How Do You Use Drugstore Eyebrow Pencils?

Applying drugstore brow pencils is much like applying a luxury brow pencil, says 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).”

Do Drugstore Eyebrow Pencils Expire?

Like all beauty products, eyebrow pencils do expire and should be replaced, explains Peña. “Check the timeline the manufacturer says, but I find I need to change brow pencils every three months to have the best glide and application.”

The 12 Best Drugstore Eyebrow Pencils in 2023

Eyebrows have undoubtedly become one of the most discussed features on our faces. Trends ranging from thicker, fuller brows to Ombré brows have dominated our social media feeds, magazines, and hearts as of late, which means having the necessary products in our arsenal is a top priority. With the endless amount of brow products readily available—everything from gels to pomades—selecting the right one for you can be quite the challenge.

But, if you’re looking for a foolproof do-it-all solution that can fill in and add definition to your brows, an eyebrow pencil is just what you need. With just a few hair-like strokes, a humble eyebrow pencil can have a massive impact on your brows. The best part? You don’t need to break the bank to score your new favorite. There are plenty of top-notch options available at your local drugstore.

Ahead, the best drugstore eyebrow pencils for brows that truly wow.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Honest Beauty Eyebrow Pencil at Amazon

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Best Budget:

e.l.f. Brow Pencil at Amazon

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Best Drugstore:

CoverGirl Easy Breezy Eyebrow Pencil

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Best Natural:

Burt's Bees Eyebrow Pencil

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Best Long-Wearing:

Milani Precision Brow Pencil

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Best Retractable:

Colourpop Brow Boss Pencil

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Best Two-In-One:

Revlon Brow Fantasy at Amazon

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Best Waterproof:

L'Oreal Paris Brow Stylist Definer at Amazon

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Best Shade Range:

NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil

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Best Fine Point:

Maybelline New York Ultra Slim Eyebrow Pencil

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In This Article

Our Picks
Final Verdict
What To Look For
FAQ
Why Trust Byrdie

View On Amazon View On Ulta View On Honest.com

What we like

Buildable
Conditioning
Easy application

What we don't like

Limited shade range
Not recommended for thinner brows

What do buyers say? 84% of 1,200+ Amazon reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above.

Seamlessly accentuate your natural brows with this Honest eyebrow pencil. With just a few strokes, it creates a soft, natural-looking brow, perfect for everyday wear. Designed with a soft glide-tip and built-in spoolie, it’s both buildable and blendable to fill in your brows as much or as little as you could desire. Plus, the jojoba seed oil in the formula keeps it nice and creamy (and also conditions your brows!).

Price at time of publish: $13

Shades: 5 | Type: Matte | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

4.5

E.l.f. Cosmetics Instant Lift Brow Pencil

Ulta

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What we like

Creamy formula
Dual-sided
Budget-friendly

What we don't like

Small size
Thicker tip

Of all the wallet-friendly picks on this list, this one really wins with affordability. At just $3 (yes, $3!), it does everything you could want a brow pencil to do—and more. And, it has a precise tip for hair-like strokes, built-in spoolie for blending, and five versatile shades, including those for both blondes and redheads.

Price at time of publish: $3

Shades: 5 | Type: Instant Lift | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

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What we like

Microfine tip
Defines and fills in brows
No sharpening required

What we don't like

Limited shade range
Not highly pigmented

Give your arches some definition or fill in sparse brows with this microfine brow pencil. Thanks to its super-precise tip and built-in spoolie, achieving full, natural brows is as easy as can be. Its long-wearing formula will last the entire day—and remove with the tiniest bit of soap and water.

Price at time of publish: $7

Shades: 4 | Type: Micro-Fine | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

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What we like

Natural formula
Glides on smoothly
Hydrating

What we don't like

Not for thinner strokes
Difficult to sharpen

Need something that works well and has good-for-you ingredients? Look no further than this Burt’s Bees eyebrow pencil. Infused with star ingredients like hydrating jojoba oil and shea butter, its formula is 99 percent natural and glides on super smoothly. Better yet, in true Burt’s Bees fashion, even the cedarwood used for the pencil is sustainability sourced, which is why we’re anxiously waiting for them to add more hues to their two shades.

Price at time of publish: $10

Shades: 2 | Type: Matte | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

View on Ulta View On Milanicosmetics.com

What we like

Intense color payoff
Long-wearing
Ultra-fine tip

What we don't like

Hard to control tip for tiny detailing

Searching for an eyebrow pencil that’ll last the entire day without any smudges? Try this one from Milani. The stay-put formula creates natural-looking hair-like strokes to help you accomplish your dream brows with every use. Its intense color-payoff, seamless blend-ability, ultra-fine tip, and included spoolie for feathering, shaping, and grooming are just bonuses.

Price at time of publish: $10

Shades: 3 | Type: Ultra-Fine | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

View on Ulta View On Colourpop.com

What we like

Long-wearing
Mistake-proof formula
Retractable tip

What we don't like

Application learning curve

Tired of sharpening your eyebrow pencil? Opt for a retractable tip like the one on this Colourpop pencil. Its mistake-proof formula goes flawlessly in hand with its long-wearing abilities—so no need to fret if you're a brow pencil newbie. With nine available shade options, you’ll easily find the exact hue to imitate your brows.

Price at time of publish: $7

Shades: 9 | Type: Long Wear, Retractable | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

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What we like

Contains a pencil and gel
Easy to use
Dispenses the perfect amount of product

What we don't like

Requires touch-ups
Pencil needs to be sharpened a lot

Brow pencils can completely transform your eyebrows, but they can't tame your unruly eyebrow hairs into place. That’s where this brow gel and pencil duo comes into play. By housing both formulas in one handy tube, you can use the pencil to fill and define your brows and then use the tinted gel to deepen the color and brush them into place.

