5 Brow Gels to Give Your Natural Arches the Boost They Deserve

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Take it from the pros — brow gel is a must-have product for creating a snatched look, but also for low-key beauty days. “I find the product absolutely essential to a makeup brow routine or I’ll even use brow gel with a bare face. Most people’s eyebrows need to be brushed up and held in the desired shape,” says celebrity makeup artist Emily Gray. She notes that brow gel helps create a youthful snatched look that’s trending at the moment.

Best of all, brow gels are essential for everyone with brow hair. “Every brow shape, both full and sparse, needs to be shaped and held up. I do not think I know of anyone who just wakes up and has a perfect eyebrow!” She notes there are different kinds of brow gels that can help you achieve a certain look, but I’ll jump into that shortly. In the meantime, know that brow gels are a beauty workhorse that can enhance your natural beauty or transform you into someone else for an evening.

Best Brow Gels

• Best Overall: Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel

• Best Budget Buy: Catrice Clear & Fix Transparent Brow Gel Mascara

• Best For Sparse Eyebrows: Milk Makeup KUSH Fiber Eyebrow Gel

• Best New Release: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Gel Clear

• Most Iconic Brow Gel: Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

What to Consider

When shopping for a brow gel, Gray advises you to consider what kind of brows you want to create and if you are using any other products with the brow gel. Other determining factors include:

Pros and Cons of Clear and Tinted Brow Gels

There are two types of brow gels: clear and tinted. Gray, who works with Maren Morris, Lily Aldridge, and Kristin Cavallari, shares a quick overview of the benefits and limitations of each type.

Clear Brow Gels

• Pros: Everyone can use a clear brow gel. Since they’re typically the strongest formulas, they’re incredible for grooming thick, stubborn, brow hair. They’re also Gray’s go-to for glamorous looks because they’re more versatile than tinted brow gels.

• Cons: A clear brow gel will not fill in any sparse areas, nor is it going to tint your brows. Sometimes, clear brow gels can even leave behind a white cast if you use too much product.

Tinted Brow Gels

• Pros: “Tinted brow gels are great for those who love a low maintenance brow. It can be a one stop shop for brows,” says Gray. She notes tinted brow gels are also ideal for changing the color of your brows. For example, if a client wants a faux bleached brow look then Gray will use a blonde brow gel, such as the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel in the shade Blonde. Those looking to cover up gray or white brow hairs can also use tinted brow gels.

• Cons: As for the cons, tinted formulations are messier than their clear counterparts and you’ll likely need to clear up the eyebrow area after applying the spoolie through your brow hairs. Also, not every color is universally flattering, so it may take a little trial and error to determine which color suits your beauty vibe for the day best.

Your Natural Brow Shape and Thickness

Fiber-building tinted brow gels are ideal for someone who has sparse brows, while someone with full brows will prefer a clear, strong-hold brow gel.

Your Beauty Vibe

Gray likes using a tinted brow gel with some fiber-building for daily use to maintain her natural, low-maintenance brows. This method helps her fill in the sparse areas in the best and most natural-looking way possible.

She prefers a clear brow gel when she does a full glam look for her clients on the carpet. “I’m already applying other brow products such as brow pencil, pomade, or powder. Those kinds of products are already giving the brow structure and filling in any sparse areas, so I wouldn’t necessarily need a fiber-building or tinted brow gel,” she says.

Your Most Flattering Color

Are you keen on using tinted brow gels? When shopping for tinted brow gels, Gray advises choosing a color closest to your natural brow hair unless you want to try a darkened or lightened brow. Someone with black hair like myself, might prefer a dark brown because black can look harsh and make you angry even if you’re in the sunniest mood.

How We Chose

At Best Products, we're all about putting you onto the latest and greatest releases to bring you the best gift ideas for your loved one and yourself. For this story, I personally tested several brow gels but only fell in love with two products that happen to be from cult-favorite brands, Benefit and Anatasia Beverly Hills. Since Gray is such an incredibly knowledgeable source, I just had to ask her for a few recommendations. Her suggestions are functional for achieving various brow looks, like fuller and more hydrated brow hairs, with the help of a CBD-infused brow gel. Even better news for my fellow budget-friendly shoppers: our most affordable option is only $5, and Gray considers it a must-have for every single beauty she creates — talk about a seal of approval!

