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Your eyebrows act as a frame for your eyes and serve as a focal point for your face. So, you may want to make sure you have well-groomed, attractive eyebrows to look your best. It does take a bit of effort to obtain great eyebrows, though. This is where eyebrow primer comes into play. Tinted gels can help make thin brows appear fuller. Gel or waxy primers help hold the hairs in place, making them perfect for people with unruly brows.
With so many different types of primer available, it can be difficult to determine the best one for you. To make this process easier, we have listed the leading eyebrow primers of 2024 here for you, as well as included a guide to finding the perfect product.
The 5 Best Brow Primers to Buy
NYX PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP Brow Primer — Top Pick
Key Features
- It comes with a precise stylish brush to set the eyebrows well
- The formula is transparent, non-sticky, and flake-free
- The primer will stick to your brows for a minimum of 16 hours
- Instantly hold your brows to let you style your eyebrows
This transparent brow gel has a non-sticky formula and will provide you with 16 hours of extreme hold without any trouble. It will enable you to style your eyebrow hairs and hold them in their place for a sophisticated, polished look. The formula is flake-resistant, and it will dry down softly by providing you with a natural finish instead of a sticky look.
Furthermore, this gel comes from NYX, a reputable, well-trusted brand that is cruelty-free certified. So, you can purchase this gel and know that you are supporting a responsible company.
e.l.f. Brow Primer — Runner-Up
Key Features
- It will allow your brow hair to stay in place
- The primer is 100% free from chemicals
- Great for getting a precise brow shape
- It has vitamin E that will nourish your skin
This wax brow pencil by e.l.f. is excellent, as it will give your brows a great shape and tame the hairs perfectly. The formulation is lightweight but will still keep your brows in place. Additionally, this product helps to nourish the skin, as it contains Vitamin E.
The formulation is 100% vegan and is free from phthalates, parabens, sulfates, and other harmful chemicals. More importantly, this primer will keep your eyebrows in place by offering a natural and groomed look.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Primer — Premium Quality
Key Features
- The wax formula will offer a natural-looking brow with a smooth texture
- It will tame and prime your brows to apply other makeup products with ease
- The formula appears as wax that will hold your eyebrow's hair well
- Prepare your eyebrows for a seamless makeup look
The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Primer is a colorless wax pencil that helps you prepare and prime your eyebrows for a seamless look. It has a smooth wax formula that will help to hold your eyebrows in place. It also lets you create a base for any additional product so that it will adhere well to your skin on any sparse areas of the eyebrows.
This primer will help you to tame your eyebrows well and will offer a natural-looking texture. Moreover, it is ideal for people with sparse brows who need to get a clean-looking brow shape before they fill their brows in with a pencil.
Benefit Brow Primer — Editor’s Pick
Key Features
- Apply it at night and let the nutrient-rich formula do the magic overnight
- Easy application using a soft-touch applicator
- The nutrient-rich formula will make your brows thick and healthier
- It is ideal for all skin tones and types
The Benefit Browvo Conditioning Primer is a nutrient-rich primer that will make your eyebrows look great. It promises to provide proper conditioning and make your brows smooth so you can get the perfect shape.
The conditioning formula consists of soy protein and keratin to help you make your brows thicker and healthier. The all-in-one eyebrow serum is available in a gel that is suited well for all brows. In addition, you will also get a soft-touch applicator with this package.
Glossier Brow Primer — Good Choice
Key Features
- Ophthalmologist and dermatologist tested; ideal for all skin types
- Comprised of soluble collagens, lecithin, and oleic acid to moisturize the brows
- It is flexible and thickens your eyebrows for a great look
- Conditions your brows and keeps them in place
This product is a cream wax primer that will help you thicken, shape, and keep your brows in place. The inspiration behind this product is traditional hair pomade. It will give you soft and flexible brows with great hold with just one quick swipe, and it will not flake or stiffen.
The important ingredients in this primer are lecithin, oleic acid, and soluble collagen for moisturizing and conditioning the eyebrows. Furthermore, you can buy it in four subtle tinted shades such as brown, black, blond, and auburn to enhance your brows’ natural color.
Best Brow Primers Buyer’s Guide
Eyebrows are one of the essential parts of the face that enhance your overall facial beauty in men and women. The best brows are thick, nicely shaped, and held in place. They frame your eyes, so it is important to keep them looking their best for an overall attractive look.
Every person has a different natural shape of their eyebrows that fits according to their face shape. Some are small, long, curved, or one of the many other shapes that we will discuss later. To optimize the shape of your brows, consider a brow primer. To buy the right product, keep the below things in your mind when shopping:
What Are the Different Shapes of the Brow for Applying the Primer?
