Byrdie Editors' Favorite Drugstore Eyebrow Pencils, Starting at Just $3 (2024)

If your eyes are the window to your soul, consider your eyebrows the window treatments—the feature that defines your entire face. Whether you rock bold, beautiful Zendaya-like brows or thinner, more delicate arches, nearly all of our brows could use a little assist from an eyebrow pencil. A few swipes will define, shape, and fill out your brows—no microblading necessary. According to celebrity makeup artist Dillion Peña, "enhancing your brows and completely changing your brow shape require different pencils." He says to look for the right color for your complexion when buying a brow pencil and the right size and shape of the tip for the result you want to achieve.

You can get this makeup product without dropping big bucks. We searched high and low to find the best drugstore eyebrow pencils, evaluating each for its shade range, tip, spoolie, wear time, and price. We also took several for a spin and asked makeup artists for their favorite products to help us assemble this list of all-stars below.

Our Top Picks

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Best for Defined Arches:

ColourPop Brow Boss Pencil at Ulta$8

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What We Like

  • Defines and fills in brows

  • Microfine tip

  • No sharpening required

What to Consider

  • Doesn't stay as well on oily skin

Shades: 4 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Our top pick comes from CoverGirl, a mainstay in the eyebrow pencil world. The brand's Easy Breezy Brow Pencil has a microfine tip to fill in sparse areas, darken your eyebrows for a bolder look, or define the shape. Just twist the pencil when you need to extend the tip—no sharpening required. After drawing in tiny hairs and creating the perfect arches, flip it over to the spoolie side and brush out your brows to blend your work.

We appreciate that this is a long-wear formula, but while it'll last several hours on most people, the staying power may not be as good on oily skin. We also wish this eyebrow pencil came in a few more shades, though the available colors should work for most brunettes and blondes.

What We Like

  • Excellent value

  • Dual-sidedwith built-in spoolie

  • Creamy formulamakes application easy

What to Consider

  • Thicker tip; not ideal for hair-like strokes

  • Tip loses point over time

Shades: 5 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Of all the wallet-friendly picks on this list—all of them, really!—this fan-favorite pencil from e.l.f. wins for both serious affordability and equally as serious brow-filling power. Costing just three bucks, it shapes, defines, and fills in patchy spots. The creamy formula is easy to apply and instantly makes your brows appear thicker. That thick look lasts all day, from first thing in the morning to long past your dinner date. With five different shades, this is a great pick for brunettes, blondes, and even redheads (thanks to the auburn shade). It also features a handy built-in spoolie. The tip will get less sharp over time, so it's not our pick for creating defined hairs.

Shades: 5 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We like that this eyebrow pencil has an ultrafine tip for creating realistic-looking hair-like strokes. It provides intense color payoff and promises to stay in place (no fading or smudging) all day long. The smear-resistant formula lasts until you wash it off. There's also a spoolie on the other side for feathering and blending. Just be careful when you apply it, as users say the tip can easily break off.

What We Like

  • Gentle, 99.9% natural ingredients

  • Sustainably sourced wood

  • Glides on smoothly

What to Consider

  • Not for thinner strokes

  • Difficult to sharpen

Shades: 2 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Leave it to Burt's Bees to create an eyebrow pencil that works well and is made with skin-friendly, earth-sourced ingredients. Infused with plant-based goodness, like moisturizing jojoba oil and shea butter, the formula is 99.9% natural. Even the cedarwood used to make the actual pencil is sustainably sourced. It glides on smoothly and evenly to shape and fill in sparse brows. It's just not the best at making ultrafine strokes.

What We Like

  • Several light shades

  • Superfine precision tip

  • Clean and cruelty-free

What to Consider

  • Not waterproof

  • Doesn't last as long as others

Shades: 12 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We're big fans of this brow pencil from Ulta for those with lighter-colored brows. It comes in 12 shades, five of which cater to blonde hair: taupe (a go-to for many blondes), ash taupe (for cooler tones and gray hair), blonde, ash brown, and soft brown. Though the formula isn't waterproof and doesn't last as long as others on this list, the superfine precision tip easily draws hair-like strokes. We also love that it's made with skin-beneficial ingredients, including vitamins C and E.

What We Like

  • Shades for black, auburn, gray, blonde, and brunette hair

  • Good pigmentation

  • Glides on easily

What to Consider

  • Doesn't last all day

  • Not smuge-proof

Shades: 12 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

You won't have trouble finding your perfect match with this brow pencil from NYX. It comes in a dozen shades (including ash blonde, auburn, gray, black, and a range of browns), each with good pigmentation that glides on easily and has impressive color payoff. (That said, be careful not to rub your brows, as the formula isn't smudge-proof.) We also like how you can draw in teeny-tiny hairs with the micro-tip.

