I’m a beauty editor who is incredibly fussy about her eyebrows generally, but especially so when it comes to eyebrow pencils. If it doesn’t have a micro-fine tip, it’s not going in my makeup bag.
You see, I find so many makeup brands‘ brow pencils to be far too thick and chunky for my liking. They have their place for shading and create shape, of course. But as someone with thick yet unbalanced brows, I require a few precision strokes to balance them out before I coax them into place with my brow gel. Which is why I’ve always favoured a few delicate strokes from a micro-fine nib to fill in sparse areas, without looking like I’ve drawn on my brows. The 2016 era may be rearing its head as a comeback beauty trend, but I won’t be revisiting the dip-brow look, thank you very much.
Micro-fine brow pencils allow you to achieve the most natural-looking “no makeup” makeup effect when it comes to your brows. If you favour a natural brow look or a feathery finish, they’re perfect for adding definition, stroke-by-stroke, without ever looking heavy. I personally love them for creating balance in my brows (I know eyebrows are meant to be sisters, not twins, but mine don’t look related at all) by adding a few strokes at the front of my left brow, which is more sparse, and creating more of an arch in my right brow to make them look more symmetrical.
I’ve now tried a lot of eyebrow pencils in my quest for the finest nibs, so I’m sharing the (very few) that met my high expectations below.
1. Glossier Boy Brow Arch Pomade Pencil
Best Overall
Glossier
Boy Brow Arch Pomade Pencil
ProsUltra-fine tipDelivers fine, brow hair-like strokesGreat shade range, including auburn and grey tonesConsNot much product, so runs out quicklyExpensive
This is, hands down, the finest brow pencil I’ve come across. The angular nib itself is slender, and you can use the sharp edge to create feathery brow hairs, or use the flatter side to shade and fill in areas, too. The pencil itself also has a flat canvas on the brush lid, so you can use it to sharpen the edge of the nib after a few uses. I love it because it allows me to create realistic brow hairs to shape my brows and add definition to sparse areas where other brow pencils are just too thick. I have nothing bad to say about it, other than it runs out quite quickly and makes it quite expensive for the price. That being said, I’m still willing to part with my money for it. My biggest claim to fame is that when I interviewed Gracie Abrams, she told me I had “great eyebrows”, and this was the brow pencil I was wearing.
The brow pencil is brilliant for the price, and I’ve repeatedly purchased it several times. The micro-fine tip (which is just 0.9mm, can you believe?) delivers the finest of strokes without dragging, so you can replicate brow hairs with precision. It effortlessly glides onto the skin and offers just the right amount of pigment, so you don’t need to press hard. I love it to fill in sparse areas at the front of my brow without it looking blocky or heavy, but you can layer it up for a full look too. A great staple for your makeup bag if you want a pencil that you never have to sharpen to get a precise tip. Trust me, your brows will look so feathery and soft that people will wonder if you’ve done brow lamination.
3. Victoria Beckham Beauty Babyblade Eyebrow Pencil
Best Luxury Brow Pencil
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Babyblade Eyebrow Pencil
ProsAngled nib creates fine strokesLuxurious packagingConsExpensive price pointLimited shade range
I’m a lover of Victoria Beckham Beauty; its products never miss. The same goes for this brow pencil. Featuring a slanted, angled nib, you can create precision definition or fill in exactly where you need it for a natural-looking brow. The pigment is creamy enough to glide on without effort, yet it’s sturdy enough to hold up and last throughout the day. Many brow pencils feel flimsy, but, in true VB fashion, this feels luxurious in the palm of your hand. You can also use the flatter side of the nib to shape your brows and add architecture to your brows.
Merit Beauty‘s ethos is rooted in effortless beauty, so it makes sense that its brow pencil is one of the easiest brow pencils to use, and also the most natural-looking, too. The gel formula is very soft, so it glides on without any effort, and the fine nib allows you to draw delicate brow hairs strand by strand for a feathered finish, and the spoolie gently diffuses the pigment for a natural-looking result. The chrome packaging it’s housed in makes it a chic addition to your makeup bag as well.
Best Shade Range
ProsGood range of shades and undertonesConsNot the most long-lasting
Refy really put brow products on the map (its Brow Sculpt is basically brow lamination in a bottle), and the brow pencil is a worthy addition to your makeup bag. The pencil has a good creaminess to it, so it’s easy to create tiny brow strokes without having to press hard (no dragging here) and it is easy to diffuse with the spoolie brush on the other end to create naturally full brows in seconds.
6. E.l.f Ultra Precise Brow Pencil
You can always rely on E.l.f as an affordable beauty brand for a trusty product that won’t make your bank account cry, and this ultra-fine brow pencil is great for sketching brow-like strokes to fill in yours brows. The shade range is limited, but if you want to spend under £10 on your brow pencil, this won’t disappoint. The formula isn’t so creamy that it slides off; instead, it has just the right amount of sturdiness to create precise definition that won’t fade by lunchtime.
7. L’Oréal Paris Infallible Faux Brow Tint Pen
Best Brow Pen
L’Oreal Paris
Infallible Faux Brow Tint Pen
ProsAffordableLong-lasting and smudge-proofQuickly creates small brow strokesConsCan apply unevenly, so needs to be stored with the nib facing down to create an even flow of pigment
Prefer a brow pen over a brow pencil? This forked one draws on ultra-thin strokes, and once dry, it won’t budge. Even after swatching it on my hand in the morning, it still remained in place at the end of the day (I had to scrub it off with my cleanser). The two-pronged tips make it quick and easy to fill in brows, but you can also flip the pen to the side if you prefer to work with single strokes. My top tip would be to store the nib facing down to ensure an even flow of pigment when you come to draw on your brows.
As a beauty editor, I’ve tried hundreds of brow pencils. To find the best micro-fine eyebrow pencils, I wore each of them for several months, testing them for the size of the nib and brow-strokes, how well the formula wore throughout the day and the shade range available. I tried a variety of formulas from brown pencils to brow pens to find the very finest brow pencils that deliver natural-looking results.
At Who What Wear UK, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our editors have tested thousands of products, including some skincare, makeup, hair and nails, over the years and work closely with trusted experts—dermatologists, make-up artists and leading industry insiders—to ensure every guide is well-researched, inclusive and relevant to you.
We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favourites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how and what we’d truly recommend to a friend.
