From a brand known for their eyebrow innovations, Benefit's tinted brow gel in a wide range of 10 shades (including gray!) is a favorite among several GH Beauty Lab experts and editors. "The gel feels light on the eyebrows and doesn’t stiffen up, so I can move my brows without that pesky glue-like feeling," says GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Sabina Wizemann. "The pigments stay throughout the day and it also incorporates fibers, so eyebrows look instantly fuller."
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Pros
Water-resistant and lasting
Makes brows look thicker
Good value
This Good Housekeeping Seal star from L'Oréal Paris is perfect for creating the look of strong, thick brows that won't budge, thanks to a water-resistant tinted formula. In a consumer test of 100 women, 85% reported their brows looked thicker when using the gel and 93% said it wore well for a full day. It comes in five shades with a two-sided applicator brush.
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Credit: Maybelline New York Pros
Not tinted
Bargain price
Smooths and tames brows
Maybelline's bargain eyebrow gel comes in both clear and tinted versions, and has over 1,700 five-star ratings on Amazon. "This product combs [brows] out and keeps them in place so they look nice without adding any goopy color," a reviewer reported.
Brush on this GH Beauty Award-winning Thrive Causemetics tinted brow gel to fake perfectly full arches in seconds — it fills gaps, defines, shapes and sets simultaneously. “I love this: It gives subtle color and helps hold my brow shape,” says GH Beauty Lab Director Birnur Aral, Ph.D.
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Pros
Boost brow fullness
Believable look
Cons
Limited shades
Pricey
To fill in eyebrow gaps or pump up puny arches, look no further than tinted Babe Lash, infused with fibers to add bulk to brow hairs. "This is so good for making my brows look fuller than they are in a way that doesn’t appear fake," says GH Beauty Assistant Katie Berohn.
Pros
Two-in-one product
Fills and sets brows
Top rated on Amazon with over 700 five-star reviews, this two-in-one tinted Tres'tique brow groomer has an eyebrow gel on one side and an eyebrow pencil on the other. In four shades, the tool "makes it so easy to create a gorgeous brow that holds all day," a reviewer raved.
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Pros
Shapes brow hairs
Natural look
A cult favorite, Glossier's eyebrow gel is also a GH beauty editor go-to, in four shades plus a clear version. "This is my holy grail brow gel — I like my brows to look shaped but natural and not too filled in, and this does everything I want it to," Berohn notes.
Pros
Brand says it's made with natural, softening ingredients
Brush targets small areas
Cons
Pricey
Limited shades
Infused with conditioning botanical ingredients like sunflower seed oil, Ilia's tinted eyebrow gel leaves arches plush. "Brow hairs both feel and look soft using this, and I love the smaller brush for targeting bare patches," GH's beauty director says.
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Credit: Charlotte Tilbury Pros
Understated, natural look
Precision tip brush
In four shades, Charlotte Tilbury's tinted eyebrow gel is ideal for those who don't like to look as if they're wearing brow makeup. "I really like it if I want lighter coverage on my brows," Berohn explains. "It’s a pretty subtle wash of color."
Pros
Fibers boost brow fullness
Affordably-priced
A Walmart best-seller, this bargain-priced E.l.f Cosmetics eyebrow gel in four shades contains fibers to add volume to sparse or thin brows. "This is the best thing I have found for thinning eyebrows!" a reviewer exclaimed.
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Pros
Clear formula
Shapes and sets brows
Long-lasting hold
Cons
Pricey
Top-rated on Sephora, celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta's clear eyebrow gel is made to seal or "laminate" brow hairs in place. "Completely holds hairs in place without being crunchy," a reviewer said. "It lasted all day and night even in the hot weather!"
Pros
Tint helps hide gray hairs
Tames brows
Cons
Limited shades
This Dermstore best-seller from Jane Iredale is tinted in three shades to help cover even gray brow hairs. "Adds depth to my brow color and keeps my unruly strands in place," a reviewer reported.
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