What We Like

  • Ultra-skinny precision tip

  • Lasts up to 16 hours

  • Up to par with higher-end products

What to Consider

  • May not last as long on oily skin

  • Tip may break easily

Shades: 7 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Revlon's Micro Brow Pencil has one of the finest tips you can get with an affordable eyebrow filler—it even gives higher-end options (including Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz) a run for their money. The ultra-skinny, mechanical pencil-like tip is ideal for creating precise hair-like strokes when filling in thin brows. We also like that the long-wear formula lasts up to 16 hours, but bear in mind it may not hold up as long on oily skin.

What We Like

  • Retractable precision tip

  • Long-wear formula

  • 9 shades available

What to Consider

  • Tip may break off or fall out

Shades: 9 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This retractable eyebrow pencil flaunts an ultrathin precision tip to outline brows, draw feather-like strokes, and achieve the perfect arches. Beyond the fine tip, we love that the long-wear formula resists smudging and fading for several hours. With nine available shades ranging from soft black to warm blonde, you'll easily find the exact hue to imitate your brows. Some users have noted that the tip can break or fall out, though.

What We Like

  • Lasts all day and against water

  • Resists smudging and fading

  • Extra-fine precision tip

What to Consider

  • Harder to fill in thicker brows

Shades: 10 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

Thanks to the waterproof formula, this brow pencil resists smudging, smearing, and fading through sweat and inclement weather. It lasts all day (or longer), holding up until you remove your makeup. The extra-fine tip allows you to draw realistic-looking hairs—but since the consistency isn't very creamy, it can be a little finicky to apply, especially if you have thicker brows.

What We Like

  • Super-thin tip for precise lines

  • Easy to use

  • Expert-recommended

What to Consider

  • Not highly pigmented

  • Not cruelty-free

Shades: 7 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

If you've fallen victim to overplucking, this is the eyebrow pencil for you. The incredibly fine point of 1.5 millimeters creates precise, hair-like strokes, leaving you with beautiful, natural-looking brows sans smudges or unwanted streaks—no microblading needed.

Peña gives this product his stamp of approval, noting that it's a breeze to use and comes in several great shades. "I reach for the soft brown and light brown shades first and then use a darker pencil to add definition where needed," he tells Byrdie.

What We Like

  • Ultra-slim tip

  • Long-wearing formula

  • Natural, sculpted end result

  • Glides on smoothly

What to Consider

  • Limited shade range

Shades: 4 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

While slightly more expensive than the product above, we love this pencil for drawing delicate, hair-like lines, too. Armed with an ultra-slim, precise tip, the retractable pencil creates a totally natural and sculpted look. The formula is long-lasting and glides on super smooth without ever looking cakey. We also love that the opposite end has a built-in brush, which is great for fluffing up your brows to create fullness. We just wish the brand would expand its shade range a bit (there are only four shades to choose from).

What We Like

  • Two tip sizes and shapes

  • Two complementing shades

  • Great value

What to Consider

  • No spoolie

Shades: 5 | Spoolie: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Sometimes, you need a microfine point, and at other times, you need a thicker, angled tip. This dual-ended eyebrow pencil offers both. But beyond two tip sizes and shapes, you'll get two complementing shades. For instance, the black option has a true black fine tip for drawing hair-like strokes and a soft black angled tip for filling in thinner areas. Space for a spoolie is all it's missing.

What We Like

  • Contains pencil and gel

  • Dispenses perfect amount of product

  • User-friendly

What to Consider

  • Requires touch-ups

  • Pencil must be sharpened often

Shades: 2 | Spoolie: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

Brow pencils can do a lot—define! shape! shade!—and completely transform the look of your eyebrows and face as a whole. They can't, however, tame unruly eyebrow hairs. That's where this brow gel and pencil duo comes in. By housing both formulas in one handy tube, you can use the pencil to fill and define your brows and then flip it over to apply the tinted gel while brushing the hairs into place. Plus, you can save time on your brow routine and space in your makeup bag thanks to this product's multiuse design. Users have noted the pencil needs to be sharpened quite a bit, and the color is not as long-lasting as some others on this list.

