ell-groomed eyebrows not only frame and enhance the eyes, they also help to shape and define the whole face. The fuller they are, the more youthful they look, which is where eyebrow products come in. Most of us can benefit from a little judicious shaping, filling, thickening and setting – all made easier with the right brow kit. Our top picks for 2020 are:
Winner: Best overall eyebrow kit: Guerlain Ecrin Sourcils Eyebrow Kit
Best for shade range: Benefit Brow Zings Eyebrow Shaping Kit
Best value brow kit: L’Oréal Paris Brow Artist Genius Kit
Best for blending: Soap & Glory Archery D-I-Y Brow Bar
Best for beginners: Benefit Fool Proof Brow Powder
Best budget buy: GOSH Eyebrow Kit
Best for creating both day and night looks: Clarins Perfect Eyes & Brow Palette
Best for speed: Billion Dollar Brows 60 Seconds to Beautiful Brows Kit
Best organised: BBB London Dream Brows Palette
Best for sparse brows: Morphe Arch Obsessions Brow Kit
What is a brow kit?
Packed with the essentials, an eyebrow kit is a helpful buy for beginners and can be an economical purchase for those already more refined in their skills. Most often you’ll find them in palette form, with some including extras such as tweezers and a highlighter stick, or as brow collections with mainly full-sized products.
Why should I buy an eyebrow kit?
- They’re easy to work with: Colours and formulations are designed to work together and most come with at least two shades of powder, so you’re rarely stuck for choice.
- They’re perfect for on-the-go: Many kits come in a slim compact with a built-in mirror, which is handy for topping up your brows on your commute (assuming you’re not driving of course!).
- They’re money-saving: Almost always cheaper than buying each of its components separately, a ready-made kit is also a good way to try out a brand’s products.
Brow products and tools explained
Confused by the different brushes and textures? Here’s a quick guide to help you identify what’s what and how to use it:
The tools and brushes
Slanted brush
- Which one is it? – Looks like an eyeliner brush, with bristles cut at an angle
- What is it for? – Use it for precise application of powder
Blending brush
- Which one is it? – The fluffier brush, which has a bristle shape that’s either flat or rounded
- What is it for? – Use it to apply highlighter (it can double up to blend a smokey eye look, too)
Spoolie
- Which one is it? – Looks like a mini mascara wand
- What is it for? – Grooming your brow hairs into place and softening harsh powder lines by blending the colour out. Brush brow hairs in light strokes in the direction of growth with it before and after applying product
The products
Brow powders
- Which one is it? – The matte-looking powders in your palette, usually in various tones of brown or beige.
- What is it for? – Use this to fill in the gaps and sparse areas of your brows.
- How to use it: If one colour is included: apply with slanted brush in direction of hair growth. If two colours are included: apply the lighter shade at the inner brows first (nearest to the nose) and swap to the darker shade halfway through the arch and blend, blend, blend with the spoolie. This creates a soft, natural finish.
Highlighter
- Which one is it? – It’s the white or pinky-coloured powder in your palette and may be matte or shimmery. Sometimes it can be in stick or pencil form, too. It’s useful to have, though not always included in a kit.
- What is it for? – Use this under the arches to define the shape of the brows.
- How to use it: Apply lightly to the under-arch area using either the rounded or slanted brush.
Wax and gel
- Which one is it? – Wax is the product with the thickest consistency. A quick test is to rub it with your finger – not much will be visibly picked up. Gel usually comes in a tube with a mascara-style wand.
- What is it for? – Setting and keeping brow hairs in place.
- How to use it:
1)Wax: use the slanted brush to smooth down the brow hairs before applying powder, or dip the wax-covered brush into the powder and apply in the direction of hair growth.
2) Gel: use lightly as the last step of your brow routine to set the hairs in the direction of growth.
How we test
We’ve tested 17 brow kits with our panel of over 150 women. The testers assessed each item within the kit for ease of use, performance and longevity. We also asked a professional makeup artist to evaluate the kits, giving scores for a variety of attributes, including staying power and smudge-resistance. Meet our top 10 performers…
1
WINNER
Guerlain Météorites Blossom Collection Ecrin Sourcils Eyebrow Kit
Score: 92/100
An all-powder collection in sleek, compact packaging, the formulations are suitable for wet and dry application for finishes that span natural to bold. Our makeup artist loved the quality of the kit, saying that the powders were “finely textured without being dusty”. She and our panel particularly rated the highlighter that gave a “really clean look to the brow shape”. It comes in one colour way, designed to blend together to adapt to light, medium and dark tones.
