My Defined but Natural-Looking Brows Are Thanks to This $3 Pencil — and 18,000 Other People Love It, Too

Like many makeup enthusiasts, I have a healthy amount of skepticism if a beauty product doesn’t require the bulk of my paycheck. After trying numerous high-end eyebrow pencils that were less than stellar with the promise of Hollywood glamor from beauty advisors, I found myself in the makeup aisle at the drugstore searching for a miracle. Overwhelmed by so many choices, e.l.f.'s Instant Lift Brow Pencil caught my eye with its cute, likable copy and word-of-mouth recommendations. 

Upon researching the product further, I discovered it was free from parabens, sulfates, and other harmful chemicals, made in a Fair Trade Certified factory, and (wait for it) only $3. Was I e.l.f.ing dreaming, or did I just find the holy grail of brow products? With six shades from light to dark, my boxes were checked. Ideally, I wish it was refillable to help reduce unnecessary waste, but perhaps e.l.f. will get there. 

Shop now: $3; amazon.com

Unlike using a sharpie from your desk (we’ve all been there, right?), the retractable, thinly-shaped tip glides on with ease and creates maneuverability to draw tiny hair flecks onto your brow. This smudge-proof formula is infused with grapeseed oil and vitamin E to promote hair growth and nourish skin. Equipped with a built-in spoolie brush, it blends and shapes beautifully, so you can skip that brow tutorial class. 

I’ve never really been into the boy brow trend, nor the pluck ‘em all phase. But the “au naturel” style is my vibe, especially when playing up the eyes so that the brows frame my face. I like to create soft left-to-right strokes, filling in my patchy bits first and then lightly coloring the surrounding hair. The tip is narrow enough to feather out the ends, elongating the brow without harsh lines. Using the spoolie, I blend the color by following the natural arch of my hair, combing upward to fan it out for a softer look. If in doubt about which color to choose, err on the lighter side.

After all, thousands of Amazon shoppers (more than 18,000, to be exact) love its long-lasting wear and lifting precision so much that they swear a lifelong affair. One raving fan that tried everything from Anastasia to Bobbi Brown and agreed that for $3, it’s hard to beat. “I liked this the best,” they wrote. “I ordered six!” Even a 60-year-old shopper, who has “very thin eyebrows from over-plucking” as well as gray hairs, said the pencil “stands above every other eyebrow product” they’ve tried. “The color is perfect for me and the consistency of the product is friendly — it's not stiff and doesn't feel unnatural at all.”

Snag your own e.l.f. Instant Lift Brow Pencil at Amazon for just $3.