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8 best eyebrow pens for feathery, natural looking brows

We judged our favourites based on how easy they were to use, and how well they mimicked the microbladed effect (The Independent)
We judged our favourites based on how easy they were to use, and how well they mimicked the microbladed effect (The Independent)

If our eyes are the windows to the soul, then our eyebrows are the window frames – and they have certainly been through a lot over the years. From ultra-skinny styles worn by 1920s flappers or, more recently, all of us in the early noughties, to Instagram 2016 brows, how we style those few hairs above our eyes makes all the difference.

With the full, but natural, look now taking centre stage, there is a plethora of different options for styling your brows – whether it’s with a quick brow gel, a classic pencil or a trusty pomade.

One iteration of product that gets a little less airtime than the others is a brow pen. At first, the idea of using a pen might make you think of a permanent marker which, granted, could feel a little daunting. But fear not, because a brow pen is all about recreating, natural, hair like strokes that stay put all-day-long.

MAC’s global senior artist and one half of the judging panel for BBC’s Glow Up, Dominic Skinner says that one of the biggest mistakes people make happens when picking a shade. He says: “Most people pick a colour that matches the colour of the brow hair. However, what this does is give you a very dark, blocky brow.

“In reality, you should be looking for a colour that is one or two shades lighter than your natural brow. This gives a shadow effect making the brow more visible but not heavy. Then when you brush the hair, they look full, textured and, most importantly, real.”

With that in mind, it’s also worth thinking about your hair colour, because if you’ve dyed it a different shade to your natural strands, you may want a warmer or cooler tone to match.

How we tested

To make sure we were giving you the very best brow pens, each offering got a full day’s wear out and about in London, including at the gym, on the underground, in the rain and on one of the hottest days this country has ever seen. Through that, we noted how easy it was to use, what the colour was like and, of course, whether it lasted all day.

The best eyebrow pens for 2022 are:

  • Best overall – Glossier brow flick: £15, Glossier.com

  • Best for natural strokes – Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pen: From £13.80, Feelunique.com

  • Best shade range – Nyx professional makeup lift and snatch brow tint pen: £11, Superdrug.com

  • Best waterproof brow pen – MAC shape & shade brow tint: £22, Lookfantastic.com

  • Best nib design – Ciaté London microblade brow pen: £11.50, Ciatelondon.com

  • Best long lasting brow pen – Suqqu framing eyebrow liquid pen: £22, Selfridges.com

  • Best on a budget – Revolution hairstroke brow pen: £6, Boots.com

  • Best for blondes – Stila all day waterproof brow color: £18, Stila.co.uk

Glossier brow flick

It wasn’t a huge surprise to us that we truly loved Glossier’s brow flick having been avid users of its boy brow product for many years. The nib is ultra-thin, meaning you have complete control over how much product you want to use; the lighter you press, the more subtle the colour.

Regardless of the pressure you apply, the result is natural, creating hair like strokes which means there’s no chance of a blocky finish. It claims to be smudge resistant and we can confirm that it is. Once it’s on and dries down, this product stays put. It comes in three shades – brown, blond and black – which are subtle enough to suit a whole range of colours within each category.

It glided on smoothly and didn’t dry out, in the way that you may sometimes get with liquid eyeliners, which made us think it was in for the long haul. And at only £15, when you do need to replace it, you won’t have to break the bank.

Buy now £15.00, Glossier.com

Anastasia Beverly Hills brow pen

Like Glossier, Anastasia Beverly Hills is also famous for another brow product – brow wiz. Its pen offering is just as good. It has a flexible tip that has been designed to create micro-strokes for the most natural finish, but also allows for the colour to be built up for a bolder brow.

We love how natural the pen looks on – it didn’t catch as we flicked it through the hairs and there weren’t any blobs where we touched the pen to skin. It comes in nine shades with a range of cool to warm undertones, meaning finding one to suit you should be fairly straightforward – although those with ginger or strawberry blonde hair may have a little less luck as the shades focus on browns and blondes. And with prices starting from £13.80, it’s friendly on the purse, too.

Buy now £13.80, Cultbeauty.co.uk

Nyx Professional makeup lift and snatch brow tint pen

Red heads, rejoice – Nyx has a shade just for you. As Dominic explained, choosing the right colour is imperative for good looking, natural brows, so it’s always handy when a brand gives you a wide range of options to pick from.

Take the makeup lift and snatch brow tint pen, for example. Not only does it glide smoothly over the brows to recreate natural hair-like strokes, it also allows you to change the angle of the nib for a thicker or thinner line, depending on your style, stays all day without a hitch and includes shades from blonde to black.