Firstly, we will look at the different eyebrow shapes that people can follow to make them look perfect!
Tail arch
This is one of the classic brow shapes. There is a slight arch at the tail, which gives a sophisticated look to the brows. This shape brings sharp angular details that look great for round faces and also fit well on the face of women with a sharp jawline. Moreover, a tail arch is good for women who want to add more framing details to their faces.
Center arch
The center arch is the perfect shape for creating a lifting effect for your cheekbones. You can get this shape by cleaning up stray hair in the middle section of your eyebrow.
Don't pluck the arch itself, because it may get too intense and leave you with a permanently shocked look. When done correctly, this look is perfect for adding some symmetry and creating balance for wide faces.
High arch
This tail arch variation has an arch that goes way up and above the brow bone for adding more definition and making the look intense. If you want super dramatic eyebrows, this is a good shape to go with.
Note that the high center arch style is not typically an everyday makeup look, and it may mess up the balance of the rest of the facial features.
Minimal arch
This is generally the default shape for the eyebrows, and everyone has somewhat of a slight arch in their natural brows. To maintain this shape, don't over-pluck. Stick to cleaning up only the stray hairs using a pair of tweezers.
For making the slight arch more prominent, consider using a brow pencil in any sparse or bald spots. However, to get a dense texture, you can use tinted brow gel.
Tapered brows
This is a high-maintenance shape of eyebrows. It is thick on the last ⅔ corner and has a subtle arch that is light and slender toward the ends. The natural brows are equal in width, so this shape usually has to be made by professionals. This style of brows needs maintenance more often than other shapes, including regular grooming and waxing!
Some other types besides the above options are rounded, straight, and s-shaped, as well as short and thick brows.
How Can Beginners Make Their Eyebrows Look Better?
Are you a beginner who is struggling to perfect the shape of your brows? Here are some tips for your consideration:
Prime your brows
Priming is an essential step that is often overlooked, even by makeup professionals. You have to prime your eyebrows, similar to your eyelids and face before applying makeup.
Before the product application, ensure that the makeup will smoothly and evenly glide without any product fallout on the cheeks and eyelids.
Product selection
There is a huge variety of eyebrow products available on the market. The selection is dependent on the thickness of your brow, your skill level, and your natural color. If you are a beginner, clear gels and eyebrow powders are the best products to start with!
It is easy to use powder in contrast to liquid, cream, or tinted gels, as you can easily maintain control of them. On the other hand, using gel to make your eyebrows too thick or dark is difficult.
Right shade
By applying the wrong shade, your brows will end up looking too dark, chalky, or washed out. If you use tinted eyebrow gel, pick a shade that will match the natural color of your eyebrows. In the case of eyebrow powder, pick a color that is two times darker than the natural hair color for accentuating and defining your brows. However, when using eyebrow cream and pencil, the eyebrow will end up looking unnaturally dark or too dramatic if you go more than a shade darker than your natural color.
Surrounding with highlights
Highlighting specific areas near your eyebrow lets you define your brows and create a smooth contrast between the rest of your skin and your eyebrows. Moreover, it will help to create a better focal point for your face.
By highlighting your brows, you can showcase the natural arch and precise shape of your bows. Highlighting your eyebrows should be part of your daily makeup routine.
Blend well
It is good to blend your brows for a natural look. Make your eyebrows lighter in an appearance near the eye's inner corner, and on the outer corner, they should get darker. One of the main reasons your eyebrows may look fake is too dark of an edge near the eye's inner corner.
What to Look at When Buying Brow Primers
When purchasing primer for your eyebrows, keep the below points in your mind to make a better decision:
Brand
Pick a reputable brand to buy your primer and other cosmetic products from. After all, the products will be on your face, so they have to be of good quality to avoid any skin problems. A good brand will never compromise on the quality, and you will get the look you want.
Form
The primer for your eyebrows is available in different forms like gel, cream, and pencil. Using a cream eyebrow primer is more convenient, as it can be controlled more easily as compared to the other forms.
Ingredients
Don't forget to check the ingredients of your cosmetic products. The product should be free of parabens, phthalates, and sulfate as these are harmful to your skin.
What's the Cost of Brow Primers?
The cost of a brow primer is usually between $7 and $30. The difference you see in price is due to the brand, form, and quantity of product you get. Some international brands will cost you a bit more than the local brands. The primers are available in gel, pencil, cream, and powder form. A primer in cream form is more expensive than the other forms. Furthermore, some primers come with a soft brush for applying the primer; the cost of such a product is a little bit higher in contrast to the standard products.
