Pencils, Powders & Pomades: How To Use The Best Product For Your Brow Goals

Brow products truly run the gamut: pencils, powders, pomades, gels, and the list goes on and on. (Some even swear by a bar of glycerin soap to slick the delicate hairs in place.) Ultimately, the route you take is up to personal preference, but each brow product does yield slightly skewed results. Example: If you're looking to dial up the drama, you might not want to reach for eyebrow powder, which tends to result in a softer look. 

Pencils work in two ways: You can create precise, hairlike strokes with a pointier tip, or you can create more of a natural, powdered effect with a softer edge. The former works best for filling in sparser areas, like a gappy tail, without creating any shadows. (Same goes for an eyebrow pen with a felt tip—both drawing tools are stellar for creating those tiny wisps.) 

"Most people who want a more natural look opt for a powder to naturally disperse the product through the brow without too much definition," notes Melanie Marris, international brow stylist and founder of Brow Code. See, a powder itself is soft and pillowy, so it lends more of a diffused finish. Rather than creating wisps of hair, you're building up a soft shadow to help the brows appear fuller. 

To use an eyebrow powder, grab a loosely packed angled brush. As brow expert Azi Sacks once told us about powdering brows, "It dispenses very softly and looks so natural." Dip the brush into your pigmented powder and sweep it on with soft, feathery strokes.  

"Pomades are generally used to achieve a really sleek, defined, long-lasting brow," Marris says. "However, they are also amazing at creating long-lasting, hairlike strokes on a fluffy laminated brow." Essentially: If you're looking for a powerful, bold brow, reach for a richly pigmented pomade.

Due to their creamy texture, pomades also offer a light hold (read: Your brows won't smudge off midday). To use them, all you'll need is a soft angled brush to sweep on the product. Marris recommends first lining underneath the brow shape and filling in from there (sort of like you're creating a stencil).