The 19 best eyebrow pencils, gels and products in our editors’ makeup bags

As a contact-wearer, I am a huge fan of the Twenty/Twenty Beauty line. Every product is designed with your eye health in mind and the brand proves quality doesn’t go out the door after removing ingredients. I’m currently obsessed with the brand’s Full Brows Tinted Gel. Unlike other brands I’ve tried, this one doesn’t get hard or crunchy and glides on so easily. — Lindsey Smith, associate editor 

I’ve tried a bunch of different brow gels as a self-proclaimed beauty expert, and Ilia’s In Frame Brow Gel is one of the most natural-looking brands I’ve ever used! It’s also super lightweight, doesn’t budge and is formulated with actives that support fuller, healthier-looking brows with every swipe. And if one thing’s for sure, I could definitely use all the brow support I can get! (Shoutout to anyone who overtweezed their brows in 2010.) — Stephanie Griffin, director of social

The GrandeBrow-Laminate has become one of my favorite makeup products of the whole year. I’ve tried several brow lamination gels (to be honest, they all have their merits), and Grande's peptide-infused formula is the best in my book. It has flexible hold that won’t flake, plus the conditioning benefit of the myristoyl pentapeptide-17. You can use it to fluff up the brows for a feathered effect or set them in a traditional laminated look. I also love that it comes with a tiny dual-ended spoolie and angled brush for precise application (instead of the tool being sold separately like with other popular brow lamination gels). — Sophie Shaw, associate beauty editor

I’ve talked about how much I love Merit’s products (namely the Flush Balm) before, and its brow pomade is just as rave-worthy. With the perfect little spoolie brush that gets just the right amount of product on every time, and sleek gold packaging that feels expensive, I get a little thrill every time I reach for the tube. You can build the formula on your brows as well, and I honestly have not experienced a single smudge or messy gloop of product yet. — Rachel Lubitz, lifestyle editor

On days when I just need one-and-done brows, I've been reaching for Merit's 1980 Volumizing Pomade. The Soft Black adds fullness in just a few swipes and helps my brows stay put throughout the day. — Sophie Shaw, associate beauty editor

I have very dark, bushy eyebrows, and Benefit’s 24-Hour Brow Setter is the only product I trust to keep them in check. Unlike other, more clumpy formulations, this gel glides on completely clear and smooth. The bristled brush is perfect for shaping tiny hairs, and they won’t budge all day once they’re dry — trust. The result for me is a fluffy-yet-polished, laminated look that I love. — Chelsea Stone, senior editor

Kosas makes two of my current favorite brow pencils. The Dual-Action pencil is a little hard at first, but it quickly softens up with use. I love that the triangular tip allows me to quickly and precisely fill in my brows and the spoolie on the other end helps with blending. On days when I have time to be even more exact, the Brow Pop Nano Pencil draws ultra-precise, thin strokes — the tip is only one millimeter! — for the most natural-looking hair-like effect. — Sophie Shaw, associate beauty editor

I’m also a fan of good old-fashioned Glossier Boy Brow — in my mind, it was the first product to make me aware that my brows even needed any attention during my makeup routine. I use clear (though it comes in black, brown, auburn and blond) and have found that it does a great job of fluffing up my very full brows and preventing them from getting too unruly. — Chelsea Stone, senior editor

Boy Brow has been in my makeup rotation since its launch in 2015. I love the little spoolie, and the pomade formula gives just the right level of hold to fluff up and fill the brows. The black shade is perfect for my naturally dark hair without looking too harsh. — Sophie Shaw, associate beauty editor

Basically, if it’s part of the Benefit Cosmetics brow line, I’m using it. I’m no brow expert, but these products help me pretend I know what I’m doing. If I’m rushing or not doing a full face of makeup, the Gimme Brow or Ka-Brow! are my favorites because you can add some subtle color and definition. If I’m spending a lot of time on my makeup, I’ll really refine my brows and fill them in with either Brow Zing, Brow Styler or the Goof Proof Brow Pencil — it really depends on what’s in an arm’s reach. I always top off my look with the High Brow highlighter and keep them in place with Milk Makeup’s Kush Clear Brow Gel. — Lindsey Smith, associate editor

