Best Drugstore Eyebrow Pencil That you Need to Try

When you have one of the best eyebrow pencils to shape your arches and fill in any gaps, framing your face takes a lot less time. It’s important to remember that brows are sisters, not twins, so no two are exactly the same.

Each one is a different color, size, and shape. But these thin, fine-tipped tools will help you make your brows look more even and natural. It may take some trial and error to find your best among the many options on the market.

So, I tried out eyebrow pencils for a few months so that we could all have better brows. As a busy mom who likes to work out while wearing makeup, I made sure they worked in a variety of settings. It was hot in New York City, so I wore my freshly filled-in brows to the spa and to dinners in the evening.

The pencils had to work through pool parties, tennis games where people got sweaty, and beach holidays. To find the best pencils, I ranked them based on how easy they were to use, as well as their shade, thickness, and ability to mix. I’ve put the following pencils in my “all-time hall of fame.” This should help you find your new best eyebrow pencil.

Best Eyebrow Pencils

Anastasia Beverly Hills

From a short time to now, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz has become an important part of my makeup process. The Brow Wiz is very simple to use, and the fine pencil tip lets you make precise strokes that look like hairs, which is exactly what I need to make my eyebrows look natural.

The texture is smooth, and it goes on easily without stopping or pulling at the skin. This makes it easy to fill in gaps or define the shape of my brows. I also like that the pencil can be twisted back into itself, so I don’t have to sharpen it.

That the Brow Wiz doesn’t smudge or fade during the day is a big plus for me. There’s been times when it was really hot and sticky, but it still stays put without any trouble. Because it doesn’t flake or build up during the day, my brows look clean from morning until night.

The only bad thing about the Brow Wiz is that it costs more than some other eyebrow pencils, but I believe the quality and performance make it worth the money.

Charlotte Tilbury Refillable Eyebrow Pencil

When I first used the thin, slanted square tip to blend my brows together, the song “Smooth Operator” played in my head. This thing glides along, adding just the right amount of excitement to everything it touches. I also think the color is almost perfect for me.

It’s a deep, pigmented shade that’s a bit darker than my natural color without being too ashy or brassy. It feels smooth and thick, but never heavy or sticky. It held my thick eyebrows in place by grabbing them. Keep this in mind: a little really does help. The tube can also be used again and again, which makes it eco-friendly and a good value for money.

I slayed at a hot summer party where I planned to take pictures all night. Adding to my sexy makeup for a night out, it looked great on me and was great for pictures. Going lighter on the makeup the next morning for a kids’ birthday party made my slightly sleepy eyes look more awake by giving them a clear curve. It held up after I chased my baby around a play gym for an hour. Not even one hair is out of place. 

Benefit Cosmetics Precisely Eyebrow Pencil

Benefit Cosmetics the famous Precisely, My Brow Pencil has a little sister called the Precisely, My Brow Detailer. To avoid any misunderstanding, these are not the same products, even though they have similar names. We love the original, but the Detailer is the best brow pencil if you want one that’s hard to mess up or use too much of.

The Detailer, which has a 0.8-millimeter tip instead of the Pencil’s 1.5-millimeter tip, is named after and designed for very fine filling and outlining. It’s smudge- and water-proof makeup, like the original, makes sure that your perfect brows stay perfect for up to 12 hours, even if water, sweat, or humidity show up out of the blue.

My eyes and I don’t get along very well. Even though I might be okay with how they look one day, Benefit Precisely, My Brow Detailer is the closest I’ve come. This pencil’s is highly precise 0.8 mm tip allows me to fill in and lengthen my brows with soft, feathery strokes, making it a little easier for me to avoid drawing them on too thickly, which is my biggest dread. It doesn’t take me long to frame my face with some clear brow gel.

Best Drugstore Eyebrow Pencil

Colourpop Brow Boss

Colourpop isn’t really a drugstore brand, but if you live in the US, you can easily find some of their items at Ulta, like their eye pencils.

I’ve gotten a brown shade from this line before, and it seemed to work well for me. But it was warm enough that I wanted to try one of their other colors. First one I bought was a light brown color. The second one I bought was a dark brown color. Both of them fit me well. The light brown is a bit warmer, but I can still wear it. Since it’s a cooler color, the dark brown fits me pretty well.

When I first touch these pencils, the tip is small and rounded, and they aren’t creamy (they’re off by half a point), but once they warm up, I can use a light hand to feather. In general, I like these pencils, and I find them easy to use, which is why I’ve bought them again and again. Also, I want to find the shade that looks best on me.

Covergirl Ultra Fine Brow Pencil

The fact that this line only has four shades seems silly to me. The color of this pencil is 710 Soft Brown. It has a warm tone, but it’s dark enough for me, so half a point for that. This color is pretty close to the dark brown of CP’s Brow boss. It’s good that this pencil is a little soft and can be used more accurately.

