Only I’m no makeup artist. In fact, I’d say my makeup skills are subpar. And brow pencils, I have learned, are tools that should be reserved exclusively for those with a moderate level of makeup know-how. After four years of trying to create a brow look that says natural fullness without appearing too bold or drawn-on, around 12 months ago, I finally gave up. One day, after spending 20 minutes trying to get my brows right, I threw every brow pencil I owned (all three of them) in the bin. And I’ll be honest; it felt totally liberating. Since then, I have embraced my natural brow shape every single day, simply fixing strands into place with a brow gel.
And while at the time my makeup-artist friends thought that was a mistake, now there seems to be a change in the air. Brow pencils are, in my opinion, finally exposed for what they are: a total nuisance. In fact, when I recently spoke with my go-to brow queen, Kallinika Aynsley, (seriously, if you’re after a semi-permanent, full-looking brow, she’s your girl), she confirmed what I already knew. “Brow pencils are literally becoming a thing of the past. People want a softer, more subtle look that is more easily achieved through low-maintenance semi-permanent options,” she says. “In most cases, people are far too heavy-headed with pencils. Comb a brow gel (my favourite is YSL’s Couture Brow) against the hairs, fluffing them up and groom into place. The less-is-more approach to brows reigns supreme—texture over flat, dull drawings wins.”
So if, like me, you are just too damn busy to be spending your mornings wrestling a brow pencil in the name of full brows, I’m about to save you a lot of time. Keep scrolling for the 12 best brow gels that money can buy (and no, you won’t need a pencil).
Tagged: makeup