We’ve cycled through every brow era there is: Pamela Anderson’s pencil-thin arches, Cara Delevingne’s power brows, Instagram’s Sharpie-block phase. Now the pendulum’s swinging back—skinny Y2K brows are back on runways from Miu Miu to Dilara Fındıkoğlu, and bleached brows keep crashing backstage season after season. Shape was never really the hard part; we have enough goof-proof, foolproof pencils to have us covered there.
The gel is where things actually get messy. The one that won’t flake by lunch, ghost you with a chalky white cast, or bleed down your face in unintentional Black Swan cosplay. “Brows are one of the most transformative steps in makeup,” says celebrity makeup artist Namrata Soni. “They frame the face, lift the features, and instantly make the entire look feel more polished.” A good gel should do the same work. The checklist, according to the brow experts we asked: flexible hold, zero crunch, zero flakes, zero white residue. Soni, who also founded Simply Nam, adds the rule most people skip: a spoolie that distributes product instead of dumping half the tube on your brows. Her pick for coarser brows, Iconic London’s Tint & Texture Brow Gel, isn’t sold in India yet, so consider it a souvenir mission next time you’re travelling.
The one real debate is tint. “I’m over the sharp brows, every strand mapped out like it’s an architecture project,” says celebrity makeup artist Mitesh Rajani. Unless the hair’s genuinely sparse, he skips tint entirely—just a clear gel formula, a little pencil where it’s actually needed. If your brows are already full, Sandhya Shekar, founder of Mokae Beauty, also says go clear—it holds the shape without adding anything. If years of over-threading have left gaps, tint can restore fullness without you reaching for a pencil every morning. Brow artist Suman Jalaf, better known as Brows by Suman, agrees it comes down to your brows, not whatever’s trending this week. “Think of brow gel as hairspray for your brows,” she says. “The best one should look effortless, not obvious.” She’s also a fan of Patrick Ta’s Major Brow Lamination Gel for stronger hold; the original full-size version has quietly vanished from most retailers, so grab one if you spot it abroad.
Technique matters just as much as product. “Actually, don’t thread. Period,” says Shekar. If you absolutely must, leave the top of the brow alone—that’s where fullness disappears first. Her other rule: keep colour off the front and build definition through the arch instead. Jalaf’s method is to brush the front upward before sweeping the arch outward for a softer lift. Between appointments: castor oil, and hands off the tweezers.
Below, a curation of the best brow gels to get your hands on now.
