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You won’t catch us without at least one of the best brow gels in our makeup bags, purses, and desks. Whether we wear them alone or layer them with other brow products, eyebrow gels can make a huge difference in our facial structures, lifting hairs for a laminated effect, lending a thickening effect in sparse areas, or even tinting hairs to neutralize grays. Compared to pomades, pens, and powders, gels are beginner-friendly and versatile, allowing you to manipulate shape and volume with just a few swipes. Let us introduce you to our favorite brow gels, whether your priority is shaping unruly brows, conditioning dry, brittle hairs, or maintaining the strongest, sweat-resistant hold possible.
Our Top Brow Gels
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Overall: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Gel
Why it’s worth it: You’ve probably seen a laminated brow or two in your day, and while it’s certainly a vibe, the cost and commitment may not float your brow boat. So, what’s the next best thing? Anastasia Beverly Hills’s Brow Freeze Gel. Just a few swipes sweep and set your brows in whatever direction you please, with a nice boost of volume included. This glycerin-spiked formula defines and easily lifts brows, while biotin conditions fine hairs. For a gentler hold and a lightweight feel, reach for the brand’s Original Brow Gel, another favorite among the Allure team.
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Tester feedback from Allure associate beauty director Sarah Kinonen
“I love the look and feel of laminated brows and this gel helps me achieve that feathery, brushed-up appearance with just a couple of swipes, even if it’s been a few months since my last lamination appointment. I start with the wand’s bristled side, combing hairs in the direction I want (usually straight up), and then quickly follow by brushing them with the flattened side, which creates the shiny, laminated effect and holds them in place. Once locked in, these babies stay stiff and in place all day, even through workouts and sweaty commutes.”
Key ingredients and shades
polyacrylate-2 crosspolymer, glycerin; 1
Best Tinted: Kosas Air Brow
Why it’s worth it: Kosas’ Air Brow, a 2021 Best of Beauty Award winner, has a moussey gel texture that grips onto every individual brow hair, adding fullness and volume for a laminated look— all without leaving behind a dreadful, crunchy texture. Plant-based microfibers are flanked by panthenol, hyaluronic acid, peptides, and castor oil (in tinted versions) for hydrated, conditioned, and healthier-looking brows. In our testing, the tapered spoolie made it especially easy to shape the brows, leaving a smaller tail at the ends, and it picks up a generous amount of product. (Actually, you might want to swipe extra off on the edge of the tube before you swipe.) You’re bound to find your perfect shade match out of 10 available, or you can go for the clear gel for a low-key vibe.
Tester feedback from contributing editor Deanna Pai
“Since my brows have a gray tone, I’ve used this tinted brow gel for years to quickly darken and shape my brows; I feel like it makes me look even more polished than mascara does. I love that it sets in seconds and doesn’t budge or fade throughout the day. My only gripe is that the tube shape, which is rectangular, makes it harder to pick up the product once I’ve made a dent in it, but it’s a worthwhile tradeoff for the really good results.”
Key ingredients and shades
hyaluronic acid, peptides, castor oil; 10
Best Conditioning: Tarte Brows for Days Framing Gel
Why it’s worth it: You won’t catch this brow gel flaking after a few hours. Tarte’s Brows for Days Framing Gel is lightweight yet provides strong hold, doesn’t dry down stiffly, and lifts/shapes hairs into place without feeling heavy or leaving unnecessary residue. Cucumber, aloe vera, and glycerin give this formula a conditioning boost that adds a subtle shine to your brows. Bonus: It layers seamlessly with pencils and gels alike.
Tester feedback from commerce editor Sarah Han
“Brows are the most high-maintenance part of my makeup routine. I don’t love a super-laminated look but want my brows to hold all day. I don’t like accentuating my center-leaning hairs but hate when the ones towards the tails droop towards my eyelids. Tarte’s brow gel helps lift my brows, subtly, and gets me through the day without constant touchups. I love how fanned out the wand is because it means I don’t have to be extra precise with my front hairs. I use the very tip of the applicator to maneuver my tail-end hairs in place without disturbing the brow pencil I’ve carefully mapped out below (this is key!).”
