By Lisa Petrison
Back in the 1990’s, when thin and delicate eyebrows were in style, mine were just about perfect without my needing to do anything to them at all.
Unfortunately, over the subsequent 25 years, fuller and more structured eyebrows have become more fashionable, while the hairs of my own eyebrows have become much more sparse as well as lighter in color.
I’ve therefore spent quite a lot of time and money focused on figuring out how to transform my “problem brows” into natural-looking fuller ones – including trying out more than 50 brow products over the past couple of years.
I have found that in order to get the most natural and overall best look, using both eyebrow pencil and tinted eyebrow gel seems to be required.
While there is one pencil – the Jones Road one – that has allowed me to create passably natural-looking brows all by itself, I more consider that to be a product that I use when I am in a hurry rather than one that I consider to be optimal.
The other eyebrow pencils that have worked for me are ones that are good at allowing me to create light, hair-like short strokes fairly easily, but that do not go on too heavily since this creates a brow that looks unnatural on me.
Most of the mechanical brow pencils that have worked for me are ones with very thin “micro” leads, but a couple of other pencils (the Bobbi Brown and Tom Ford ones) have worked for me as well.
In general, most eyebrow pencils (even ones that do not position themselves as being “clean beauty”) tend to be pretty good in terms of not including problematic ingredients, and I have yet to have to give up on any eyebrow pencils due to their causing irritation.
However, many of the eyebrow pencils that I have tried have not deposited enough pigment on my eyebrows; have deposited way too much pigment on my eyebrows; or have only been capable of creating thick smudgy lines that do not look very natural.
Although the “micro” type pencils tend to work best for me, they unfortunately tend to get used up relatively quickly.
I try to be gentle with these pencils and get annoyed if breakage occurs (which has only happened for me with a couple of the pencils that I have tried).
Another problem that I found even a year ago was that some eye pencil brands didn’t offer appropriate shades for me (e.g. with all the lighter shades offered being too reddish in tone to look good in the context of my coloring and graying hair).
Fortunately, things have now changed so that most companies making eyebrow pencil formulas that I like now offer cooler shades (such as ones labeled as neutral, ash or taupe) that do work well for me.
Note that people who do not have brows that are as problematic as mine and who are just looking to touch up their already mostly okay brows may do perfectly fine with a variety of different pencils that I have not found to be appropriate for my own particularly difficult brows.
Many of those pencils may turn out to be quicker to use and less expensive on a per-use basis than the ones that have worked best for me.
The page Brow Pencils discusses in detail all the pencils mentioned on this page as well as all the other eyebrow pencils that I have tried.
The next section contains affiliate links. Living Clean in a Dirty World may receive a commission if readers click on these links and then purchase products. Living Clean in a Dirty World also may accept product review samples but receives no other compensation from companies mentioned on this website.
Jones Road The Brow Pencil – $22
Living Clean Rating: 9 out of 10
This Jones Road product is the one eyebrow pencil that I often use without feeling the need to add brow gel on top of it.
It has a waxy feeling to it and includes small fibers that give my brows a more three-dimensional look than I have experienced with any of the 25+ other brow pencils that I have tried.
Although I don’t think it looks quite as good as using a regular brow pencil along with brow gel, it does go on very fast and creates what I think is a plausibly natural brow look.
For someone who for whatever reason has no brows at all, this is the product that I would suggest trying first.
I have not found this pencil to be as annoying as many others that need to be sharpened, due to the fact that the point does not need to be especially sharp in order to create a nice look.
The product is available in five shades. I have been using Ash, which is a little darker than I would prefer but which has been working reasonably well for me.
Available Shades: Blonde, Ash, Light Brunette, Brunette, Dark Brunette
EWG Problem Ingredients: Myristyl myristate (3).
First 5 Ingredients: Castor Seed Oil, Candelilla Wax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Ricinoleate, Silica.
Fragrance Ingredients: None
Silicone Level: None
Kosas Brow Pop – $24
Living Clean Rating: 10 out of 10
This popular eyebrow pencil has a quite clean ingredient list and has worked reliably well for me.
