BROW definer

If there is one single gesture that works to ‘lift’ a face – literally, like a mini-facelift – it’s defining brows. Not the slug-like brow that’s all over Instagram (not our thing) but subtle enhancements to the shape and colour of your brows. Brows, it’s said, are like ‘face architecture’: once they’re defined, everything else falls into place – and that’s so, so true.

These products gained delighted new fans and some very high scores. FYI, we’re fans of going to a professional brow-shaping service (eg Benefit or Blink) so you have a blueprint to create your best brows.

GOLD AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL Make Up Gallery X Fill Me In Precision Brow Definer with brush (Black)

A run away success this, with our testers giving it a very high average score. And it’s available at an unbelievably low price from Poundshop because this cosmetic range is part of the Poundland family, created to offer ‘beauty on a budget’, they say. In two shades, Brown and Black (which our testers trialled), this double ended, propelling pencil – with a spoolie brush at the other end from the colour tip – is simple and very effective, according to our testers. Notably, testers with dark skin tones were really impressed too. There’s a dearth of information on the website about the product; neither the button marked Details or that marked More Information seems to have anything more to tell us. So just read what our testers said below, with four giving it full marks. PS one tester found the twist up mechanism didn't hold the pencil in place, up or down.

£2 - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. I have full black arched brows and this is a game changer for anyone looking to enhance their brows. The pencil is easy to use with a smooth and creamy texture that glided easily over my brows. The pencil itself was thin enough to create precise lines, making it easy to fill in sparse areas and define the shape of my brows.  It provides great coverage, defining and filling in brows for a polished and natural look. Additionally, the pencil came with a brush at one end, which I found very useful for combing my brows afterwards and blending the color for a more natural look. The brush helped to evenly distribute the color and soften any harsh lines. I love that the brush is soft and gentle, so it doesn't tug at my brow hairs or leave them looking too stiff or unnatural. It is impressively long-lasting, so you don't need to worry about touch-ups throughout the day’ • ‘I have dark brown almost black arched eyebrows that used to be a good natural shape. I have now lost the end bits of my eyebrows I think from either age or over plucking. Because my brows are so dark they look a bit odd when I don’t “lengthen” the shape. This pencil gave a precise stroke, which suited my brows and looked natural. It lasted all my work day, seven hours. One of my colleagues asked me what I had done to my face, she said I looked good!’ • ‘I really liked this product. It actually looks better than my normal brow pencils (much more expensive ones).  The hardness of the pencil made for a precise and natural looking lash, and the spoolie was great for softening the strokes in the body of the eyebrow. It really made a difference to the framing of my face and it looked good. I was really impressed - I had not heard of this brand before either.’ • ‘It took some getting used to, as I had to apply pressure to get a darker pigment since my brows are very dark. Loved the thin nib though as it was so precise and the spoolie is smaller than the one I usually use and gets the tiny hairs too. Love that it is vegan too’ • ‘It made the strokes look very natural and the right amount of thickness. I found it very easy to apply and the brush at the end made blending the product in very easy. 2 people complimented my brow definition’ • ‘Surprisingly the colour although black looked really natural on my eyebrows.  As mentioned previously I usually use a lighter colour but due to the thickness of pencil and also the soft black shade, it was very natural but also defined my eyebrows’ • ‘A handy go to that helps to add definition and shaping to brows.  You can add more with the pencil then tidy up with the brush. It is perfect for me as I have thin brows at the ends so I can add volume so that my brows look even from start to finish.  It also stays in place for a long time.  It does what is says as it has defined my brows.’ 

£2 - click to buy 

SILVER AWARD Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil (Warm light brown)

A best seller for this dedicated brow range, this ultra-fine, brow defining pencil comes in a range of 12 blendable shades in cool and warm tones, from light blonde to soft black and cool grey – basically something to suit every colouring. It promises natural looking, hairlike strokes that will transform brows from ‘shapeless & undefined to filled & defined’ face frames that will last up to 12 hours. The twist-up, non-sharpen tip with a spoolie the other end comes in a full size option and a mini. And it’s budge-proof and waterproof. To apply, use tiny hairlike flicks drawn in the direction of your natural hairs, they recommend. Four testers gave this full marks.