Key ingredients and shades
eucalyptus, cucumber, and aloe vera extracts, glycerin; 1
Best Natural Finish: Benefit Fluff Up Brow Wax
Why it’s worth it: Benefit’s Fluff Up Brow Wax is an Allure favorite for its crunch-free, buildable formula. Cosmetic chemist Laura Lam-Phaure explained that the subtle (but still strong) natural finish can be attributed to dimer dilinoleyl dimer dilinoleate, an ingredient often found in foundations that imparts a dewy finish. In the 2023 Best of Beauty Award winner, however, it “helps provide a more natural finish to the brows, as opposed to something incredibly matte like a hair pomade or shiny/glossy like a hair gel.”
On the flip side, if you’re looking for a full, strong look, Tobi Henney, a New York City-based makeup artist, is a big fan of Fluff Up’s sister formula, the 24HR Brow Setter. “It probably has the firmest hold out of any brow gel I have ever tried,” she informs Allure. If that doesn’t impress you, maybe this will. “No matter if I am shooting on a windy beach or a red carpet, the brows are always exactly where I want them to be,” Henney adds.
Tester feedback from contributing commerce writer Annie Blackman
“This stuff is the perfect hold for touch-ups throughout the day, and unlike other brow gels, I’m not hesitant to apply more than one coat for fear of crustiness. The wand is secretly kind of long, which makes application feel more natural and loose (in a good way). It allows the strokes to be lighter and my brows to look well kept but also not like I’ve been in with superglue.”
Key ingredients and shades
polymers, panthenol, cotton extract; 1
Best Waterproof: Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Eyebrow Gel
Why it’s worth it: If you love a feathery look but aren’t craving anything too statement-like, Rare Beauty’s Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Gel shapes your brows just enough to make them look polished, but not overdone. It’s a one-and-done application because this waterproof formula won’t budge or flake in the face of sweat and humidity. The tapered bristles on the applicator are soft yet firm, capturing every hair along the way.
“While I may not have many brow hairs, the ones I do have are so stubborn that not even the top-selling brow gels that everyone raves about can keep them in place. But, leave it to Selena Gomez to drop one that keeps my brows in place all day with zero residue or crunchiness. I keep one in my purse at all times to touch up any flyaway hairs on my head—that’s how strong this gel is.”
Key ingredients and shades
polymers, panthenol, glycerin; 1
Best Drugstore: Got2b Glued Brow & Edge Gel
Why it’s worth it: If you’re using brow gel daily (like us), the last thing you want is your precious goo to run out the morning of an important presentation. Luckily, you can buy a stockpile of Got2b Glued Brow & Edge Gel for less than one pricier brow gel. If that wasn’t reason enough, this stuff is strong. As a multitasking formula that whips edges and brows into place, you can count on this to last all day—no touch-ups needed. There’s a fatter, curved side to apply the product, and a flat side to style and fix your hairs.
Tester feedback from commerce producer Sarah Hoffmann
“Brow upkeep does not spark joy for me, so I need a gel that provides serious hold for when my brows get a little unruly between trims. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Got2B literally freezes my brows in place for 24 hours (I know because I’ve forgotten to wash it off before, and it’s still there in the morning). You get a lot of product for the seven dollar price tag, so feel free to gloop it on, but I always scrape a little bit off of the brush every time I apply and it still manages to, for lack of a better term, glue them in place all day.”
Key ingredients and shades
copolymer, glycerin, vitamin E; 1
More brow gels we love
Best for Sparse Brows: Kulfi Beauty Free the Brow
Why We Love It: Inspired by brow slugging and the hair-oiling practice long used in Ayurvedic medicine, Kulfi Beauty’s Free the Brow combines the hold and volume you get from brow gel with the nourishment of a brow serum. It’s formulated with skin-care mainstays like vitamin E, sunflower oil, and safflower oil to encourage healthy hair growth and increase eyebrow density. It also has multiple applicators, so you can choose between applying the formula with a comb, a spoolie, and a brush to get different looks. The ingredients are so conditioning that you can apply this gel at night to give your brows some extra TLC.