It has a triangular micro tip that seems a little more sturdy than the micro tips of other eyebrow pencils that I have tried.
It is available in 10 shades. I have been using Taupe, which seems to be a pretty good color for me.
Available Shades: Honey Blonde, Taupe, Soft Brown, Auburn, Medium Chocolate Brown, Medium Brown, Dark Brown, Brown Black, Black, Grey
EWG Problem Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (3).
First 5 Ingredients: Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Mica, Candelilla Wax, Carnauba Wax.
Fragrance Ingredients: None
Silicone Level: None
Jane Iredale PureBrow Precision Pencil – $26
Living Clean Rating: 10 out of 10
The Jane Iredale micro pencil is another eyebrow product that has worked well for me.
I have been using the Ash Blonde shade but felt that it was a little too reddish to be optimal for me.
I therefore am happy that the company has just released (in Fall 2022) a Neutral Blonde version, which seems to work better with my coloring and my graying hair.
Although the name of the product as well as the packaging has been changed, the formula seems to be exactly the same as the one used in the past.
Available Shades: Ash Blonde, Neutral Blonde, Medium Brown, Dark Brown, Auburn, Soft Black
EWG Problem Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (3). (Also contains Carmine.)
First 5 Ingredients: Diisostearyl Malate, Triethylhexanoin, C20-40 Acid, C20-40 Alcohols, Polyethylene.
Fragrance Ingredients: None
Silicone Level: None
Haus Labs The Edge Precision Brow Pencil – $22
Living Clean Rating: 10 out of 10
This micro brow pencil was released in 2022 and is available in 13 shades.
I have the Soft Blonde color in this one. It is fairly cool and is similar to the natural color of my eyebrows when I was younger, and so I have been using it a lot since it seems to me to create a natural and understated look.
The product has a pretty clean ingredient list and has worked well for me.
Available Shades: Soft Blonde, Medium Blonde, Taupe, Cinnamon, Auburn, Taupe Brown, Soft Brown, Medium Brown, Ash Brown, Dark Brown, Granite Gray, Brown Black, Noir
EWG Problem Ingredients: Tocopheryl Acetate (3), Titanium dioxide (3). (Also contains Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil.)
First 5 Ingredients: Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Polyethylene, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Carnauba Wax, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides.
Fragrance Ingredients: None
Silicone Level: None
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz – $25
Living Clean Rating: 9 out of 10
This is a popular micro pencil for the brows that has acquired the status of being a bit of a classic.
Although it contains a few problematic ingredients (including soybean oil, phenoxyethanol and ferric ferrocyanide), in general it seems to be clean enough that I am willing to use it.
The best shade for me seems to be Taupe, which I find a little darker than would be ideal.
Available Shades: Blonde, Taupe, Soft Brown, Ash Brown, Medium Brown, Caramel, Strawburn, Auburn, Chocolate, Dark Brown, Ebony, Granite
EWG Problem Ingredients: Phenoxyethanol (4), Ferric Ferrocyanide (4), Titanium Dioxide (3), Tocopheryl Acetate (3). (Also contains Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil.)
First 5 Ingredients: Hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenated coco-glycerides, hydrogenated vegetable oil, zinc stearate, stearic acid.
Fragrance Ingredients: None
Silicone Level: None
Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Brow Pencil – $45
Living Clean Rating: 8 out of 10
This pencil from Bobbi Brown does not have a micro tip but nonetheless has worked well for me in terms of allowing me to draw thin hair-like strokes on my eyebrows.
It contains a small percentage of talc, which I do not consider to be a problem in a non-powder product that is used in small amounts.
The product seems fine to me in terms of not causing irritation.
In looking at the user reviews on the Bobbi Brown site, the main problem that people seem to have with this pencil is that there used to be a gray shade that has been discontinued.
I have been using Slate, which is a fairly light shade that has worked okay for me.
The Tom Ford pencil, which is basically identical to the Bobbi Brown oen, does offer a darker gray shade that could be considered.
Available Shades: Sandy Blonde, Blonde, Slate, Honey Brown, Rich Brown, Neutral Brown, Mahogany, Saddle, Espresso, Soft Black
EWG Problem Ingredients: Talc (5), Titanium dioxide (3).