What we Like

  • Mistake-proof and easy to use

  • Creates natural brows

  • Perfectly pigmented

What to Consider

  • Powder may smudge

Shades: 6 | Spoolie: No | Cruelty-Free: No

If you’re new to filling in your brows, this no-skills-required pencil from Maybelline is the pick for you. With its dual-ended design, you can define your brows with the pencil side then fill in sparse areas with the powder blender. Plus, the powder formula is very forgiving, and you can buff away mistakes with the blender tool. The combination of the wax pencil and powder creates a natural-looking brow, so it’s perfect for beginners who don’t want to stray too far from their everyday look.It is worth noting that the powder may smudge, given its soft formulation.

What We Like

  • Formula shapes brow hairs

  • Creates a bolder eyebrow

  • Excellent pigment

What to Consider

  • Pencil can break easily

Shades: 4 | Spoolie: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This filler's formulation applies like a brow pomade, just in a pencil format. The formula contains ingredients great for your brows (vitamin E, squalane, and hyaluronic acid), goes on ultrasmooth, and grips the brow hairs to help shape them. If you like more of a dramatic, bold brow, this pigment provides excellent color payoff. Opposed to a spoolie, this pencil has a mini kabuki brush to seamlessly blend the product into your brows, so you’ll never leave the house with brows that look too harsh. Some reviewers mention the pencil can break easily, but you shouldn't have a problem if you use a gentle hand.

What We Like

  • Creates fluffy and full brows

  • Great for hair-like strokes

  • Buildable formula

What to Consider

  • Pencil may break easily

Shades: 9 | Spoolie: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Feathered, fluffy brows can complete your makeup look with their voluminous yet defined shape. This product creates volume, which is not typical for a brow pencil, but it succeeds thanks to the thickening bamboo fibers found in the formula. Even more, the pigment is buildable, so you can cater your brow intensity to your liking. It's perfect for creating hair-like strokes and can be sharpened to a crisp point, but the pencil tends to break easily, so be careful as you sharpen.

What to Look for in a Drugstore Eyebrow Pencil

  • Shade: Brunettes should opt for a color that's one shade lighter than their natural eyebrow hairs. To achieve a more natural look, Peña says it's best to choose a pencil that's too light rather than too dark. "Anything darker tends to look a bit more dramatic," he adds. Taupe is often good for blondes unless you're purposefully going for a darker brow.
  • Tip Size and Shape: Select different pencil tip shapes depending on the look you want to achieve. For instance, something with a thicker tip can fill in your brows. But if you're drawing on the tiny hairs individually, you'll want a finer tip. You'll also find options with triangular tips for ultimate definition and shaping.
  • Wear: If you want your carefully crafted brows to last an entire day (or at least several hours) without smudging or disappearing, a waterproof, long-wear pencil is ideal.

FAQ

  • How do you use drugstore eyebrow pencils?

    Applying drugstore brow pencils is much like applying a luxury brow pencil, according to Peña. "You want to do light, feather-like strokes, starting in areas where your hair is more sparse (like the tail or beginning of the brow)," he says.

  • Do drugstore eyebrow pencils expire?

    Like all beauty products, eyebrow pencils do expire and should be eventually replaced. Peña says to check the packaging or the brand's website description to see how long the product lasts. "I find I need to change brow pencils every three months to have the best glide and application," he adds.

Add to Cart

Before you check out, here are some other products you can add to your brow routine to achieve expertly shaped and defined arches:

  • E.l.f Cosmetics Brow Lift: A good eyebrow gel can make or break your eyebrows. To tame unruly brow hairs or shape the brows, this brow gel gets the job done and never budges. The affordable price tag is another plus, and it’s a great value because a little goes a long way.
  • Ulta Cosmetic Pencil Sharpener: With traditional brow pencils, achieving a perfect point can be challenging, but this pencil sharpener delivers every time. With two different-sized holes, this versatile sharpener can also handlelip linersandeyeliners.
  • Tweezerman Eyebrow Shaping Set: Invest in this shaping set for snatched brows all year long. Featuring a dual-ended spoolie and angled brush, it's perfect for both shaping and applying brow gel or pomades. The set is also complete with two tweezers—one big one for everyday use and a smaller one for travel.

Why Trust Byrdie

Byrdie contributor Rachel Dube is a freelance writer specializing in beauty and lifestyle content. She has tested tons of drugstore eyebrow pencils on her mission to achieve the fullest feathered brows.

Kayla Friedman is a beauty and style commerce intern at Byrdie. She covers makeup, haircare, skincare, nails, and more. After scouring product reviews, she found the best affordable eyebrow pencils to contribute to this list.

Team Byrdie also consulted with an expert to ensure the accuracy of this story:

  • Dillon Peña, a celebrity makeup artist based in New York and Los Angeles.
Byrdie Editors' Favorite Drugstore Eyebrow Pencils, Starting at Just $3 (2024)
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