E.l.f. Cosmetics Precise Brow Pencil

Out of all the brow pencils I listed, this one is the cheapest. This pencil doesn’t blend as well as Covergirl and is just as dry as CP’s Brow Boss. It hurt a little when I realized I needed to put more pressure on my skin. It takes longer than CP to warm up, so I’m not going to give it any points for that.

The color I got has a reddish tint and is very warm, so it doesn’t go with my skin tone at all. I’ll give them half a point for natural effects because they have a darker one that might fit me better. It still looks muddy to me, though. Even though it has a bad review, this one has worked for me before; I just need to find the right shade. If the shade is off, it looks messier.

Kokie Cosmetics Precision Brow

Another brand with just four colors. Two of the other colors look like they could suit me better, so I’ll give them half a point. Since they don’t give me colors, I can’t tell what shades they have, so I’m off by half a point. This pencil is great because it lets me be very exact, and it’s soft enough that a light hand can work with it.

I saw that this shade, 555 warm brown, looks more like Covergirl’s color when swatched but warmer and redder in photos. It gets half a point for natural effects, but I think a different color would make my eyebrows look better. Keep in mind that this is the only one that doesn’t have a spoolie on the other end.

Milani Cosmetics Precision Brow

There are 6 colors in this eyebrow pencil, and their undertones run from warm to cool. It gets full marks from me even though I think they could add a few more shades. The undertones kind of make up for it, though.

The other shades looked warm, so I chose the darkest one. I won’t know for sure until I try them on. I thought the shade I got would look too dark on me because it’s supposed to be for black hair, but it looks so natural on me.

Being soft, exact, and easy to use, this brow pencil lets me draw with a light hand. I also learned that I can use a heavy hand if I want it to look darker. This isn’t important for me, but it might be helpful for people with darker hair. I wish I could give it extra points for having more product than the others.

Morphe Micro Brow Pencil

This is the best budget eyebrow pencil. Another great thing about them is that they have 10 shades, which is a good thing. They did a great job with the accents, which are soft, cool, and neutral.

I got the color Latte, which has a cool undertone, and I like it. I think I’ll have to stick with cool colors for this brand since the neutral ones look warm. In any case, enough with the undertones. This pencil wasn’t very wet, so I had to use a lot of pressure and strokes to get the color to show. This made it less accurate. Last but not least, I believe it appears partly natural and partly wet. If the mixture was creamier, I think it could work. 

NYX Cosmetics Micro Brow Pencil

What a great line! This line has 12 shades, but it was hard for me to tell what undertones each shade has. I got some colors that didn’t look like they had warm undertones in the swatches they gave me, but they do look warm on me. It’s off by half a point for hints. I like how soft and accurate this pencil is, and I can use the feathering method to make my eyebrows look more realistic. I like this one a lot just because it’s so accurate.

I’ve bought this one for a long time, but I still haven’t found the almost right match. The first one I got was the right one for me, but I forgot to check what shade it was, so I’m still looking into it to see which shade seems best. That being said, I think this one might be the most like Benefit’s brow pencil.

Best Eyebrow pencil for Thick Brows

Ami Cole On Point Precision Brow Pencil

People with thick, dark brows should pay attention to this. There are other names with a wider range of colors than this one that you can choose from if you want blonde and red choices. But when it comes to matching espresso-colored eyebrows, it did better than I thought it would. It added a thick layer that doesn’t look black, red, or ashy.

It also looks good on bigger eyebrows because the formula can be built up and has a small waxy sheen. The spoolie brush is also one of the best I’ve tried. I really liked how well the brush blended and held hair in place that I used it to tame hairs that were flying around my head.

Because it has a sticky grip, I thought the eyebrow makeup would last longer right after I put it on. But later that day, some of the more noticeable hairs got messed up, and it faded a bit. For day-to-night wear, you might need a touch-up.

Best EyeBrow Pencil for Quick Application

Jones Road The Brow Pencil

I did not want to like this pencil so much. It seemed dull at first because it was just a short pencil with no twist-up or spoolie. But I couldn’t stop after the first time I did it. The pointy end makes a clear line above my face and strokes that look like hair. It is cruelty-free.

The flat side fills in any gaps well, giving the whole thing a regular look. As this busy mom can attest, filling in eyebrows is much faster with this tool than with a skinny-tip twist wand.

That was just the right shade—not too warm or too cool, and just a bit darker than my real brows. (This shouldn’t be a surprise; it was made by a famous makeup artist.) The smooth but powdery makeup mixes well without feeling sticky, and even on a warm and rainy day, it didn’t smudge.

