and then they want it, as they should. It is unreal how real it looks,” one review reads.
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil & Styler
Pros
- very smudge-proof
Cons
- Sometimes the pencil falls out of the packaging
Is there anything Rihanna can't do? Seriously though, this eyebrow pencil comes with a superfine tip and a creamy formula that helps you create natural-looking brows with ease. The formula’s also waterproof and smudge-resistant, so you don’t have to worry about your brows fading away.
THE REVIEW: “It’s always been hard for me to find a shade that truly matches my light brows but this is the perfect match. This brow pencil makes it easy to fill in my brows whether I’m going for a natural or bold look,” writes one tester.
Essence Eyebrow Designer Pencil
Pros
- Just as good as the $$$ stuff
Cons
- Not a large shade range
So there are eyebrow pencils with teeny tiny brushes, and there are those eyebrow brushes with spoolies, but this one by Essence gives you a little bit of both. Plus, how can you argue with a genuinely good eyebrow pencil that only costs two bucks?!
THE REVIEW: “I use this product every day. It is my favorite eyebrow pencil, and I always get compliments. People always ask me, ‘Do you use Anastasia?’ Takes me about two minutes to do my brows,” one customer writes.
Nudestix Eyebrow Stylus Pencil & Gel
Pros
- Super convenient for every day and on-the-go
Cons
- Don’t be too heavy handed or it can look unnatural, testers say
Eyebrow pencils are great and all, but sometimes we want to set those hairs strictly in place. That’s why you need a handy-dandy little eyebrow pencil that also has a gel included for your convenience, like this one from Nudestix.
THE REVIEW: “I have tried soooo many brow pencils and none have ever truly matched or looked natural. This one is perfect. I have very sparse brows, I apply this lightly in my natural brow shape, I use a lash spoolie to blend it out, then apply the gel, and they turn out great and look so natural,” one review reads.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Pencil
Pros
- Can use it all over the face
Cons
- Large pencil that requires sharpening with a special, large sharpener
So you did your brows, they’re looking amazing, and now you wanna highlight them so they really P-O-P! Enter: The Anastasia Beverly Hills Pro Pencil, which makes them look on fleeeeeek all day long. This cult favorite pencil is the extra touch you didn’t know you needed.
THE REVIEW: “Absolutely love it. I use it to define my eyebrows and on my water line, and it just brought out my eyes. Worth the price for sure. I love the texture of the product,” one tester writes.
How to choose the best eyebrow pencil:
Consider the formula
Just because an eyebrow pencil is in pencil form doesn’t mean you don’t have to consider the formula. “There are so many different brow pencils; there are thin, thick, waxy, and liquid, to name a few, plus, some are even waterproof,” says Allen. If you’re someone who is pretty active or lives in a humid climate, it’s good to opt for a waterproof formula that’s thick and waxy, so it stays put all day.
Color match correctly
An eyebrow pencil is great for precision and mimicking natural hairs, says Allen, but the application is just one step to ensuring that your eyebrows look natural—the next is the shade of the pigment. “I choose brow colors based on my client’s hair color and tone,” says Allen, adding, “I match the actual brow color first, then if they have a unique hair color, I top it off with another shade of brow gel or wax.”
Meet the expert:
- Brandy Allen is a New York– and Los Angeles–based celebrity makeup artist. Her clientele includes Doja Cat, Rachel Lindsay, Skai Jackson, and many more.
Why trust ‘Cosmo’?
Siena Gagliano is a contributing beauty editor at Cosmopolitan and has two years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle news. She’s an expert at researching and writing beauty stories—like the best eyebrow razors and how to use hair gel as eyebrow gel—and feels especially knowledgeable in eyebrow pencils, thanks to having brows that need to be filled in on the daily. She regularly tests and analyzes eyebrow pencils, while working with the industry’s top makeup artists to assess new formulas and products.
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