(Makeup)

The Best Eyebrow Pencils For Perfect Arches Every Time

You really should pencil these products in.

Updated: Feb. 20, 2024

Originally Published: Aug. 22, 2021

We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

If eyes are the windows to the soul, then eyebrows are the window treatments: totally individual, an expression of personal style, and only as inviting as you want them to be. Whether you lean toward full thick brows or barely-there wispy brows, a well-sculpted eyebrow — regardless of how you choose to arch, lengthen, slick, or fluff — can do more to pull a face together than nearly anything else. Eyebrows are transformative, as anyone who can look back at their early aughts photos can say with confidence. A two-centimeter difference can take a face from Old Hollywood to cottagecore in 30 seconds — and with the best eyebrow pencils, shaping the perfect brow can be as easy as swiping on a half-dozen strategically placed strokes.

Since the Great Eyebrow Boom Of The Late 2010s, every brand imaginable has brought out their own versions of eyebrow pencils covering every conceivable angle: some are double-ended with spoolies or thicker tips, some have a color library to match every hair color imaginable, and most have ultra-precise tips that make drawing individual hairs a breeze. To help you construct the brows of your dreams, this roundup details the latest, greatest, and best-reviewed eyebrow pencils out there for the ultimate eyebrow architecture.

We only include products that have been independently selected by TZR's editorial team. However, we may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

Damone Roberts

Brow Pencil

$18

Adored by makeup artists, stars, and civilians alike, the Damone Roberts Brow Pencil is just that — a pencil with no frills or extras, and that might be why it’s so good. Free of even a spoolie, the pencil combines powder and wax for an all-day hold and a natural-seeming finish. Roberts himself personally uses the pencil on celebrity clients like Beyoncé, Taraji P. Henson, Britney Spears, Madonna, and Gabrielle Union. Based on the state on their brows in every red carpet shot, could there be a better endorsement?

Anastasia Beverly Hills

Brow Wiz

$23

It might seem obvious to include one of the best-selling — if not the best-selling — brow products of all time, but anyone who’s tried Anastasia Beverly Hills’ cult-classic, double-ended brow pencil can vouch for its appearance here. For those after a true no-nonsense approach to brows, this fine-tipped nib and narrow spoolie are really all you need.

Haus Laboratories

The Edge Precision Brow Pencil

$20

It’s a relatively recent launch for Lady Gaga’s Haus Laboratories cosmetics line, but this ultra-fine pencil — complete with shades to complement every hair color and undertone out there — is already a top-rated collection standout. The slightly slanted, micro-sized pencil tip is ideal for creating natural-looking hairs and seamlessly extending eyebrow tails. “Natural” and “glamourous” might seem mutually exclusive, but the Haus Labs eyebrow pencil manages to help pull off both.

Kosas

Brow Pop Clean Dual-Action Defining Eyebrow Pencil

$22

Featuring a triangle-tipped nib for laser precision and a formula infused with conditioning castor oil, the Kosas Brow pop pencil glides on skin and through hair for a never-chalky finish that blends right into your existing brow. Fans of the pencil rave about its natural-looking strokes and its staying power — even through a swampy summer, it’s budge-proof.

Mented Cosmetics

High Brow Pencil

$15

To construct a perfect brow arch, you need the perfect brow tools — and Mented Cosmetics has it in four flattering shades. The waterproof formula is guaranteed to last for at least 10 hours while the sharp, defined tip helps take arches to literal new heights.

Nyx Professional Makeup

Micro Brow Pencil Vegan Eyebrow Pencil

$10

Perfect for filling in any gaps, patches, or sparse hair sections, the Nyx pencil’s formula is virtually undetectable in brows which makes it an ideal product. One of the best-selling (and top-rated) drugstore eyebrow pencils on the market, longtime fans love its skinny tip and vegan ingredient list.

Maybelline Total Temptation Eyebrow Definer Pencil

Benefit Cosmetics

Goof Proof Waterproof Easy Shape & Fill Eyebrow Pencil

$24

As its very fitting name would suggest, Benefit’s top-rated brow pencil really is mistake-proof, even for beginners. The sharp angle of the pencil’s nib makes shaping a snap while the long-lasting formula has the fill-in part totally covered. The fat spoolie fixed to the pencil’s other end is ideal for fluffing brows, and the 12-color shade range has something for everyone.

Jones Road

The Brow Pencil

$24

Considering Bobbi Brown basically pioneered the beachy, no-makeup makeup look, it makes sense that her latest self-owned line would be full of perfectly calibrated products made for that brand of natural glamour. Jones Road’s brow pencil is straight up in the way so many makeup artist-helmed lines are — free of spoolies, brushes, or other brow-shaping accouterments, the pencil is sharp, precise, comfortable to grip, and totally waterproof.

This article was originally published on Aug. 22, 2021