I Tried 6 Drugstore Brow Gels. I’ll Never Buy an Expensive One Again.

Myfavoritedrugstorebrowgels

Theonesthatdidn’twork

I wasn’t the biggest fan of this brow gel fromMilani, mostly because it has a very soft hold. It brushes up the brows, and that’s about it. It doesn’t do much in the way of separating individual hairs, and because the bristles are so large, like a chunky mascara wand, it styles the eyebrow in one large swoop rather than one section at a time.

Got2b is well-known for its freezing hairspray, a go-to for securing wigs and smoothing. I had high hopes for the brow gel, which doubles as edge control. The brand advertises 72-hour hold, so I expected my brows to feel stuck and smoothed down, but it didn’t make much of a difference. It felt closer to the e.l.f. original clear brow gel, which has a barely-there feel and is good for brushing brows into shape but not necessarily for long-term hold.

Thejustfine

This is the brow gel Sydney recommended, which she likes because it really holds the brows down. It’s waterproof, sweatproof, and promises 24 hours of hold. It has a small spoolie for detailed brow styling and doesn’t flake. I liked this one, but it wasn’t my favorite. It holds my brows in place but doesn’t separate like the L’Oréal formula. To get a similar look, I’d have to put in a lot more effort to shape my brows.

Theprettygoodones

The NYX Brow Glue has a similar pitch as the L’Oréal gel — maximum hold, long-wearing — but to different effect. It has a small round spoolie that gathers hairs rather than separating them. It’s a little more natural, and the finish closely mimics my beloved Anastasia Beverly Hills at a much more affordable price. I think where it has a slight edge is that the small brush gives you a little more control with placing the hairs just so. At just $10, it’s a worthwhile alternative to the pricier ABH.

Immediately upon applying this brow gel, it felt familiar to me. The effect reminded me a lot of the Refy brow gel, which I like. Similarly to that one, it goes on white and dries clear. One big difference is the brush. It has a really small brush head, which I like because it allows me to style and shape in sections, rather than trying to get a larger bush to do detailed styling work. I like it, but it can be a bit tedious. That said, once applied, my brows stayed lifted all day. I also liked that it made my brows look a bit bushier, which is different from some of the other gels, which focus on separation.

Thewinner

I went into this experiment thinking I’d find a decent option but not anything that would stand up to my longtime favorite. This one from L’Oréal surprised me. The Anastasia Beverly Hills brow gel is medium-hold, while this really freezes brows in place. It does what it says on the tin; it mimics the laminated shape you’d get at the salon, for as long as you keep it on. The brand promises 24 hours of wear, but I didn’t go that long, so I can’t speak to that exact claim, but I will say my brows stayed brushed up through a sweaty, humid New York day. I also like that this really separates my brow hairs and makes it easy to get all the hairs going one way. I credit that to the formula and also the spoolie, which has well-spaced bristles and a thin wand, similar to a brow comb. The hold also gives you an incredible amount of control and makes me forget about the fact that I haven’t gotten my brows professionally shaped in over two years. It’s become a staple in my brow routine, and I’ve even been opting for it over my trusty ABH one.