We loved the flexibility of the nib, which made creating our look easy and didn’t have us wishing we could blend out the colour like we might with a brow pencil or pomade.

And, in true Nyx fashion, it’s affordable at just £11 from Superdrug. We’ll take the lot.

Buy now £11.00, Amazon.co.uk

MAC shape & shade brow tint

Our only dual ended option in this edit, of course MAC took your average brow pen and said: we can do a little bit more, and better.

One side has a liquid brow liner to sketch out the shape and create natural, hair-like strokes whereas the other side holds a tinted powder to shade and set for even longer lasting wear. And it is long lasting. The day our reviewer tested out this brow pen, she went to the gym, travelled on the underground (twice in 30 degree heat) and walked around central London for quite some time and, despite the fairly constant sweat, if there was one part of her make-up that stayed put, it was her brows. The waterproof element works.

The colours are a little stingy, with just three on Look Fantastic, but this brow pen lasts and gives an extra something the other brow pens don’t which, in our opinion, justifies its slightly higher price tag of £22.

Buy now £22.00, Lookfantastic.com

Ciaté London microblade brow pen

The nib design for Ciaté London’s microblade brow pen is pretty cool. Unlike most other brow pens, it doesn’t just have one felt tip like nib but instead has four mini ones that create hair like strokes all at the same time. And it works, because the lines are so fine and subtle that they look completely natural.

Our only gripe is that it took a few tries to fill in the gaps in the brow because the colour and lines are so subtle. Otherwise, the formula was smooth, it didn’t catch, and it did give the promised micro-blade effect.

Buy now £11.50, Feelunique.com

Suqqu framing eyebrow liquid pen

This framing eyebrow liquid pen from Suqqu isn’t new, in fact it was part of the brand’s SS17 collection, but it’s a mainstay because of how easy it is to use and how long it lasts. The nib is ultra-thin, meaning it’s straightforward to create a natural brow with added definition.

The formula itself glides easily over the hairs and once it’s dried down, there’s no budging it until it’s time to remove all your make-up. It’s not waterproof, but it is water resistant and managed to stay on through a gym class and some biblical rain, so we’re sold on its longevity.

The only reason for its four out of five rating is the pretty poor colour range, including four shades that are brown, brown, grey and…khaki? Which as far as we can tell is just another shade of brown.

However, it’s really simple to use and creates a beautifully natural brow with added definition where you need.

Buy now £22.00, Cultbeauty.co.uk

Revolution hairstroke brow pen

The Revolution hairstroke brow pen is just £6. Yes, you read that right, £6. That’s less than a pint in London these days for enviable brows.

The colour selection is limited to say the least, with only dark brown, medium brown and light brown on offer at Boots and, when fully stocked, there are only two more shades to choose from, neither of which are blonde or auburn. But the pen itself is easy to use, with a tapered nib to create hair-like strokes.

The point itself is less flexible than others we’ve tried which makes for a slightly bolder line, but it is advertised as creating the illusion of an at home micro-bladed brow, which it certainly does.

The product isn’t too dark or false looking and we were able to create a feathery, natural finish that perfectly complemented a fuller make-up look.

But more than anything, we love that Revolution are still producing high quality make-up products, like this brow pen, for incredibly accessible prices. All five shades would still only cost you £30, so if you’re thinking about building up a make-up kit, we’d recommend trying these out.

Buy now £6.00, Boots.com

Stila All Day Waterproof Brow Color

Although this product has ‘all day’ in the name, it’s actually the blonde offering that we really love. That isn’t to say it doesn’t last, because it does – through sweat, rain and some very stuffy journeys on the underground, this waterproof eyebrow pen didn’t move.

It only comes in three shades, but we think the colour ‘light brow’ is one for blondies to get to know. It’s got a golden tint that makes very fair hairs visible whilst still looking natural. We did find the nib got a little bit caught as we were using it, but overall, the formula was smooth and the pen itself easy to use.

Buy now £18.00, Amazon.co.uk

The verdict: best eyebrow pens

Our favourite brow pen overall was the Glossier brow flick because it comes in three distinct shades, creates natural looking brows and was smudge resistant. Plus, it didn’t cost a fortune at £15.

If you’re worried about any sliding around in the rain, then the MAC shape and shade brow tint is a must-have. Or if you want an extensive range of colours – and if it’s an option for the underrepresented red heads – then we love Nyx Professional makeup lift and snatch brow tint pen.

If you’re looking to make a statement with your eyes, read our review of best waterproof mascaras that won’t smudge, crumble or smear