Sweat-proof and smudge-proof: The best eyebrow gels and pencils

Score: 89/100

This clear gel impressed our testers with its ability to define and hold brows in place all day long. Differing slightly from your typical brow gel (which usually comes in a tube with a spoolie applicator), this one comes in a pot.

Simply dip a spoolie brush into the gel and apply in upward strokes to feather out the brow. Note that you will need to buy a brush separately – the brand recommends its Brush 12.

All our panellists agreed that it was easy to use and were impressed with the extreme-hold formula. In fact, one self-proclaimed “Benefit brow girl” among our testers said the glue-like hold may have convinced her to switch...

Score: 89/100

This product tames brows with a triple-pronged approach: an applicator spoolie, a fine comb and thick, fluffy brush tucked away in the lid.

The thin comb-like brush helps achieve a natural looking brow, or you can use the thicker option for a bolder, more defined look. Testers praised the multitasking design, saying it made application easier, as well as helping them achieve their desired look.

Score: 88/100

Once you’ve achieved gorgeous brows using UK Lash’s famous serum, you use the brand’s clear gel to hold them in place all day.

It’s a medium hold option, which is great for flexibility, and means no restrictions on the frowning front. Yet all our testers still found the product long-wearing, with one telling us it was the most effective brow gel they’d ever used.

The dual-ended applicator was also a hit with our panel, with one commenting on how it made doing their eyebrows “a whole lot easier.” And don’t panic – although the product dispensed is initially white, it dries down clear.

Score: 84/100

Like the UK Lash option above, this clear gel offers medium hold that isn’t too firm but claims to set brows for up to eight hours. The formula was also developed with anti-flaking properties, so you can say goodbye to bitty brows, with our testers saying it didn’t leave any “dry and crunchy” residue like some other gels they’d tried.

The extra-strong hold did mean it was a little difficult to remove for some, but this could be eased by the help of the best cleansing balm.

Score: 92/100

Our winning eyebrow pencil takes precision seriously (as the name suggests). The pencil’s fine tip means you can fill in thinner areas by drawing with small, hair-like strokes for a natural finish. The super creamy formula also means you don’t need to go to heavy on application, which our panel said added to the ease of use.

The pencil has a spoolie end, which is handy for achieving a softened, more natural look. It can also be used to brush brows into place and fill in any sparser areas before gel application.

Score: 90/100

This product combines an eyebrow pencil and a felt tip-like tinted end. Use the latter to fill in gaps with small, fine strokes, before adding shape with the pencil end. All our testers liked this dual design, with many praising the high-quality feel, too.

It helped our panel achieve their desired definition, which also lasted all day. Many praised the colour matching of the four shades available as well – choose from blonde, brown, dark brown and black brown. One tester liked that the blonde pencil wasn’t ginger, which they said was a common flaw in other pencils, while another said it was an “excellent colour match” that lasted all day.

Score: 83/100

This ICONIC brow definer provides the holy trinity of tools: a felt-tip pen, a pencil and a spoolie.

The all-in-one option went down well with our testers, with the majority agreeing it helped them achieve a natural, fluffed up brow, which they were then able to further define if they wanted to.

One tester said the brow pen was “one of the best products” they’d used.

Score: 74/100

With the help of a fine, four-pronged angled tip, this pen delivers natural-looking hair-like strokes for a fuller brow, creating a subtle microblading effect that will have your friends asking which salon you went to.

The thin strokes stayed in place for our testers all day, with the majority agreeing it was smudge-proof and one person praising the “fantastic definition”.

This pen is good for filling in thinning areas of the brow, but it's also a great option for those with no eyebrows due to its natural-looking finish. However, some testers did note that it dried very quickly, which made it tricky to smudge out any mistakes.

When you use an eyebrow pencil to refine the arches of your brows a little, you don’t want them to start drooping come lunchtime. Luckily, this waterproof, smudge proof and long-lasting pencil from Bobbi Brown will have them looking sharp and defined throughout the day.

The brand's entire range is designed to enhance your natural beauty – and this pencil is no different. The slanted side can be used to add feathery strokes, and the pointed tip will give you more refined, hair-like strokes. You can also flip to the spoolie side to tame rogue hairs.

Merit may be a relatively newbie on the scene, but since its launch in 2021, it’s had a hold on beauty lovers, our editors included. And if the golden, high-quality packaging of this brow gel is anything to go by, you’re onto a winner with this one. Thankfully, the formula on the inside is fabulous at enhancing brows. The small brush captures the shortest of hairs and coats them in a rich pigment. The result? A thick, refined and lifted look.

“I keep one at home and one in my bag for topping up on the go,” says our lifestyle writer, Madeleine, as this one is her current brow gel fixation. She likes to apply it with a hydrating moisturiser on no-makeup days for the ultimate clean, put-together look.

Fashion and beauty queen VB knew what she was doing when she released this long-wearing and super defining BabyBlade eyebrow pencil. You can recreate her signature bushy brow with the precise, thin tip, which helps you achieve those desirable hair-like strokes.

The formula’s also infused with skin-friendly ingredients such as antioxidant-rich camellia japonica oil, which helps to restore elasticity, as well as rosehip seed oil to boost moisture levels in the skin. Raise those arches as high as Posh’s standards.