FYI: This $10 Brow Gel Has Created a Complete Frenzy on TikTok

Trying to wrangle your brows isn't easy. And if it is easy for you, can you please let us know all your secrets? For the rest of us, finding the perfect way to style your brows can seem like an unattainable goal. There's a lot of trial and error (and sometimes our "error" eras get immortalized on social media).

Personally, I've had a lot of ups and downs with my brows. When I was growing up, they seemed so thick and bushy. I'm really glad my mom forbade me from overplucking them because now bushy is in—but I still have trouble taming them. Instead of growing upward, they seem to point downward, so it's been a learning process trying not to fight their natural growth pattern but still make them look neat.

Needless to say, I'm all up for trying new brow products. In the past two years that I've been a beauty editor, I've found a few that have really impressed me, so when my colleague Erin Jahns told me about a $10 brow gel going viral on TikTok, I knew I had to try it. Much to my surprise, after I tracked that one down, I found an even newer trending brow gel and decided to try it too. Here's what happened.

The Best Drugstore Brow Gels, At a Glance

• Best Overall: Nyx Professional Makeup The Brow Glue
• Best Clear: Milani The Clear Brow Gel
• Best Tinted: Nyx Professional Makeup Thick It Stick It! Brow Gel
• Best for Mature Brows: Maybelline Brow Fast Sculpt
• Best Long-Wear: Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow Volumizing Gel

Best Overall: Nyx Professional Makeup The Brow Glue

The first product I tried was Nyx's Brow Glue. Here's the description of the product: "This glue-like gel is transparent, flake resistant, and dries down non-sticky with a natural finish."

Many reviewers online said it was like getting your brows laminated, giving you that fluffy-brow look that you're probably seeing on everyone. They also claimed it is easy to use, has great hold, and keeps your hairs in place for hours.

I was excited to try it because one of my main problems with my brows is that some of the hairs can have a mind of their own and go in a bunch of different directions. So I was hoping the Brow Glue could help everything stay in place but still give me natural-looking brows.

When I first put it on, I was amazed that it didn't feel sticky or gummy. And applying it to my brows was easy enough. I brushed up the hairs and then tamed them down to go in their natural direction. It dried pretty quickly, and I was happy to find out that my brows didn't feel "crunchy" once the gel dried. I filled in some sparse areas with a pencil and was good to go.

Overall, I liked this product a lot because it wrangled my wayward hairs but still looked natural. And I liked that all I had to do was lightly fill in some areas for that full look.

Best Tinted: Nyx Professional Makeup Thick It. Stick It! Brow Gel

The next product I tried was a newer Nyx product that was trending: the Thick It. Stick It! Brow Gel. It's described as "a new vegan eyebrow gel in eight high-impact, inclusive shades to tint, tame, and thicken all types of eyebrows with a natural finish that lasts up to 16 hours."

Reviewers online say they're fans of the product because it has incredible hold while also leaving a nice, natural tint that doesn't smudge. They also praised how quick and easy it was to perfect their brows with the product.

I'm already pretty happy with the tinted brow gel I have, so I wondered whether I'd have a new number one product after testing it out. I was looking for something to tame my unruly hairs that maybe had a little bit more hold than my usual gel since it does seem to wear off after a few hours.

So when it came time to try the product, I opened the tube and was surprised that it felt a little bit thicker than the Brow Glue, and the formula was stickier than my normal gel. After a few swipes, I got the hang of it with shaping and grooming my brows, but it did take a moment since I wasn't used to the thick consistency. And let me tell you—a little bit of product goes a long way. I overdid it a tad on the first try and got really intense brows, so I had to redo it. After my testing, I read one review that suggested using a light hand, and I wholeheartedly agree with that and wish I had seen that advice sooner! But after I got the application just right, my brows did look more defined, and the hairs were exactly where I wanted them to be. I could also tell that the sticky consistency was just proof of its staying power because this stuff could hold my brows in place.

Since I'm normally very low-maintenance with my makeup (aka the no-makeup makeup look), I think I'll keep this one in my rotation, but I don't think I'll be using it every day. It gives you very dramatic brows easily, which is great for nights out or times when I really want to turn up my makeup a notch, but for my everyday look, I just might stick to the Brow Glue or my normal gel. I love that the formula was totally buildable, though, and that my brows really did appear thicker. So if you want a very eye-catching look, then this would be your product.

Best for Mature Brows: Maybelline Brow Fast Sculpt

Best Long-Wear: Covergirl Easy Breezy Brow Volumizing Gel

Best Budget: Essence Make Me Brow Eyebrow Gel Mascara

Best Volumizing: Elf Wow Brow Gel

Best Conditioning: Almay Brow Styler

Best Waterproof: L'Oréal Unbelieva-Brow Longwear Waterproof Tinted Brow Gel

Best Clear: Milani The Clear Brow Gel

Best Hold: Nyx Professional Makeup Control Freak Eyebrow Gel

What to Look For in a Drugstore Brow Gel

When searching for that perfect budget-friendly brow gel, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.

• Formula: Brow gels are more or less the same across the market, though there are a few differences to look out for. Some may have a waxy finish that eventually leaves white flakes on your brows, while others dry clear and smooth unruly brow hairs into place. Since drugstore brands don’t typically broadcast their ingredient lists, it can be a lot of trial and error before finding your perfect fit (or you can rely on buying guides like ours for recommendations you can trust).
• Shade range: The most popular form of brow gel is anything clear, but if you prefer to kill two birds with one stone (i.e. combine your eyebrow pencil and brow gel steps) then you may prefer a tinted brow gel. Each stroke of the coated mascara-wand brush leaves hairlike strokes on your brows, filling in sparse spots and providing realistic volume where necessary.
• Benefits: While drugstore brow gels don’t typically have the same skin and hair benefits as higher-end products, that doesn’t mean that you can’t still get a high-performing product for a good price. Some formulas like the L'Oréal Unbelieva-Brow Longwear Waterproof Tinted Brow Gel offer sweat and water resistance, making it a great vacation or workout class pick, and others like the oil-enriched Almay Brow Styler impart nourishment for glossier brows.

FAQ

Which is better, brow gel or brow wax?

While neither is better than the other, gels and waxes may be better suited to you depending on your desired result. Brow waxes are great for "laying down" the brow hairs to achieve a laminated effect, whereas brow gels tend to have less hold and simply keep the brows in place. If you have unruly or coarse brow hairs, you may find it easier to tame your brow hairs with a strong-hold wax, whereas fine brow hairs are well-suited to a regular gel.

Do you use brow gel before or after pencil?

Everyone's makeup routines are purely individual, but it's easier to get a clean pencil, pen, or pomade application when you sketch in your hairlike strokes before setting everything with brow gel.

Is clear or tinted brow gel better?

Clear and tinted brow gels are great for different reasons: Clear brow gel holds your natural brow hairs in place as they are (no extra color) and can also act as a sealant on top of your brushstrokes. However, if you prefer to streamline the process (and are willing to sacrifice some precision in the process), tinted brow gels can imitate the hair-like strokes and shape your arches all in one.

More Cost-Effective Brow Products We Love

This article was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.