Tinted Brow Gel

We're kicking off this list strong with ABH's iconic Tinted Brow Gel. It's a favorite of Gray and thousands of devoted shoppers alike because it's truly that epic.

The best-in-class brow gel was created by Oprah, J.Lo, and Kim K's go-to brow expert, meaning you can definitely trust ABH products. (I'm a huge fan of her high-quality viral eyeshadow palettes, setting powder, and Brow Freeze).

ABH's brow gel earned the top mark on our list because it's very pigmented, but can still create a natural-looking fullness. This brow gel is also the only option on our list infused with light-reflecting pearls for a multi-dimensional effect for the most realistic appearance.

You'll love using this tinted eyebrow gel to set, sculpt, and hold brow hairs in place. Swipe on a coat of post-brow powder or pencil shading for an hours-long hold.

"I like the Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow gels. They have been in my kit forever and they are perfect for lightening and darkening brow hairs. I use them frequently to cover gray or white brow hairs easily, as well as to maintain the brow shape," says Gray.

More: Best Setting Powders

Clear & Fix Transparent Brow Gel Mascara

Shopping on a budget? Gray is a huge fan of Catrice's brow gel — and even uses it as a finishing touch to every brow look. No glitz, no glam — just transparent functionality.

"This gel is strong enough to handle the toughest brow hairs and has never once left a white caste on any brow. It’s not too shiny, which is perfect for any sort of photography, and it dries quickly," she says of this $5 beauty wonder.

This nourishing formula is transparent, providing a nice hold without making your eyebrows look and feel stiff. It's also infused with panthenol, a soothing ingredient that retains water in the skin. It also helps seal hair cuticles to prevent frizzy eyebrows.

KUSH Fiber Eyebrow Gel

Meet Gray's personal go-to brow gel for daily use. "I like a low-key look for my everyday brow, and this formula is quick and easy when you’re on the go and have 5 minutes or less to do your face. I have a few sparse areas on my brows, and this formula quickly fills them in a natural way," she says.

After just a few wears, you'll come to rely on this brow gel for world-class eyebrows. The compact bristles impart heart-shaped fibers for fuller-looking brows without the mess of larger, more traditonal-sized spoolies. While the CBD-infused formula hydrates brow hairs, so you won't have to worry about your eyebrows feeling crunchy or leaving behind a crusty finish.

Not only will your eyebrows look naturally enhanced instead of drawn on, but it's free of synthetic fragrances, parabens, and mineral oil, meaning it's gentle for even the most sensitive skin types. A win-win for all skin types and hair colors to enjoy enviable eyebrows on a relative budget.

Brow Freeze Gel Clear

Lifted, fuller, and laminated-looking eyebrows are finally achievable. ABH's cult-favorite Brow Freeze wax got repackaged into this brand-new brow goodness. I especially like the dual-action comb with micro-bristles that grip each hair and brush it in place. With minimal effort, I can achieve that coveted feathered brow lewk and trust it to last from sunrise to sunset.

It definitely has holy grail potential, especially for someone with fuller brows. I tested this brow gel during a long, sweaty walk and even got caught in the rain. My brows still looked major with little to no movement of my brow hairs. This brow gel is like magic for locking hairs into place without the multi-steps required for the OG Brow Freeze product.

Despite the thicker consistency, it doesn't flake, which is important because let's be real: it would be very embarrassing to walk around with gunk that looks like dandruff on your brow hairs.

Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel

Gimme Brow is one of Benefit's most popular products and it's one of my favorite tinted eyebrow gels on the market. It's essentially eyebrows in a bottle. The brush-on waterproof serum has microfibers that adhere to both skin and hair for fuller and thicker-looking brows.

Whenever I swipe on this brow gel, I can achieve natural-looking eyebrows that'll last until I rinse it away with makeup remover. It does an excellent job of tinting and volumizing my eyebrows, which is why Gimme Brow has been in my routine for several years. I'm most pleasantly surprised by the small spoolie that's so much easier to maneuver than larger, full-sized alternatives, such as clear mascara.

Available in 10 standard-sized and travel-sized shades, the innovative, brush-on serum provides structure and shape to lifeless brows.

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