The best brow pencils, according to celebrities and experts

Plenty of beauty trends are hair today, gone tomorrow, but healthy brows are always in.

When it comes to amping up one’s arches with pencils and potions, however, not every product’s created equal — something stars and their glam squads know all too well.

“Many people make the mistake of blaming themselves for uneven or overlined brows, but the truth is that the pencil can often be the issue,” Sania Vucetaj, celebrity eyebrow expert and founder of NYC’s Sania’s Brow Bar, tells Page Six Style.

So if you’ve been eyeing a new brow product, keep scrolling for celebrities’ longtime standbys, from handy kits to the pencil behind Lily Collins’ internet-famous arches.

Best Overall: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz

Amazon

This cult favorite is nothing to raise an eyebrow at. Brand founder Anastasia Soare’s helped perfect the arches of everyone from Oprah to Jennifer Lopez and Khloé Kardashian.

Her hero product’s got an equally A-list following; Chloe Bailey and Kendall Jenner both shouted it out in their respective Vogue “Beauty Secrets” videos, with the latter dubbing it “tried and true.”

“This is a really good brow pencil,” Jenner said. “I’ve been through a little bit of a brow journey, working in the industry that I work in.” 

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Best Angled Tip: Sania’s Brow Bar Mechanical Brow Pencil

Sania's Brow Bar/Revolve

Whether or not you can pencil in a Big Apple appointment with Vucatej herself, her celeb-trusted brow pencil is a click away. The arch expert’s used the buttery soft pencil on Kaia Gerber, Amal Clooney, Olivia Culpo and Erin Lichy (to name but a few), while Paige DeSorbo even told Elite Daily it’s her desert island must-have.

“Celebrities like Amal Clooney and Olivia Culpo love the results because they’re timeless, not trend-driven,” Vucatej tells us, noting that “fuller, more natural brows” have always been her signature.

“Our SBB pencil is designed to complement this philosophy, allowing clients to achieve definition without looking overdone,” she adds.

Page Six Style’s review: “While I used to shy away from pencils for fear of looking overlined, Sania’s angled brow pencil is so easy to use and glides on like a dream. (Bonus: The spoolie on the other end is great for keeping stray brow hairs in place when I’ve gone a little too long in between appointments). — Hannah Southwick, Page Six Commerce Writer/Reporter

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Best Waterproof: Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Brow Pencil

Benefit

This behind-the-scenes “Emily in Paris” product costs far less than a flight to Europe. The show’s makeup artist, Aurélie Payan, told Page Six Style she uses this ultra-thin pencil “to fill in tiny parts” of Lily Collins’ famously full arches.

“Once you apply it, it’s like you have fake brows … I love this one,” explained the beauty pro.

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Best Drugstore: Ardell Strike a Brow Feathering Pen

Amazon/Ardell

While Bethenny Frankel’s put plenty of products to the test, this under-$10 eyebrow pencil scored a coveted rave review.

The podcast host swiped some on in a TikTok in January 2024, raving that the “soft wispy tip … really just fills in your brows perfectly.”

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Best Ultra-Fine Tip: Huda Beauty #BombBrows Microshade Brow Pencil

Huda Beauty

Eva Longoria may be a “Desperate Housewives” star, but she’s not desperate for a great brow hack. The actress reached for this ultra-fine pencil in her Vogue “Beauty Secrets” video while showing fans her strategy for outlining and filling in her arches.

“I’m obsessed with my Huda Beauty eye pencil,” she explained. “The point is so thin … It looks like strokes of hair.”

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Best for Blonde Brows: Kosas Brow Pop

Kosas

Couldn’t help but wonder what brow pencil Kim Cattrall uses? The “Sex and the City” star’s makeup artist told us she reached for this double-ended tool before her much-awaited cameo on “And Just Like That” in 2023.

She’s not the only famous fan of the clean beauty brand, as we’ve also spotted Hailey Bieber and Mandy Moore using its products.

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Best Brow Powder: Chanel La Palette Sourcils Brow Wax and Powder Duo

Chanel

If you prefer powder over pencils, Mindy Kaling’s tested out this Chanel kit, which comes with equipped with all the tools you’ll need for application.

“Brows stress me out; I know how important they are for the face,” she told Vogue. “I got this really helpful kit. I love this.”

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FAQ

How to use a brow pencil

Even Kaia Gerber has sought Vucetaj’s services for her iconic eyebrows. saniasbrowbar/Instagram

Since it’s a (literal) fine line between natural and overdone brows, Vucatej recommends pressing lightly as you outline your desired brow shape.

“The purpose of a pencil is to create the illusion of well-balanced, fuller brows — [and] outlining rather than just merely filling what’s already there will help create that illusion,” she explains.

As for how to pick the perfect shape? “Brows should align with the inner bridge of the nose,” Vucatej instructs. “The arch should fall 3/4 of the way back, and the tail should end approximately at a 45-degree angle with the outer corner of the eye.”

Once you have your desired outline, blend the product in with a spoolie brush to ensure you’re “dispersing the color evenly and softly” through the brow.

The NYC-based brow pro also recommends avoiding waxy pencils or those with a red undertone, as they can “wash you out and look unnatural.”

How to remove brow pencil

Paige DeSorbo got her brows shaped by Sania prior to the “Summer House” reunion in 2022. paige_desorbo/INSTAGRAM

“Removing brow product is just as important as applying it,” explains Vucatej, who developed a Brow Shampoo ($38) designed to do just that.

Sania’s Brow Bar Brow Shampoo

Revolve/Sania's Brow Bar

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“Makeup removers and traditional face washes are formulated for skin, not for brow hairs, so they may not be as effective in removing product and can even cause damage to the delicate hairs over time by clogging the follicle,” she explains.

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Why Trust Page Six Style Shopping

This article was written by Hannah Southwick, Commerce Writer/Reporter for Page Six Style. Hannah spies deals on actually affordable celebrity-worn styles, puts Hollywood’s favorite labels to the test and finds the beauty products that keep stars red carpet-ready. She consults stylists and industry pros — including celebs themselves — for firsthand product recommendations, trend predictions and more. In addition to writing for Page Six since 2020, her work has been featured in USA Today and Parade.

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