I didn’t have to touch it up at night; I just quickly rubbed it with a spoolie to spread the product out again. It is important to remember that you need a blade and a brush to blend. The sentence is also short, so you may need to sharpen it quite often. When I have a lot to do in the morning with the kids, this pencil helps me get out the door quickly.

Best Eyebrow Pencil for Beginners

It’s safe to try this if you’ve never filled in your brows before. The texture is light and airy, so it goes on easily and doesn’t pull at the hairs. You can build it up, so you can take your time when you’re doing your brows.

A thin, triangle-shaped tip that twists up lets you use different strokes, and the spoolie does a good job of blending everything together. The shade match is perfect, though, so I didn’t have to use the brush. It’s not too gray or ashy, nor is it too warm or brassy. It’s great for making you look casual and everyday.

It says it will stay in place for eight hours, but it needed some extra care to last that long. It went away a little after working out and again before dinner. It’s possible that this is because the powder mixture has less wax. But it’s a great tool for people who know a lot about ingredients. Castor oil and panthenol, a form of vitamin B5, are in it to help hair grow and look healthy again. The stylish, see-through purple wrapping makes it feel more holiday-like.

Best Eyebrow Pencil for Shade Match

L’Oréal Paris Eyebrow Pencil

And I’m all for a simple, low-cost pick like this! The skinny twist-up tip on this pencil is its superpower—it lets you make strokes that look like hair. It’s hard to go too far with the slightly drier recipe because it goes on easily. You might need to use it more often than a bigger pencil because it builds up slowly, giving you a natural, simple look. My brows looked great with that cool brown color. I couldn’t tell the line between the pencil and my eyebrows.

The creamy texture gives a little hold, and I didn’t have any smudging even after working all day and then going to hip-hop dance class in the evening. It was great that my brows looked natural but defined during Zoom calls, especially since I had a cold that day. I was proud of my thick eyebrows, even though my eyes were puffy and my nose was red. 

Best Eyebrow Pencil for Applicator

Patrick Ta Major Brow Defining Pencil

This brow pencil is now my first choice. Its unusually thin oval shape lets me draw exact lines that define my eyebrows in a way that is strong and looks good without being too sharp. (Remember that most pens are round or triangle. This is the only one that was oval.) The long spoolie makes it easy to blend, and the smooth product feels moisturizing instead of hard. There was a little more darkness in the color than my natural color, but it wasn’t brassy.

It really stood out because of how well it worked all day. It lasted all day, through a hot summer walk and a wet book club night; I didn’t have to touch it up or smudge it. The high-end look and feel comes from the gold tube and well-made spoolie. Notice: Be careful not to drop the pencil; it’s easy to break if you’re not careful. Overall, I’m very pleased with the unique style and how well it works for everyday wear.

Best Eyebrow Pencil for Hair-Like Strokes

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Brow Pencil

The skinny brow pencil from Rare Beauty stands out because it has a thin, pointed tip that makes it easy to make hair-like lines while still keeping control. It goes on easily, and the texture is just the right amount of thick and sticky.

Don’t use too much of it when you fill in your brows because the color is pretty strong. Just make a few lines and mix them together, and you’re done. The warm color was a little deeper than my natural color, but I was still able to make the look look natural. To make you aware, other reviews have said that it has a purple undertone, so keep that in mind.

It stayed on all day in the city, even when it started to rain lightly, and it didn’t fall off until I washed my face before bed. I picked this pencil for a break in the city with my college friends because I knew it would make me look dramatic for our night out and selfies. I’m happy to say that my friends told me they liked my makeup. If you need a solid skinny brow pencil but want something a little fancier, this one is a good choice.

Best Eyebrow Pencil for Versatile

Urban Decay Brow Blade Eyebrow Pencil

Even though I think I know a lot about eyebrow pencils, this new one with two ends scared me. I had never used a wet-tip pen with a twist-up pencil before. So, to get ideas, I watched a lot of YouTube videos of beauty gurus using it.

To use both items (which don’t come with a different spoolie), you need to be dedicated, have a clear vision, and have a steady hand. That’s why I’d suggest it to someone who knows how to fill in their eyebrows. With its smooth, natural lines, the pencil is easy to hold and feels great. Surprisingly easy to use, the pen makes fine, fluffy lines that look like real hairs. When used together, they give you a precise, microblade-like look that lasts.

It was so useful once I got the hang of it. The pencil makes the lines, and the pen does a great job of filling in the blanks. Even after hot workouts and long drives, it didn’t fade or smudge. Plus, the color looked great with my dark eyebrows. Be careful: you need a mixing tool to use this, so make sure you have one.

Best Pencil for Clean Formula

ILIA Micro-Tip Eyebrow Pencil

Make a regular twist-up pencil “clean,” and you’ll get this beauty. It goes on very easily and gives off a good amount of color with each stroke. It can also be built up and blended. Because the tip was pointy, it was easy for me to outline my arch and fill in blank spots with clear lines. Even though it was a little warmer than my hair, it still looked natural and good on me.

