Your Step by Step Guide on How To Use Brow Gel

November 08, 2021 • Emily LaCroix

It’s become clear that bold brows are here to stay (and for good reason)! Finding the perfect brow for your face can do wonders for framing your features, minimizing undesirable proportions, and just all around improving your look with relatively little effort.

And while half of the battle is fought before you even start thinking about cosmetics—which is to say finding your perfect shape and maintaining it—there are so many brow products out there that it’s hard to know where to start.

If you’re looking for a way to improve your brows in one simple step, we have the answer. And that answer is brow gel, baby. Overall, it’s a simple thing to add to your routine, but there are some things to know before you jump in!

What Does Brow Gel Do?

It’s important to note that there tend to be two different kinds of brow gel. There are options like our Ultra Defining Brow Gel which adds pigment to your brow hairs, creating a fuller look in even the sparsest of eyebrows, and holds the hairs of your brow in place. Then there are options like our Ultra Hold Brow Gel which has an incredible waterproof hold but is untinted.

Some say that brow gel does for your brows what hairspray does for your hair. It keeps everything in place and makes sure you look neat and groomed and gives you a little extra something-something whether or not you have any other steps in your brow-care routine.

What Kind of Brow Gel Should You Use?

Brow gel is as versatile as it is simple, so it just depends on what your needs are. If you have thin, sparse brows or you’re waiting for your brows to grow back in after an over-plucking incident, a tinted brow gel might be for you. We also recommend working our Brow Enhancement Serum into your routine to help your brows along. It’s packed with vitamins and amino acids chosen to help you get the fuller brows of your dreams.

If you’re already a devotee of brow pencils or other brow makeup and you’re just looking for something to hold all of your hard work in place, a clear gel may be your best bet. Clear gel is also great if you’re blessed with naturally luxurious and full brows, and you’re just looking for a bit of polish to pull your look together.

If You’re Using Tinted Gel, How Do You Pick the Color?

This is a really great question we don’t see talked about enough! Even if you’re certain a brow gel is for you, and you’ve decided a tinted gel is the one that you want, what color do you pick? It might seem obvious—you pick the one closest to your natural hair color, right? Right?

Actually, this isn’t true! When selecting any tinted brow product, you’ll want a product that is one or two shades lighter than your natural hair. If your hair is very fair, you could go a shade or two darker. TatBrow offers a wide range of shades, so there’s something for everyone.

What’s important is that you pay attention to the undertones of your hair and complexion! The color of your brow gel should complement your coloring. Whether you go lighter or darker, that’s what’s most important.

What Do You Need To Do To Prepare?

Pretty much the same things you need to do any time you’re whipping your brows into shape! Because brow gel clings to the hairs that you already have, rather than adding the illusion of new hairs, you’ll want to be sure your brows are in fighting shape before you start using a brow gel. Whether you prefer waxing, threading, or simply plucking, you’ll want to be sure all the hair in your brow area is hair you want to highlight.

How Do You Apply Brow Gel?

This is the easiest part! Brow gel is a really straightforward thing to apply. So if you’ve avoided brow makeup in the past despite the sweet, sweet siren song of perfectly manicured brows because makeup isn’t really your thing and every time you attempt eyeliner you end up looking like Jack Sparrow, don’t worry! Brow gel is made for you.

As with most products, you might want to make sure there isn’t too much gel clumped onto the spoolie first. Then, you’ll just lightly brush it over your brows—we recommend going against the direction your hair grows. This will help you to get fuller coverage.

Once you’re sure your eyebrow hair is fully coated, you just brush it back toward the direction of your natural hair growth and do any smoothing and shifting to make sure every hair is where you want it.

And that’s it. Really!

Can You Achieve Different Looks With Brow Gel?

Of course you can! First of all, the only limit to what you can do with any given makeup product is your imagination—but more seriously, brow gel can help you achieve a few different brow looks.

Fluffy Brows

If you’re partial to a fluffy brow, you’ll want to use a clear brow gel to swipe your brows upwards. This will help set your brows in place, give them a little definition. You could follow this step with a brow pencil or pen to add some extra hair strokes to give your brows a fuller look, too.

Bleached Brows

If you love the supermodel chic appearance of bleached brows but aren’t quite ready to make the jump to something as permanent as bleach, a brow gel can be a great way to achieve the look without the commitment.

While we recommend you go for a shade one or two lighter than your own hair color if you want a natural look, picking a tinted brow color that is very light compared to your own— or even just much warmer, if you want a bit of a glow— and swiping it on can give you that super edgy look you crave.

Straight Brows

If you’re trying to keep your brows on the straight and narrow, adding a product may seem counterintuitive. But even if you prefer your brows without an arch, you want them to look full—and you definitely want them to stay in place.

Straight brows flatter certain faces more than others, and they also have a very low-key, lived-in look that isn’t begging for makeup. So if you’re a low-maintenance kind of gal, a swipe of brow gel to hold your straight brows in place is the perfect complement to this look.

In Conclusion

There are so many different brow products out there, it’s hard to know which one is best for you. And even once you’ve done your research and are sure you’ve found The One, what do you do next? We’ve all gotten home with a beauty haul full of things we’re so excited to try, only to realize we don’t have any idea how to apply them!

With a few considerations and one super simple step, brow gel is an easy-going addition to your beauty routine that can make a huge difference to your brow game.