I Tried the Ilia Brow Pencil and Gel on Blonde Brows| Well+Good

I’ve got light, dirty-blonde eyebrows and have spent years in search of products that will make them look full and sculpted without requiring a massive chunk of time to get the job done (I may be a beauty writer, but even I don’t have a half an hour every morning to draw on my brows). So when I recently came across ILIA Beauty’s latest launches—theIn-Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil ($24) and In Frame Brow Gel ($24), both of which came out today and claim to be the “most natural-looking, clean brow pencil on the market”—I knew I had to put them to the test.

Ilia is known for its skin-friendly, multipurpose formulas (the brand’s blush-highlighter-lipstick hybrid and tinted SPF serum are among our editor’s favorites), and I was excited to see how the new brow products stacked up. At $24 a pop, the price tags are certainly steeper than what I’d typically spend to sculpt my eyebrows, but after trying them, I’ve got to admit they’re worth it. Let’s just say I won’t be using any other brow pencil (or gel) for the foreseeable future. Keep scrolling to find out why.

In-Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil

ILIA, In Full Micro-Tip Eyebrow Pencil — $24.00

Shades: blonde, dark blonde, taupe, soft brown, auburn, auburn brown, dark brown, and soft black.
Claims: vegan, cruelty-free, fragrance-free, silicone-free.
Ingredients: mineral-based pigments infused with vitamin B5 that condition and nourish hair.

Thanks to an ultra-fine tip and artfully-crafted blend of pigments, powders, and wax, this pencil is pretty much foolproof—it’s so easy to use that even the most beginner-level brow artist will be able to achieve an easy (and fast!) natural look.

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For my own brows, I opted to try the blonde and dark blonde pencils to match my natural shade. I started by drawing thin, hair-like strokes on my brows, and I was impressed with how easy the application was from start to finish. The dual-tip brush was super-fine which gave the illusion of actual hair, and it was easy to apply just the right amount of pressure for the intensity of the pigment I wanted.

In Frame Brow Gel

After applying the pencil, I put on a layer of the In Frame Brow Gel on top to hold the hairs in place and lock in the color. The brow gel boasts a clear and lightweight formula that gently swipes across the brows.

Made with hydrolyzed quinoa and a hair renewal complex, this brow gel conditions and strengthens brow hairs while creating the illusion of fuller brows. As someone with relatively thin brow hairs, I appreciated the full look the gel gave them and liked that it was nourishing my natural brows in the long term while giving them some instant oomph. I used two layers of product to get my brows shaped and placed in the position I wanted them to be in for the day.

Final Thoughts

In terms of longevity, the brand claims that the pencil would provide all-day coverage and that the gel would last eight hours, and the products stood up to the test. After a long day in the Florida sun, my eyebrows were still completely filled. The tips were a little thin and straggly, but that’s likely because I rubbed the edges of my brows a few times throughout the day.

My only less-than-perfect feedback on the products is related to their pricing. Even though clean formulas are more expensive,  $24 for a brow gel and pencil feels like a lot. That said, the products stay on all day, so you won’t have to waste any with reapplication, but it’s still something to keep in mind.

Even so, I’ve already put my former eyebrow products away and will be keeping these in my makeup bag for the foreseeable future.