Natural beauty has a lot to offer these days, including so many choices for brow products. Today we’re going to do something fun and have a bit of showdown to find the best natural brow gel! I’ll compare 4 different brow gels from brands I know and love. Then you can decide which is the best fit for you.
I started to take photos for comparison before quickly realizing they all look pretty similar when freshly applied. I think the bigger factors here are how well it applies, how long it holds, etc. So I will do my best to describe those details. Also, my brows still haven’t recovered from the late 90s and early 2000s, making them not the best brow models. I still wholeheartedly blame Seventeen Magazine for this (kidding). I had great brows but really plucked away with their tutorials in high school, only to have them never grow back in fully. A good lesson in not diving too far into trends. Regrets for another time, let’s get to the fun stuff!
Comparing 4 Natural Brow Gels
Well People (formerly W3ll People) Expressionist Brow Gel $14.99
As the least expensive one on this list, it gets major points for being a great value. I’ve purchased several tubes of this in the past. Especially since they were one of the first natural brands to come out with this style brow gel with the wand (back when everyone was fan-girling Brow Boy, no less).
I’ll go ahead and say this isn’t my personal favorite on this list, but I do think it’s a good option. It comes in 3 shades: Blonde, Brown, and Dark Brown. I’ve found that this applies a bit wet, for lack of a better term. So if I want to shape my brows, sometimes they go back where they were before it dries. Also, this hasn’t been very long lasting as far as hold goes. It does a great job of coating brows and filling in a bit.
This is the only one on the list that I don’t currently have to photograph, which I wanted to show a comparison between the brushes. I do really like the brush shape and size of this one. I’ve used both the brown and dark brown shades. The dark brown is the better match for me, though I am kind of in between those 2 shades. Find it here.
Ilia Essential Brow Gel $26
I’ve used this one for a while. It was originally sent as a PR sample but I like it so much, I’ve repurchased a few times. This also has 3 shades very similar to Well People. In this one, the dark brown is the best fit for me. It’s the driest formula of all 4, which means you may need multiple swipes to really coat brows. I like that you can control how much product goes on a little better than some of the others. To me, it’s easier to to build up a product than to have one that’s applying way too much from the start. The downside is that this one tends to dry out the quickest and needs to be replaced more often than some of the others.
It does a good job of defining brows and holds them in place. Though it’s not the most volumizing. This one is pretty long lasting for me. The brush is nice- a good size and one side has longer bristles which is useful. Find it here.
CLOVE + HALLOW Boost-A-Brow $22
**UPDATE: This brand has sadly gone out of business for now but may return in the future** Extra points for this being makeup AND a brow treatment that will help them grow long term. This is a new launch and I was sent a PR sample, so I’ve only tried one shade so far. They have 4 shades (redheads rejoice! A shade that will work for red tones). I have the shade Chestnut, which is a darker brown, but it’s not a great fit for me. It’s a super warm brown- my hair is not a warm brown, so it’s pretty visible when I wear it. I may try the Graphite color at some point, if it’s not too dark.
Another wet formula. I’d say this is a downside because it makes it harder to apply with any sort of precision. So much product applies with every swipe. I also find the brush to be quite small, but maybe that is supposed to help apply it more precisely? In any case, this one dries quickly and holds brows really well.
I mentioned my issues with application, but if you’re able to get the hang of applying it, I think it would be good for those looking for lasting, defined brows. It’s also a really cool concept of a brow treatment/makeup.
KOSAS Air Brow $22
Did I save the best for last? I’ll let you be the judge! This one has a whopping 10 shades!! So definitely something for every hair shade. I was able to test it in person at AILLEA (love having a location here in Charlotte so much!), so I’ve only purchased one shade but it’s a very good match. Dark brown was the winner.
Volume with this is amazing. And my thin brows really need it lol. Not only does it coat brows well, it really fluffs them up and fills in. While some of the others get on skin a bit more, this one is better about just coating brows without getting everywhere. It also has great staying power throughout the day. I find it very easy to apply, which may be due to the brush. It’s a bit of a bigger brush than some of the others. The formula isn’t too wet or dry either.
For me, this is the clear winner, especially since I’m looking for volume more than anything. You may find another one on the list to be your top pick though. Find it here.
Have you tried any on this list? Which was your favorite?
Also, for more eye makeup reviews check out my mascara roundup.
*Affiliate links used. All thoughts and opinions are always my own