Price at time of publish: $8

Shades: 3 | Type: Sheer, Pencil and Gel | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Courtesy of Ulta

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What we like

Water resistant
Easy to use
Smudge-proof

What we don't like

Harder filling in for thicker brows

When you really want your perfectly crafted brows to stay in place, grab this waterproof eyebrow pencil. With a color that doesn’t budge a single inch, every feather-like stroke remains where you drew it—until you decide to remove it. There’s also a selection of ten different color choices to choose from, so finding the right match is a seamless process.

Price at time of publish: $10

Shades: 10 | Type: Matte, Ultra-Fine | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes

NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil

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What we like

Easy to apply
Good pigmentation
Long-lasting

What we don't like

Doesn’t last all-day

A general rule of thumb when choosing the right brow product for darker hair is to go one to two shades deeper than your strand, whereas blondes should select a hue that matches their darkest root. If the universally flattering shade just doesn’t cut it, this pencil’s eight shade assortment, with hues ranging from light taupe to black, has options available for those who need other options.

Price at time of publish: $10

Shades: 8 | Type: Matte | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

What Our Editors Say

“This is my ultimate brow pencil. I'm not sure I'll ever use another. The price point can't be beaten, and the fine tip (which doesn't break as easily as other brands can) is perfect for drawing thin, natural-looking strokes." —Kathryn Vandervalk, Editorial & Strategy Director

Maybelline New York Ultra Slim Brow Defining Eyebrow Pencil

View on Ulta View On Amazon

What we like

Fine tip for precise lines
Simple to use
Wears well

What we don't like

Not highly pigmented

With its incredibly fine point of 1.5 millimeters, this eyebrow pencil is ideal for those looking to fill in particularly sparse areas (like the front or tail). By creating precise, hair-like strokes, you’ll be left with beautiful natural-looking brows—sans smudges or unwanted color streaks. The pencil comes in a splendid range of six versatile colors and garners the stamp of approval from Celebrity Makeup Artist Dillion Peña. “I find that I reach for the soft brown and light brown shades first and then use a darker pencil to add definition where needed.”

Price at time of publish: $9

Shades: 6 | Type: Matte, Ultra-Slim | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Juvia's Place I Sculpt, I Shade Brow Pencil

Courtesy of Juvia's Place

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What we like

Glides on smoothly
Long-wearing formula
Includes brow brush

What we don't like

Limited shade range

Armed with an ultra-slim precision tip, this retractable pencil allows you to draw on delicate, hair-like lines to create a totally natural and sculpted look. The formula is long-lasting and glides on super smooth without ever looking cakey. Also nice: The opposite end has a built-in brush that’s great for fluffing up brows and creating fullness.

Price at time of publish: $12

Shades: 4 | Type: Matte | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

The Lip Bar Vegan Brow Gel + Brow Pencil

View On Thelipbar.com

What we like

Intense color payoff
Duo of gel and pencil
Smooth application

What we don't like

Not long-lasting
Thin brow gel

These are several standout attributes of this pick. However, its most notable quality is its outstanding color payoff. The pencil is also combined with a brow gel, helping to fill in sparse areas, add definition, and secure the brow into place. It’s practically all you need to pull off your best brows yet.

Shades: 3 | Type: Matte, Triangular | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No

Final Verdict

Finding the correct drugstore brow pencil for you is no easy feat. With all the available affordable options, you’ll want to keep an eye out for ones that add definition, fill in sparse areas, and keep your brows in tip-top shape. Our overall favorite, Honest Beauty Eyebrow Pencil, accentuates your natural brows with soft, natural strokes and allows you to fill in as much or as little as you desire, thanks to creamy jojoba-infused formula. For a super precise application, use the fine 1.5-millimeter tip on Maybelline New York Ultra Slim Brow Defining Eyebrow Pencil. And, don’t underestimate the intense color payoff from The Lip Bar Vegan Brow Gel + Brow Pencil.

What To Look For in a Drugstore Eyebrow Pencil

Shape

Depending on the look you achieve, you’ll want to select different pencil shapes. “For example, enhancing your brows and completely changing your brow shape require different pencils,” explains Peña.

Color

To achieve a more natural look, explains Peña, it’s best to choose a pencil that is too light rather than too dark. “Anything darker tends to look a bit more dramatic.”

Wear

For a formula that lasts through an entire day, opt to choose something that's either waterproof or long-wearing to ensure it doesn’t budge.

FAQ

How Do You Use Drugstore Eyebrow Pencils?

Applying drugstore brow pencils is much like applying a luxury brow pencil, says 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).”
Do Drugstore Eyebrow Pencils Expire?

Like all beauty products, eyebrow pencils do expire and should be replaced, explains Peña. “Check the timeline the manufacturer says, but I find I need to change brow pencils every three months to have the best glide and application.”

Why Trust Byrdie

This guide was written by Rachel Dube, a Byrdie contributor and freelance writer specializing in beauty and lifestyle content. On her mission to achieve the fullest feathered brows, she has tested tons of eyebrow drugstore eyebrow pencils, including Maybelline New York Ultra Slim Brow Defining Eyebrow Pencil, NYX Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil, and many, many others.

Meet the Expert

Dillion Peña is Celebrity Makeup Artist based in New York and Los Angeles.

Best Brow Pencils of 2023 for That Natural Look