In case you haven’t heard, brows have become the hero of a well-framed face and the centerpiece of a minimal makeup look.
The recipe for that fresh-faced look? Clean skin, a subtle glow and lush groomed brows.
Whether you were blessed with genetically luscious arches or you’re struggling with sparse brows and looking to enhance what you’re working with, the right product can make a major difference. Sure threading, plucking, microblading, and brow tinting can give a major boost to your brow game, but when it comes to day-to-day maintenance, we’re looking to the beauty counter shelves to help us out. With all the brow products out there now, it can get overwhelming to know where to start, so we turned to our editors to find out exactly which brow products they’re using and why.
The overall takeaway? The key to adding makeup to brows is to go slow with your products – add a little at a time and gradually build up for the most natural look.
image: beautycounter
Brow Gels
We have to start out with the most recommended product of all – this one below got not one, not two, but three glowing recs! Brb adding to my cart now.
Milk Makeup Kush Fiber Brow Gel
A few strokes of this organic + vegan brow gel add tons of natural volume and a hint of color to my sparse brows. It’s made with a nourishing oil that also conditions and protects your brows, avoiding that icky stiffness that so many gels impart.
– Camille Styles
I have naturally super thick and dark brows (thanks, Dad!), so I need a brow gel that can help tame any stray hairs without making them look too thick. The light tint of this gel evenly fills everything out and makes your brows look naturally full. I also love that this gel is vegan and cruelty free!
– Suruchi Avasthi
I also have super thick dark brows, I don’t mess with them. Just a good brushing and a bit of this brow gel
– Jamie Arendt
Glossier Boy Brow
This brow gel thickens, shapes, and grooms my brows into place without looking too thick. I love that the mascara like wand allows me to brush them up so they look natural and not too “groomed”. The gel doesn’t stiffen or flake so you can continue to touch up throughout the day, but I never really even need to!
– Kat Fluor
With any beauty product, I want something that both looks and feels effortless. I love the ease and simplicity of this little brush. With one quick swipe, I can tame unruly hairs and give my brows subtle shape and definition that will last all day. Sometimes I’ll fill in my brows a bit beforehand with their Brow Flick, which looks like a fine tip marker.
– Michelle Nash
Beautycounter Brilliant Brow Gel
I do my best to use non-toxic products in my day-to-day beauty routine, but get really bummed out when they don’t perform as well as some of my fave traditional products. This brow gel stands up to some of my other faves (see boy brow and milk brow above!). The gel gives flexible structure to brows so you can define, groom, and thicken them as you like without any flaking
– Hannah Zahner
Maybelline Great Lash Washable Mascara
Does this Maybelline tube take you back to your first mascara in middle school? Me too. Still though, this Great Lash clear mascara is my best (and most affordable!) beauty trick. When I’m going for a minimal makeup look, I use this stuff to brush my brows into shape and keep them there.
– Chanel Dror
Brow Pencils
Benefit’s Goof Proof Brow Pencil
In the ’90s when the whole Kate Moss inspired ‘barely there’ brow look was so in, I got tweezer-happy one night in my dorm room and sadly plucked out too much of my brow… And they’ve never grown back. (Insert sob emoji here!). Now that the whole bushy brow is en vogue, I color them in (and then brush them out!) with Benefit’s Goof Proof Brow Pencil. I love that I don’t have to sharpen it every other use and it lasts an entire day!
– Anne Campbell
It Cosmetics Brow Power Pencil
I love it’s universal grayish taupe color, as it allows me to fill in my dirty blonde brows with a lighter or heavier hand depending on how I’m feeling that day (it’s also supposed to work with all brow tones, making it a great all-rounder). And, as someone with truly unruly brows — my boyfriend is constantly shocked by my brow bead head — I appreciate its ultra-chunky spoolie.
– Phoebe Neuman
Burt’s Bees Natural Brow Pencil
When I feel like I need to clean up my brow game with some more non-toxic options, I reach for my Burt’s Bees brow pencil. Burt’s Bees nailed the shade of blonde that works on so many women – not too warm, not too cool, and the price is so right!
– Anne Campbell
Brow Boosting Products
Briogeo B.Well Organic + Cold-Pressed Castor Oil
I maintain my brows with this overnight castor oil treatment to keep my brows growing full and soft. I love this product because you can use it anywhere, not just brows
– Jamie Arendt
Plume Nourish & Define Brow Pomade
One of my other fave nontoxic brow products is Plume’s pomade. Not too heavy or waxy, it glides on and stays on! Started by a woman suffering hair loss after the birth of her first babe, this product is formulated with all-natural products that boost the growth and thickness of your brows, promoting hair growth over time! It comes with its own application brush + a little goes a long way – this little pot lasts literally forever!
– Hannah Zahner