What’s inside?
3 coloured powders
1 highlighter powder
1 dual-ended spoolie and slanted brush
1 built-in mirror
2
BEST SHADE RANGE
Benefit Brow Zings
Score: 91/100
All the tools fit easily into the small compact, with testers noting that tweezers are a helpful addition. The panel loved the way the wax and powders glided easily on to the skin and appreciated the choice of six colour combinations, from cool light blonde to cool soft black.
What’s inside?
1 brow powder
1 brow wax
1 mini tweezers
1 fold-out dual-ended brush (slanted and blending)
1 built-in mirror
3
BEST VALUE BROW KIT
L’Oréal Artist Genius Brow Kit
Score: 90/100
This kit was highly rated, with testers reporting that it left brows looking well-groomed all day. They liked the dual-ended brushes and were pleased with the natural-looking finish achieved with the powder and wax, which come in two colourways – light/medium and medium/dark. The sleek packaging was a big hit too, not least because it means the kit fits easily into a makeup bag or handbag.
What’s inside?
1 brow powder
1 brow wax
1 mini tweezers
1 dual-ended angled spoolie brush
1 built-in mirror
4
BEST FOR BLENDING
Soap & Glory Archery DIY Brow Bar 4-in-1
Score: 89/100
Our testers loved playing with the blendable powders to customise them for the perfect shade. They also liked the highlighter and the finished look it gave to their brows, which was found, by the majority of testers, to stay put all day. It comes in one colour choice.
What’s inside?
2 brow powder shades
1 wax
1 cream highlighter with metallic shimmer pearls1 double-ended precision brush and spoolie
1 singled-ended brush
1 built-in mirror
5
BEST FOR BEGINNERS
Benefit FoolProof Brow Powder Duo
Score: 89/100
Living up to its name, our panel found minimal steps and skill were needed to create a long-lasting, natural result. However, those well-versed in the art of brows may have issues with the precision of the sponge applicator. Available in three colour choices.
What’s inside?
2 shades of eyebrow powder
1 two-in-one sponge applicator and spoolie brush
1 built-in mirror
6
BEST BUDGET BUY
GOSH Eye Brow Kit Multi
Score: 89/100
Our testers thought this three-shade kit was a bargain, scoring it highly for the variety of natural-looking powder shades it contains. They also liked the transparent wax, which didn’t affect the colour of brow powder applied and kept brows in place all day. It comes in one colourway.
What’s inside?
3 brow powder shades
1 transparent wax
1 dual-ended sponge applicator and blending brush
1 built-in mirror
7
BEST FOR CREATING BOTH DAY AND NIGHT LOOKS
Clarins Perfect Eyes and Brows Palette
Score: 88/100
This is an all-encompassing kit that can take your look from day to night with ease. Our testers found the clear instructions especially helpful and praised the “lovely” textures, saying they were very easy to apply and blend. Available in one colourway.
What’s inside?
3 brow powder shades
1 holding wax
1 highlighter/eyeshadow
1 dual-ended sponge and slanted brush
1 spoolie
1 mini tweezers1 built-in mirror
8
BEST FOR SPEED
Billion Dollar Brow 60 Second Brows Kit
Score: 86/100
Beautify your brows in just one minute with this simple two-piece kit. Our testers liked the fine texture of the powder and its natural-looking tone, saying it had good coverage and was highly pigmented. The brush didn’t feel too sharp on the skin yet maintained precision. Available in one shade, which is claimed to suit all skin and hair tones.
What’s inside?
1 brow powder
1 full-sized dual-ended slanted brush and spoolie
9
BEST ORGANISED
BBB London Dream Brows Palette
Score: 85/100
Helpfully, the brushes in this kit are labelled with the order to use them in – something that was much appreciated by the brow novices on our panel. The majority of our testers also liked that the powders left brows thoroughly defined, without feeling too heavy. Available in two colour options: light/medium and medium/dark.
What’s included?
2 brow powder shades
1 highlighter powder
1 dual-ended slant brush
1 dual-ended highlighter brush and wand
1 built-in mirror
10
EST FOR SPARSE BROWS
Morphe Arch Obsessions Brow Kit
Score: 78/100
A five-piece collection with mostly full-sized products, our testers and makeup artist singled out the brow pencil as being particularly good. They also liked that you can mix and match products depending on what look you’re going for. It comes in seven colourways.
What’s included?
1 micro brow pencil
1 brow setting gel (translucent)
1 brow cream 1 angle liner/spoolie brush
1 highlighter stick
