BROW GEL
Defining the brow is one of the very best ways to look more polished, wide-eyed and generally enhance the architecture of the face. (Though we’re somewhat relieved that the ‘slug brow’ that has been so fashionable over the past few years seems to have slunk off into the undergrowth, somewhat, with a more natural look taking over.)
Brow gels are easy-peasy to use, you sweep them through brow hairs to tame and colour them at the same time; some also feature tiny fibres that cling to your natural brow, to add a touch of volume. Most of these winners are available as tinted versions, which you can use as a stand-alone product or as a final, fixing sweep in tandem with a pencil or a powder.
We still always suggest a professional brow-shaping and tinting service, from time to time (we’re Benefit babes). This creates a ‘blueprint’ for your perfect brow shape, making it easier to tweeze and shade at home, to keep up the good work.
GOLD (JOINT) AWARD Too Faced Brow Wig
Too Faced describe this as being ‘like hair extensions – for your brows!’ In nine shades from really quite pale Natural Blonde to Soft Black (via Taupe, which our testers had), this buildable formula brushes on via a small, almost mascara-wand-like applicator; it features fine hair fibres which ‘grab onto both skin and hair to fill in gaps and add density and lushness… so you can fake the full, fluffy look of naturally lush brows.’
£22 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I love this; it darkens the brows I have and gives them definition, so they look natural and yet thicker. Better than my usual choice because it thickens too! I can wear it even when not wearing makeup as it looks so natural; you can’t tell you’re using it’ • ‘My daughter said: "Your eye makeup is great today, what have you done differently?" She couldn't tell it was the brows. I did really love this product; it was so easy to apply; it was enough to coat my brows but didn't make them look stuck down, they looked fluffy and full - just how I like them! It lasted really well too and only came off at the end of the day with make-up remover’ • ‘Made my brows more defined and thicker without looking fake!! It stayed put until I removed it’ • ‘As I am slightly ginger, I normally struggle with a shade match, but Taupe was perfect. When I went to repurchase, I noticed they had a great colour for lighter and red hair. Yay!’ • ‘Absolutely my holy grail of eyebrow mascaras; brows looked natural but thicker and fluffier. Lasted all day; I'm quite bad at rubbing at my eyes/brows; this gave each hair definition and looked really natural but was indestructible; my brows didn’t move and stayed exactly in place until I washed the product off’ • ‘A keeper, 100%. I will be using it instead of my usual product, and re-purchasing. I love the idea of fibres as well as colour and hold; it avoids an obvious “drawn-on' look because of the 3D effect the fibres have. Given that I think my thin, patchy brows are quite ageing (definitely a 90s over-plucker!) and something I'm self-conscious about, I was very pleased with the results from this.’
£22 - click to buy
GOLD (JOINT) AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL (JOINT) No7 Eyebrow Wax Stick & Styler
Just the one shade, here – a universal clear wax, in a pencil-style wand. At one end is an angled, solid wax with which to prep and set brows. (That might be either your natural brows, or brows to which you’ve already applied a powder or pencil.) At the other end is a small brush, for grooming. No7 promise: ‘Sweat-resistant and waterproof, it works to set your brows in place with up to 24-hour hold – all with a lightweight feel but minus the flakes, crunch or re-application needed.’
£11.95 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I like my eyebrows; I get them waxed and coloured, but this is such an easy product to keep them groomed (and my sister said my eyebrows looked great!’ • ‘I have quite sparse brows, but they do grow in every direction! But this was very easy to apply, straight from the pen onto my brows, the other end featuring a spoolie to brush through; it’s an excellent brow styler, very effective at keeping unruly brow hairs in place and I will definitely use this again’ • results look natural and defined. Stays put all day, and really helps your brow colour to stay on. I also find I can go longer between salon visits, as my brows look so well-groomed’ • ‘I was asked where I had my brows done, for starters. Another surprise: I thought it would be a bit greasy and pointless, but it makes me look a bit more groomed without adding colour or turning me into Groucho Marx. It is idiot proof and very fast, swipe, brush, done. Good for all ages who have dark enough brows to not want added colour. My daughter said my brows looked nicely-shaped’ • ‘A bit like a thin lip balm; it twists up offering an angled tip that is easy to run across your eyebrows. My brows are a reasonable shape but a bit thinner with age, and I have found that a touch of this with, or without, pencil colour fill in underneath, improves the appearance of my brows leading them to look more groomed and defined in a natural way’ • ‘No crispy eyebrow effect afterwards, or uncomfortable tight feeling; my eyebrows stay in place for the whole day until I cleanse, at night-time.’