£22.50 - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. I loved the look of this pencil from the start - it was so cool. It did a great job - a bonus that it had a brush at the end. It was easy to apply and had staying power. A great investment for my dark brown, medium thickness, naturally well shaped brows, which now need a bit of filling in. the thickness of stroke was just right. It was very easy to apply and came with a brush at one end - which was great to tidy up brows. I received a few compliments. A really good eyebrow pencil, looks great, does the job and is reliable’ • ‘I love this product for my thick pale brows – perfect thickness of stroke, natural looking and stays put for 8 plus hours. I will buy it again for easy effective use’ • ‘I have natural brown brows, microbladed and neat arched shape, regularly tinted. This is a great brow pencil: perfect precision, good colour and glided on with no difficulty’ • ‘When I opened this I thought it may have been a bit of a pain to apply with the pencil being so fine; however, I really liked it.  It went on really well, looked very natural and the colour was good for me too. It was so easy to build up, easy just to target the areas that needed a bit of a boost and didn’t look false at all. Because it’s so fine it’s much better than my usual pencil’ • ‘First time using an eyebrow pencil and this seemed a good to start with. I liked the fine tip and spoolie brush and was certainly able to create a very natural look. The pencil also came with a useful small 'tips and tricks' leaflet. I found it stayed in place very effectively throughout the day. A great eyebrow pencil for creating natural looking definition to eyebrows. Easy to use! ’ • ‘The pencil was comfortable to hold and worked like a propelling pencil, where the end was turned and the pencil emerged. The other end of the pencil incorporated a brush, which I feel was definitely required to give a natural look’ • ‘I was very impressed with how it looked. It enabled me to fill in some of the areas where my brow is a bit sparser but with a very natural looking effect. The colour (warm light brown) was a good match for my hair colour. By using the brush to even out the lines it created the definition I wanted without it being obvious that I have applied the pencil’ • ‘I haven't used an eyebrow pencil before but my brows were patchy due to an alopecia episode and Using this pencil definitely helped me feel more confident. My mum noticed my brows looked thicker. I liked the Fun packaging and no mess due to the twist up function; there was a blending brush which definitely helped to soften the line.’

£22.50 - click to buy 

BRONZE AWARD delilah Brow Line Retractable Eye Brow Pencil

In two colours, Sable and Ash, this has a spoolie brush one end and a retractable pencil the other. The helpful online tutorial suggests brushing up the brow hairs first so you can see where the gaps are. The fine nib is designed to be used with short sharp strokes to fill in gaps with a hair-like effect. Then you brush again to blend and soften the brow. Our testers trialled Sable and gave it rave reviews – again! This was an Award winner last year – and converted Sarah among others. A bunch of high scores from most testers but one just couldn't get on with it so gave it a very low score, which brought the average down.

£21 - click to buy 

OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:

‘10/10. I really liked this product, which was a perfect match with my own medium brown brows. I don't have massive brows, but they do tend to be paler/blonder at the ends so I used this to even out the colour. This product was easy to apply - one end had a pencil and the other a brush for combing out the brows. My only comment with this was that I regularly opened the wrong end first as the ends looked the same! The pigmentation is good and the colour lasted all day; I would touch up in the evening if I was going out, just to refresh my face. I would definitely buy this’ • ‘I am glad I tried this as I have found my new favourite in moving forward. I have medium thick black brows but as a result of trying this, I have moved away from a black pencil to this sable colour, which gives me a more natural look. I really love this pencil; the tip is thin for fine strokes but also glides on to fill bigger gaps if necessary, and the brush is perfect to touch up. It lasted all day; I think it would have stayed if I’d slept in it’ • ‘This is a must for people who use brow products to keep in their make-up bags. So simple to use, even for a brow definer virgin like me’ • ‘Brilliantly easy to use and the spoolie at the end helps brush the hairs through to create a natural look. Really handy little pencil, which did a great job of filling in sparse brows and a handy size for travel. Definitely a keeper!’ • ‘I really liked this liner; it was easy to make natural looking hair strokes. The colour was perfect for me, not too dark but it has a good pigmentation. The brush is great for grooming my brows and it has good staying power, which is important for me as I don't have time to touch up my make-up during the working day. The packaging is sleek and luxurious looking.’

£21 - click to buy