Full, Laminated, Feathery, Sleek – Here's the Answer to Your Best Brows
October 8 | 5 minute read
Words by The MECCA Memo
Brow trends have gone from skinny (hello, ’90s) to fluffy to laminated – and back again. The only rules now? There are no rules, except finding a shape you love.
You've heard the cliché that ‘brows frame the face’ and, well, a cliché is only a cliché because it's true. And brows definitely do help add structure and polish to your facial features, even adding an overall youthful vibe – especially when you draw them straighter and fuller. The bottom line: a good brow (and glowing skin) will take you far.
But where to start? There are so many brow products out there, from pencils, pomades, waxes and gels to liners and powders. Which one do you and your golden arches need?
With the world's very best brow products at our fingertips, MECCA has done the browsing for you. So, whether you're looking to redeem over-plucked brows, tame unruly hairs, add shape and definition or build volume and dimension, there’s a brow product ready to beautify your brows – and maybe even save you a trip to the salon.
Best for fluffy brows
Glossier Boy Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel-Pomade
Not just another brow gel, this is the brow gel. Inspired by moustache pomade (yes, really!), this cult formula is the quickest way to tint, thicken and fluff brows without the gluey-ness. The tiny brush is small enough to grab even the shortest hairs, precise enough to shape without smudging, and helps build the product so brows look naturally fuller – rather than painted on. For the full, fluffy look it's famous for, brush upwards from the arch in short strokes, then smooth out the tail.
Best for feathery brows
Kosas Brow Pop Dual-Action Defining Pencil and Air Brow Clear Lifting Treatment Gel
The LA trick to effortlessly brushed-up brows? This duo from Kosas brings a brow appointment to your makeup bag. The creamy, angled pencil makes sketching a natural shape (always use upward strokes) and filling gaps easy, while delivering rich colour that lasts all day and is infused with nourishing castor oil. There’s also a built-in spoolie for seamless blending. You’ll get the best look if you backcomb with Air Brow against the hairs before brushing up for a feathery finish.
Best for full brows
Westman Atelier Bonne Brow Defining Pencil
With an angled fine tip on one end and a detachable spoolie in the other, this pencil makes filling and blending foolproof. The result is naturally fuller brows so believable, no-one will know you filled them in! As you’d expect from Westman Atelier, the formula is gentle on skin and nourishing rather than drying. Did we mention it’s like the never-ending brow pencil? The firm-yet-creamy formula means you use less with every stroke, so it lasts longer than most. Meanwhile, Gucci Westman herself says to think of the spoolie as your 'fixer'; use it to groom and tidy the hairs themselves, but also to blend and soften the pigment.
Best for laminated brows
MECCA MAX Brow Guru Micro-Matic Pencil and BROW GURU Power Brow Strong Hold Gel
Forgot to book your MECCA Brow Lamination? Never fear! You’ll find this duo in almost every MECCA team member’s kit. The brow pencil, with an incredibly natural-looking shade range, has an ultra-slim tip so you can define, detail and fill any bald spots with hairlike precision. Follow it up with Power Brow Strong Hold Gel to lift and slick every single strand in place for the whole day. And when we say they’ll stay put, we mean it! You’ll also love that this formula includes glycerin and flaxseed oil to deeply moisturise and condition brow hairs.
Best for natural-looking brows
Charlotte Tilbury Brow Cheat
Charlotte called it ‘Brow Cheat’ for a reason: in just a few swipes, it fakes the look of naturally full, fluffy arches. The angled micro-precision tip helps you sculpt your brows with strokes that mimic real hairs, and the addition of brow-loving ingredients nourishes as it shapes, leaving you with healthier-looking brows over time. We like to use upward flicks at the front and angle out through the tail to keep brows soft and natural.
Best for shaped brows
Glossier Boy Brow Arch
Glossier may have perfected the brow pomade, but when arches need a little more filling, this is what we reach for. Smudge-proof, waterproof, transfer-proof (everything proof!), this creamy, dual-end pencil fills gaps in a way no brow gel ever could. But use them together, and you have fluffy hold with believable fullness. To keep your pencil sharp or to flatten for shading, twist up a little then use the built-in ledge to gently shape the tip as you need.