First 5 Ingredients: Behenic Acid, Japan Fruit Wax, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate.
Fragrance Ingredients: None
Silicone Level: None
Tom Ford Brow Sculptor – $54
Living Clean Rating: 8 out of 10
This pencil performs exactly the same as the Bobbi Brown pencil and has almost the exact same ingredient list.
Both Bobbi Brown and Tom Ford are Estee Lauder brands, and so it is my guess that the company used the Bobbi Brown formula to fill out the Tom Ford line.
Although this pencil is more expensive than the Bobbi Brown one, it does come with a free refill.
It also comes with a free sharpener, though I’ve not personally found sharpening this pencil to be necessary or even helpful.
I do think that the Taupe shade in this product has been slightly better for me than the Slate one that I use in the Bobbi Brown pencil. It is slightly lighter as well as slightly cooler.
The Granite shade may be useful for those who have gray hair and want a darker eyebrow look.
Available Shades: Blonde, Taupe, Chestnut, Espresso, Granite.
EWG Problem Ingredients: Talc (5), Titanium dioxide (3).
First 5 Ingredients: Behenic Acid, Japan Fruit Wax, Triethylhexanoin, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate.
Fragrance Ingredients: None
Silicone Level: None
About This Website
The Living Clean in a Dirty World shopping website is designed to provide guidance to those seeking out products that are relatively low in toxicity and that provide generally positive user experiences.
Although the skincare and makeup sections have a particular focus on products appropriate for women who are in their 40’s or beyond, the information provided may be useful for other people as well.
The products are curated by Lisa Petrison, who has been focused on helping people to improve their health by avoiding toxicity since 2008 and who heads the Paradigm Change organization.
Her Living Clean in a Dirty World blog site discusses a variety of topics of relevance to those who are working to pursue a more natural lifestyle with less exposure to harmful toxicity.
Lisa is the author of several books, including A Beginner’s Guide to Mold Avoidance (co-written with Erik Johnson).
She also runs the Paradigm Change website (focusing on issues related to toxic mold illness) and the Mold Avoiders Facebook group (designed for the discussion of all topics of interest to those pursuing the mold avoidance approach described in the “Beginner’s Guide” book).
Lisa was born in August 1964 and has yet to try cosmetic surgery, Botox or other cosmetic treatments requiring interactions with a physician, or beauty products containing retinoids.
In her former life, Lisa worked as a business school professor, as a marketing consultant to a variety of large companies, and as a reporter covering the advertising industry.
She holds a Ph.D. in marketing and social psychology from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University as well as B.S./M.S. degrees from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern.
Lisa would like to extend a special note of appreciation to Ellen Kleiman-Redden for her help in trying out products and discussing issues related to this project.
She also would like to thank the many members of the Mold Avoiders community who have shared suggestions of products to be included here.
A Note From Lisa
Products that I have tried or researched and that I have not found to be acceptable from a toxicity standpoint have been omitted entirely from the discussions on this website.
However, since a goal of this project is to introduce people to a range of options in terms of price and functionality, some products discussed on this site include ingredients that may not be appropriate for everyone.
It’s my hope that all individuals making their way to this site will find at least a few options from each product category that meet all of their own needs and wants from a variety of perspectives.
The vast majority of cosmetics marketers now offer affiliate programs in which Internet content creators may earn commissions if people who are referred to the companies’ sites by clicking on links end up making purchases.
I participate in quite a few individual affiliate programs as well as in the Sovrn/Viglinks program (which automatically converts regular links into revenue-generating links).
Reader comments about products discussed on this website are very welcome.
Thoughts may be shared either by posting them in the comments section at the bottom of this page or by sending them directly to me at the following email address:
info at paradigmchange dot me
Companies that would like to offer me complimentary products to try out may contact me at this address as well.
Individuals who are seeking out less-toxic products or who are interested in pursuing a cleaner and healthier lifestyle may want to sign up to receive occasional email newsletters from Living Clean in a Dirty World.
Thanks very much for visiting the Living Clean shopping site!
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