The recipe is made up of minerals and provitamin B5, which conditions hair. This means that it helps your brows stay healthy over time. But, like most clean items I’ve tried, it doesn’t last as long as competing ones. If you want to touch up your brows, you might need to brush them back into place because it doesn’t have a waxy grip. I loved the fluffy, natural look it gave me even after these small changes.

Best EyeBrow Pencil for Bold Brows

NYX Professional Makeup Powder Pencil

There are times when this pencil is almost too easy to use. It goes on smoothly and quickly because it is thick. It makes your eyebrows look bold and full. If you want a more natural, defined look, use less of it because the recipe is very blendable and smudgy. Sometimes it bleeds and smudges when you put it on, but a quick wipe down is all it takes. Because it’s soft, you may need to sharpen it more often, so keep a sharpener (note: not included) handy.

The bamboo fibers in the recipe make the brows look fuller, making it perfect for people who like their eyebrows to look full. If you set it, it won’t move or fade. It was fine for me to wear from a hot tennis lesson to lunch right after. You also can’t beat the price for a veggie pencil that lasts all day.

What to Look for in a Brow Pencil

Color and Method: 

As soon as you run that pencil through your brows, you’ll notice the color and the way it feels. When it comes to color, think about whether you want something lighter, darker, warmer, or cooler than your natural color. Next, look at the texture. Is it thick, powdery, creamy, or a mix of these? Also, does it last a long time and is it waterproof? You’ll need something that fits the way you live. Professional makeup artist Gabrielle Alvarez says, “Stiffer, waxier formulas last longer but may be harder to use. Creamy pencils give better coverage but may come off if the skin is oily or sweaty.”

Shape of a pencil: 

Some different shapes are ovals, circles, and thin round tips. Find something with a wide, flat side if you need to fill a lot of room. You’ll need a fine tip if you want to make lines that look like hair. Make a note of whether the pencil is twist-up or needs to be sharpened as well. Olivia Barad, a professional makeup artist, says, “A thicker pencil is fine for someone who has a bigger brow and doesn’t need to fill in fine details. But an ultrathin pencil is better for someone who needs to build and create a more detailed shape.” “I like using an ultrathin pencil because it gives me more control and lets me make fine, hair-like strokes.”

Extras: 

A lot of brow pencils on the market today come with extras. On one end, this can have a spoolie brush for mixing or a small blade to make the tip of a twist-up stand out. All of these things should be thought about before buying a brow pencil. If it’s a real pencil, you might also need to buy a sharpener. Keep in mind that some twist-up brow pencils can be refilled, so shopping for new ones may be part of the plan.

FAQ’s on Best Drugstore Eyebrow Pencil

How do you choose the right color eyebrow pencil?

Makeup artists all agree that cool-toned eyebrow pencils look best on most brows. Alvarez says, “To find the right shade, you should look for something cooler, more like a taupe color, than something warmer for the most natural look.” “Adding a deeper tone to some parts of the brows may help create depth and variation.” Most brows look better when they have two different shades.

How do you use an eyebrow pencil to fill in your brows?

The answer starts with the brow pencil. Try to get a separate spoolie if you have a real pencil. Most twist-ups have them on the dual end. Barad says, “I like to brush them out with the spoolie on the back of the pencil to really get an idea of the natural shape before I fill them in.” “Think about which spots are less full and need a little more work and which ones are full and can be left alone.” She says to use strokes that look like feathers on areas that need it. “Most need more product and more pressure when they apply it to the arch and tail of the brow,” says Alvarez. To finish, run the spoolie through your work again to spread the pencil formula out evenly.

How can I use an eyebrow pencil to make my eyebrows look the most natural?

Take your time and look for methods that you can build up as well as spoolies that will help you blend the lines. Barad says, “In order to get a natural look with an eyebrow pencil, pressure is one of the most important things to keep in mind.” “Smoother pencil strokes will make the eyebrow look more natural.”

For a low-key brow, how you use the spoolie is also important. Barad says that after you use the pencil, you should brush out the inner, thicker parts of your brows. The tail of the brow can be a little heavier,” she indicates. “However, the front should be feathered, light, and brushed out. Otherwise, it can make the face look harsh and angry.

How i tested all these eyebrow pencils 

For a few months, I tried out eyebrow pencils. I carefully choose the best choices by looking at how each pencil is applied, its shade, thickness, ability to mix, and overall performance.

There you have it, guys. A list of all these drugstores and other eyebrow pencils. I hope this helps people who are looking for a cruelty-free eye pencil. It became clear to me that many cheap brands have warm undertones, making it hard to find a good match. I do wish some of these brands had more shades and/or hues. It’s important to mess up a lot.