Pertaining to eyebrows, there are three very distinct types of people in this world: pencil people, gel people, and powder people. Now, to be completely honest, I personally identify as a pencil person, but I do like to keep a tinted and clear brow gel on hand for when I need to create a little more dimension and depth of color and when I need to ensure my eyebrows stay on lock all day or night long. The thing is that there is an abnormally large number of truly terrible brow gels out there. Nothing is more nightmarish than a gloopy, flaky, or—gulp—crusty finish, and I’ve tried my fair share of failures. (I doubt I’m the minority on this, right?)
If you’re a brow-gel person or even if you’re not a brow-gel person (yet), we’re making your online shopping life a little bit easier by sharing the very best selections among the brow-gel crowd. From affordable drugstore finds that garner remarkably expensive-looking results to pricier investment pieces you’d find tucked away in the kits of celebrity makeup artists, we’re revealing the 15 all-time best brow gels money can buy (including the best clear formula in each category!). Keep scrolling! Your arches are about to rise to their maximum potential. Oh, and if you’re curious to know the best brow look to flatter your face shape, check our easy-to-follow guide here.
It just doesn’t get better than expensive-looking brows in exchange for $3. Take your pick from five different shades and enjoy the subtle oomph-enhancing effect this tinted brow formula (which contains tiny fibers!) shapes, defines, and brushes your brows with.
This top-rated wax-gel formula from E.L.F. Cosmetics easily latches onto brow hairs for well-arched definition while the infusion of strategic fibers builds up your brows with a touch more volume.
There’s nothing worse than hard, crusty brows. This budget-friendly brow gel from Nyx simultaneously sets, tames, and tints each eyebrow while keeping things soft and supple.
Fact: A more famous brow gel than Glossier’s all-time best-selling product, Boy Brow, simply does not exist. Try it for yourself, and you’ll understand why it’s a cult favorite. Unlike so many brow gels, which can get gummy, flaky, or tacky, Boy Brow is a creamy and brushable formula, effortlessly thickening, shaping, and grooming any type of brow. The brand recently added a stunning auburn shade to its repertoire, and the solution even contains healthy conditioning agents like oleic acid, lecithin, and soluble collagen.
This clear brow gel from Covergirl is one of the most-wanted, highly rated options on Amazon. Some clear brow gels can veer a little murky or will alter the color of your brows (whether it’s your natural color or the color of a pencil you’ve used), but this one applies crystal clear. The small applicator is super handy for your shaping and sculpting needs, and your brow shape will stay perfectly set all day long.
First of all, we have to shout out the amazing shade range here—from ashy gray to soft black to warm auburn. This particular brow gel is a favorite of my fellow beauty editor Courtney Higgs, and the fact that it’s dual ended, with a pencil on one end and a gel on the other, is brilliant. It’s also waterproof, so you can count on some seriously tremendous wear here.
ICYWW, my brow-blessed PIC Courtney also swears by MAC’s cult-loved brow gels. This one is a new formulation of her old favorite, and it still delivers all the goods: a sweat- and waterproof formula that endures all day and a microfiber-infused gel for expert-level thickness, shaping, definition, and overall volume. Plus, the shade range is top-notch.
Meet Merit, our newest makeup brand obsession. The formulas are clean, and within the WWW office, this exceptional gel-pomade hybrid is a unanimous favorite. Your brows will stay nice and soft thanks to the flexible hold, and it’s jam-packed with nourishing ingredients your arches will lap up. (Think conditioning vitamin B5, which will help lend healthy fullness, plus mineral pigments and kaolin clay to enhance your brows with believable color payoff.)
This tinted volumizing brow gel from Benefit Cosmetics is dearly beloved, and there are a couple of key reasons why. First, you have a whopping 10 shades to choose from, so you can really get the hue of your arches perfect. Second, the gel’s teeny-tiny microfibers easily adhere to your skin and brows for a natural bushifying effect. (That’s not a word, but I just made it one.)
I’m obsessed with this clean brow gel from Beautycounter, and I would be perfectly happy if it was the one and only brow gel I used for the rest of my life. The brush is super-duper small, so you get a very precise application (this is a top priority for me), and I love how well it shapes and sets my brows with zero clumpiness and flaking while still keeping them feeling soft and hair-like, not cement-like. Plus, the ingredients are amazing. Cocoa-seed butter, coconut oil, shea butter, and jojoba oil tag team for optimum conditioning; carnauba wax and sunflower-seed wax groom and define; and nutrient-dense elderberry extract gifts your skin with a hefty dose of protective antioxidants.
As far as the best brow gels go, this volumizing pick from Hourglass is one of Sephora’s all-time best sellers. It contains bite-sized microfibers to believably build volume and shape (are you catching a theme here?), and the unique dual-sided brush is surprisingly handy, allowing you to customize the intensity of your color and volume build.
No brow product roundup could ever be complete without Anastasia Beverly Hills, but as far as the best brow gels go, we have to give snaps to this top-rated clear tube above all others. It’s long wearing, it appears perfectly clear on all hair colors, and it’s even dosed with a calming hit of chamomile to ensure your arches stay shiny, soft, and as healthy as possible.
Chanel makes some of the most indulgent beauty products in the biz, and this long-wearing brow gel receives top marks. We wish there were a couple more shades (right now, the brand just offers brown, clear, and blonde), but the signature cone-shaped brush grants professional-level precision, and we love how natural the well-groomed end result is.
This best-of-the-best gel and tint boasts tons of great perks your brows will love. The texture and consistency of the gel make it featherlight and incredibly easy to manipulate, comb, and set into place; it’s quick drying; and it’s even infused with a special peptide to encourage optimum brow growth.
This lush gel-pomade hybrid from Surratt is definitely spendy, but it’s one of the top choices among makeup artists when they’re working with celebs pre-red carpet. “I love Surratt Beauty’s Expressioniste Brow Pomade,” shares makeup artist Emily Cheng. “It has incredible hold and allows you to create that really fluffy finish. Use it sparingly, as it’s strong, and because the pomade is white, it can leave a film if you apply too much. But it’s one of my faves!” Up next, Eyebrow Mapping: The 2-Second Step for Perfectly Groomed Brows