Han loves the versatility of Free the Brow’s design. To get a fluffy, laminated look, she applies the gel-serum in the opposite direction of hair growth before using the lavender comb to brush everything into place. The fluffy black brush is particularly helpful for shaping and perfecting her (super fussy) brow ends.
Key ingredients and shades
vitamin E, sunflower oil, safflower oil; 1
Best for Gray Hairs: Chanel Le Gel Les Sourcils
Why it’s worth it: Chanel’s Le Gel Sourcils is the brow gel version of a rainbow—with a little more brown in the mix. Cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos previously told Allure that, along with the standard iron oxide colorants you’ll find in most gels, this one incorporates “chrome greens, ultramarines, iron blue, and manganese violet.” The pigments come together to liven up dullness and work exceptionally well on ashy or gray hairs, resulting in a super nuanced hue.
Key ingredients and shades
Best Shade Range: Glossier Boy Brow
Why it’s worth it: Ever since it hit the scene in 2015, brow amateurs and pros alike have loved Glossier Boy Brow. Henney says, “There is something for everyone in [its shade] range,” which includes Black, Brown, Auburn, Blonde, Clear, and Gray. We’re also fans of the petite packaging, which allows the tube to fit into even the most micro of micro bags for on-the-go grooming. This buildable formula also contains oleic acid, an emollient that nourishes and softens brow hairs for a never-stiff finish. It’s one of the few brow gels to offer a gray tint, making it ideal for those with gray hair or ashy blondes.
Key ingredients and shades
beeswax, carnauba wax, oleic acid; 7
Frequently Asked Questions
What are brow gels, and what do they do?
Brow gels give your arches a fluffy yet structured style in seconds, whether you’re going for a laminated look or something super fluffy and natural. As brow lamination saw a rise in popularity in recent years, so have gels—their cheaper, more low-key counterparts. “I feel like people are liking a structured, fluffy brow; lamination is super popular right now because it creates that structure by having the brows stick up,” New York City-based makeup artist Delina Medhin shared with Allure. “With that, brow gel is making a comeback because it’s something you can use at home that will give you the same effect.”
Tinted and clear brow gels work wonderfully in conjunction with brow pencils and pens if you prefer a denser, fuller brow. Still, brow gels lend a natural look on their own, especially when you go solo with a transparent gel.
What’s the best way to apply brow gel?
Remember that less is more. “Always remove some of the product [from the brush] before applying,” says Henney. “You do not need a lot of product on the spoolie to finish the brow,” so don’t be fooled if these petite tubes don’t seem like they hold enough product. Once you’ve loaded up the applicator, sweep the bristles through your brows, keeping them horizontal if you’re going for a laminated look or at an angle if you opt for something more natural.
Jared Bailey, Benefit Cosmetics’ global brow expert, also previously recommended using a strong brow gel to groom and trim brows. “Take a clear gel and brush the brow hairs upwards towards the hairline and out towards the temple,” says Bailey. “Let the gel dry completely, then only trim the ends sticking too far out past your desired shape.” And just like that, you’ll never chop off too much or too little.
How to choose the right brow gel shade
Experts suggest going one to two shades lighter than your hair—or, more specifically, your root color—but it depends on your preferences. NYC-based makeup artist Tommy will almost always select a color that is one shade lighter than their clients’ roots and previously explained that “the ideal color will mimic the shadow already there that is created by eyebrow hair.” On the other hand, Henney has blonde ends that she prefers to darken to a brunette shade.
Rule of thumb: “Generally, eyebrow colors look best when they are colder, without red or orange, like a shadow,” Napoli told Allure. A major exception, however, is redheads, who benefit from warmer tones.
Meet the experts
How we test and review products
Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
For our review of the best brow gels, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, and makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what’s involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