£11.95 - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD delilah Brow Shape
From a multi-award-winning British brand, this won a Gold Beauty Bible Award in 2022 in the slightly lighter-toned Ash shade; this time, Sable impressed our testers. This is essentially a brow mascara which adds a tint while grooming the brows, and promises to be smudge-proof. The dinky wand (the whole product really is quite diminutive) makes it easy to fill in sparse brows and tame stray hairs, while creating a full-looking, long-lasting, eye-framing effect.
£19 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘I'm a bit of a newbie when it comes to eyebrow gels but compared to the one, I used previously, this applied a lot better and the colour was perfect – not too much but enough to make a difference. I will definitely be replacing when it runs out’ • ‘No touch-up required. My sister admired the colour and how it went on and tried to steal it!’ • ‘My friend asked me when and where I had my brows done. I’d honestly say: run to the shop – this is the best I have ever tried! It looks natural, yet on point’ • ‘I am a new fan. I was very pleasantly surprised by this product; I thought it would be messy to apply and too dark, but it's very easy to apply with the tiny brush and looks completely natural. It also smooths down any stray hairs, delivering a result that looks convincingly like my eyebrows, but with a natural definition. Lasts all day too’ • ‘What a great product – less effort than my usual pencil, too, I love it! It’s just like a mascara for brows; very easy to apply and natural looking. My advice is: save yourself time and money getting your brows tinted, and use this instead! I certainly noticed a difference and I loved the way it accentuated my eyebrows angles in a natural way’ • ‘It applied very smoothly, as it comes with small brush in the cap. The results are very natural; I was surprised by how good it looked, as I’m not super experienced – but this was super-easy’ • ‘Friends commented that my brows looked fuller and neater. I would definitely buy this product because the small brush makes it easy and effective to catch the hair without getting it on the skin, maintaining a natural finish.’
£19 - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD Benefit Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel
Benefit sent us Shade No.3 of Gimme Brow+, for our testers to trial – a pale taupe, and one of 10 tones available. A previous Beauty Bible winner on more than one occasion, the tinted gel offers fuller-looking brows, effected via tiny microfibres that adhere to your natural brow hairs, and to the skin below; you can use the precision tip to define the arch and the tail of the brow. The formula is water-resistant and long-wearing, and of course it also works to tame straggly and wayward hairs.
£23.50 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘A great brow glue that keeps the hairs in place all day. No need to re-apply. Does a fantastic job at styling your brows and I think it’s especially good for thick brows, which you then don't have to touch up at all’ • ‘Stays ALL day. Looks natural but also can give an eyebrow lamination effect, if you brush the hairs upwards – which I love. Far cheaper than getting your brows done at a beauty bar!’ • ‘Creates non-moveable brows – great for taming the brows and keeping make-up in place. I used to use this product a long time ago but completely forgot how brilliant it was; I'm glad to have been reunited with it and I don't leave the house without it on now!’ • ‘My new go-to brow gel, an absolute brow-saver! Easy to use, compact product with a little applicator’ • ‘100% YES, I’d buy again. Results super-natural, and it’s a really handy size as opposed to the one I usually get, which is the size of a mascara tube. I applied it in two coats, repeating the brush strokes to build colour and definition and get the desired stronger look’ • ‘My brows are very dark brown fairly thick and bushy and it worked well; although the colour was fairly natural it was easy to build up for more dramatic look’ • ‘Lasted amazingly well and blended in the brows with a set finish. I only touched up if was going out for the night I felt that it stayed put all day; it didn't smudge or need touching up. It looked natural and I think is a quick and easy way of adding fullness and colour to your brows without too much effort.’
£23.50 - click to buy
SILVER (JOINT) AWARD Beauty Pie Arch-Ology Tinted Eyebrow Sculpting Gel
Beauty Pie is the disruptor brand from our friend Marcia Kilgore, which offers products at near-factory prices, provided you sign up to a basic monthly subscription, priced from just £4.95 a month, which entitling you to member prices, 365 days a year. If not? You’ll pay the usual Beauty Pie mark-up. (The price below is the discounted price.) This winner is a ‘micro-precision brush’ allows for buildable brow enhancement via a blend of synthetic beeswax and powder pigments, promising ‘all-in-one taming, tinting, thickening, grooming and sculpting.’ Three shades are available
£25 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘It stays well, looks really natural – like REALLY natural and provides a lovely wee self-esteem boost even on those no make-up days where you don't want to feel totally like a naked mole rat’ • ‘Stayed put all day; no flaking off during the day. I think this is the best brown gel on the market; it builds in just a few strokes to give you the most natural looking non-natural brows, and gives you that face-framing look even if you've nothing else on your face. Really perfect for that whole “Oh, I've got no make-up on but you say I'm so pretty” kind of lie, hahaha! Ticks my box: I want lightly defined brows that stay in place and do not feel “crispy!’• ‘Worth having in your make-up armoury, for sure, especially if you're staying over with a significant other and want to look natural but pretty in the morning. A bit of a life-saver, to be totally honest. I honestly don't think even the keenest, beadiest eye could tell it wasn't natural – even close up’ • ‘It has a teeny wee applicator, like a mini mascara wand, and it was really unexpectedly simple to brush lightly over where my eyebrows of years gone by used to roam the dormant landscape of my brow area...and created, bit by bit, a ridiculously natural looking brow! I was shocked and really happy!’ • ‘A great way to top up for a special night out between brow tints, or use on a sunshine holiday when brows fade fast’ • ‘I like the fact it has colour, it lasts, is really quick and easy to use. My teenage daughter keeps taking it, so we are buying them for Christmas for each other!’