When we tested Anastasia’s bestsellers earlier this year, the Dipbrow pomade was the one product that really surprised me — I wasn’t expecting it to be so easy to use. It’s really pigmented (it’ll last you forever since a little bit goes such a long way!) and buildable, and stays put once it dries down. — Sophie Shaw, associate beauty editor

If you’re in search of the fluffiest brows of your life, look no further than Joey Healy’s Brow Lacquer. With an ultra-thin brush that can brush each of your tiny hairs up and out with to achieve some serious Brooke Shields energy, I can say with certainty that it’s worth the splurge. Also, for the redheads out there, the color Fawn is absolute perfection. Not too dark and not too light, it actually adds a highlight effect onto my brows that I love. — Rachel Lubitz, senior lifestyle editor 

You can perfectly fill in and set your brows, but for a noticeable lifting effect, the real trick is to add a subtle highlight right under the arches. Kelley Baker’s highlighter pencil has a creamy, blendable formula that makes this step essentially foolproof. It comes in two flexible shades (I use Light) that add just the right amount of contrast to complete your brows. — Sophie Shaw, associate beauty editor

I’ve been a fan of Kimiko ever since Dani Vincent (the founder) performed her magic on my brows using ~exclusively~ her very own line of brow products. I especially love The Brow Sensei because it’s a luxurious, clear gel-based eyebrow styler that tames and keeps my brows in place, better than any other brow gel I’ve tried before! It’s also formulated with clean ingredients and contains growth-enhancing and hair-strengthening peptides that leave my hairs feeling and looking nourished. I can’t recommend this enough. — Stephanie Griffin, director of social

While I naturally have thick eyebrows, they can always be thicker, you know? Just for fun I started using Healy’s brow serum, which uses pentapeptides, hyaluronic acid and wheat protein that work together to moisturize (which is great for people with dry skin around their eyes like me) and enhance circulation, resulting in a seriously visible difference in just around two weeks. I’ve been brushing on the serum for about two years now (I like to use it as the last step in my nighttime skin care routine) and my brows have never been lusher. — Rachel Lubitz, senior lifestyle editor 

This brow pen and gel duo is a handy 2-in-1 tool to have on hand. The brush tip creates fine lines, so you can fill in brows with microbladed-like precision. Then, the clear gel secures brows in place and dries without flaking. Plus, I love that the dark brunette shade has cool undertones, so you avoid the red-toned look that many brow products leave. — Sophie Shaw, associate beauty editor

The Brow Highlighter set is my favorite product Trio has to offer. I love the champagne and pearl colors because they’re subtle enough to wear on a no-makeup makeup day but also buildable and can add that extra sheen and shine on a night out. This product is cream-based and seamlessly glides onto the brow bone, and the packaging is super cute, too. Bonus! — Stephanie Griffin, senior digital content strategist

I don’t regularly fill in my brows, but if I notice a spot that looks a little bare, this pencil from Anastasia Beverly Hills is a go-to. It comes in a dozen colors (I use dark brown) and glides on smoothly, allowing you to create a fine line with ease. Helpfully, the reverse side of the pencil is a little spoolie brush that’s great at blending for a natural finish. — Chelsea Stone, senior editor

My go-to drugstore eyebrow product has been Maybelline’s Brow Fast Sculpt for a few years now. With a tiny brush that grabs onto and darkens every eyebrow hair you’ve got, it’s one of those simple-yet-great products that makes you think, "Why would anyone use anything else?" The tube is also super-small so it’s great for travel. — Rachel Lubitz, senior lifestyle editor 

If I were forced to choose between one makeup product for the rest of my life it’d be Precisely, My Brow. One end features a retractable liner that makes it super easy to draw hairlike strokes, while the other end features a full-size spoolie brush that helps comb my unruly brows into place and also blends and blurs the formula if I’ve applied too much — which happens often thanks to my heavy hand! It’s also waterproof, available in a range of 12 different shades and best of all, I feel like an expert every time I apply it. — Stephanie Griffin, director of social

Celebrity brow whisperer Kristie Stricher’s whole line of products is superb, but I especially love this convenient grooming kit that comes with a cute case, spoolie, tweezers and tiny scissors. While pricey, it’s perfect for travel and I think it would make a special and luxe beauty gift for anyone that takes their brows seriously. — Sophie Shaw, associate beauty editor