£25 - click to buy
BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD Brows by Sarah Wow Brow
Sarah Fogg is properly serious about brows, teaching courses in permanent make-up to a maximum of four (professional) attendees, through her ‘The Perfect Brow’ course, at Alpha Academy. This, however, is the at-home product – and relax, it’s not permanent, sweeping away with your normal make-up remover. Another of the winners that features a mascara wand-style applicator, this brow-enhancing/thickening serum product comes in two shades: rich, dark Espresso, and warm brown Mocha (suitable for blondes or those in search of subtle brow enhancement), which is the one our testers were sent. Peptides and botanicals nourish brow hairs, meanwhile.
£39 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘The best eyebrow product that I have ever used. Needed very little blending; it tended to achieve my desired look on its first application – one swipe of the brush through my brows and they were done, requiring very little 'work' after that. Extremely quick and easy to use, which I loved as often I do not have a lot of time to spend on my makeup routine – much quicker than my usual eyebrow pencil’ • ‘My husband commented that my face looked a bit different; he didn’t mention my eyebrows, just that I looked well!’ • ‘Does not smudge or flake, and stays put (without needing any touch-up) for as long as you want it to, but is easy to remove with any cleanser’ • ‘You MUST try this – SPRINT to buy it! My eyebrows looked great; just like when they had been microbladed, but without the pain! Now I don’t need to go under the blade again! (Though my husband actually asked me if I’d just had them microbladed again)’ • ‘Thank you, Sarah Wow Brow, for a great product, so easy to use. I’ve always found eyebrow products difficult to use; this is wonderful. It looks natural, lasts all day and my face looks so different. I cannot believe the difference it has made. My eyes are framed now and I think I look younger and healthier’ • ‘I’ve been asked what had I changed? I look different and younger, and product-wise, it’s very easy to get the right amount out and lasts a long time!’ • ‘Having used the product every day, I can’t imagine not using it, now. It has become as essential to me as my lash mascara.’
£39 - click to buy
BRONZE (JOINT) AWARD and BEAUTY STEAL (JOINT) 17. Brow + Lash Lamination
A clear brow mascara at a properly high street, affordable price, we’re delighted to have a winner here that costs less than a half-way decent cup of coffee. The wand sweeps through brows, styling, defining and fixing them – and it can be used to groom your natural brows, or to ensure that brow powders, pencils or waxes remain firmly in place till you remove them. It can also be used on lashes to groom and fix – and it’s ophthalmologically-tested as suitable for use close to the eyes.
£2.50 - click to buy
OUR TESTERS’ COMMENTS:
‘This mascara-wand-type applicator did a good job of taming my eyebrows and keeping them in place. But I also used this to tame my flyaways on my hair when it was tied up; just brushed it through, whereupon my flyaways were held in place all day long. For that reason, never mind its impact on brows, I would re-buy this product’ • ‘My eyebrows are tinted and waxed every four weeks to a dark black/brown, to add definition and shape. I use eyebrow tint and sometimes an eyebrow gel to boost. This brow gel most definitely helped my brows to stay in place; it was easy to apply – though a note to the brand: I would like it even more if it had a tint of colour to it!’ • ‘A great taming product for your brows. I don't normally use eyebrow gel and in the past, haven’t liked the finish for myself. But I found it useful to remove any face powder residue, after applying a finishing powder over my foundation; I just run the brush over my eyebrows and they look look nice and shiny – just their normal colour, but glossy and natural and the way I like them’ • ‘To use, simply stroke along eyebrows – it’s that simple to apply, and the brush was nice in the hand’ • ‘I’d definitely re-purchase as I felt it enhanced the shape of my brows – and if you also have unruly eyebrow hairs, this will groom and keep them in place. Once I’d used this, the product then stayed in place until I cleansed in the evening. I also used this on my eyelashes to fix my mascara, and it really works – the staying power was very good there, too.’
£2.50 - click to buy