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The Best Eyebrow Pencils For Redheads

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When you want your brows to look more defined and full, choosing an eyebrow pencil that's the right color is just as important as the pencil itself. That's especially true (and oftentimes more difficult) when you have red hair. Do you try to match the pencil to your exact shade of auburn? Do they even make any true-red tones? To figure it all out, Elite Daily spoke with makeup artist Rachel Goodwin (whose celebrity clients include redhead Emma Stone), who explains that the best eyebrow pencils for redheads are actually blonde and brown shades. "I think it's a little bit daunting for people sometimes because they think, 'Well, it has to match my exact hair color,' but I feel like the red hair and the red eyebrows can be a little much and take away from other things," Goodwin says of why she typically avoids red eyebrow pencils for redheads. "I tend to go against the warmth of the eyebrow with a soft, dirty blonde," she explains. "Another route you can go is matching the pencil with your root color," she suggests of another tried-and-true method. "If that means using a brunette color, I would stay away from dark browns and stick with soft, mid-tone browns [...] The only case that I would probably go with a darker brown is if you're talking deeper skin tones with red hair," Goodwin says of the exception to her rule, adding, "But I would still stay on the warm side as opposed to using a cool brown [shade]."

The Expert

Rachel Goodwin is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist who specializes in editorial shoots, advertising campaigns, and red carpet events. Her celebrity clients include redheads like Emma Stone, Riley Keough, and Lydia Hearst.

How To Apply Eyebrow Pencil Like A Pro

For pro-level results, Goodwin shares that she likes to start by applying the pencil underneath the brow hairs, always drawing in the direction your hair grows. To blend the color in, Goodwin takes a spoolie and brushes in the opposite direction. "I literally go against the hair, brushing back about two or three times, and what's left behind is a very soft, very subtle application of the pencil," she says. "Pencil can tend to get heavy and sometimes even cause a weighty look to the brows, so this gets off any excess product," she explains.

To give brows definition and depth, Goodwin likes to follow up with a powder in a matching color. "I'll take a powder and do placement just where I see holes coming through or spots that look like they need to be refined," she says, adding that she'll use her same combing method if needed to blend in any excess powder. "And then at the final stage, I'll comb up the brow with either a clear brow gel or even hairspray on a mascara wand to set the brows so that they don't move," Goodwin says of her finishing step.

Shop The Best Eyebrow Pencils For Redheads

In a hurry? Here are the best eyebrow pencils for redheads:

  1. The Overall Best: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz
  2. Best Under-$10 Alternative: L'Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Definer Mechanical Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil
  3. Best Eyebrow Pencil For Lighter Red Hair: PÜR Cosmetics Arch Nemesis 4-In-1 Dual-Ended Brow Pencil in Light
  4. Best Eyebrow Pencil For Darker Red Hair: Haus Laboratories The Edge Precision Brow Pencil in Soft Brown
  5. Best Eyebrow Pencil For Redheads With Darker Skin Tones: Maybelline Express Brow Ultra Slim Defining Eyebrow Pencil in Deep Brown

1. The Pro's Pick

Whether you're following Goodwin's method of matching your brow pencil to your root color or you want to try a cool blonde or warm brown shade, Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz is beloved by consumers and experts alike, including Goodwin. For her own, currently light copper hair, Goodwin likes a warm brunette shade like ‘Soft Brown’ or ‘Chocolate,’ but you'll also find colors like ‘Caramel’ and ‘Medium Brown’ to choose from. For darker skin tones, there's the ‘Dark Brown’ or ‘Ebony’ pencil, and for those who want something lighter, there's the warm-toned ‘Blonde’ and cooler ‘Taupe.’ Every pencil is retractable and has an ultra-fine tip on one end for creating hair-like strokes, and a spoolie on the other for blending in the waxy formula.

Available Shades: 12 Waterproof: No Key Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Vitamin E Cruelty-Free: Yes

2. Best Under-$10 Alternative

Multiple Amazon reviewers have called this L'Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Definer a great alternative to ABH’s Brow Wiz, and it also happens to be less than half the price. The mechanical pencil is waterproof for brows that stay in place no matter what the day throws your way, and it features an ultra-fine tip for mimicking even the tiniest of brow hairs. Among the comprehensive shade range, you'll find multiple blonde colors that can work for redheads (‘Light Blonde,’ ‘Blonde,’ and ‘Dark Blonde’), as well as several warm brown shades to try (‘Light Brunette,’ ‘Brunette,’ and ‘Dark Brunette’).

Available Shades: 10 Waterproof: Yes Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, Sunflower Seed Oil Cruelty-Free: No

3. Best Eyebrow Pencil For Lighter Red Hair

For lighter tones of red hair or those with naturally light brows, there's this PÜR Cosmetics Arch Nemesis 4-In-1 Dual-Ended Brow Pencil in ‘Light’. The color is more of a cool-toned blonde, but it's the pencil itself that's the real standout. For sparse brows (or brows that look sparse because they're so light), this tool features two mechanical pencils: One with an angled tip that's best for sculpting brows and faking a bolder shape, and another pencil with a fine tip that's best for filling in brows with those hair-like strokes. Both formulas include conditioning ingredients like ginseng root extract and vitamin E, and the cap has a built-in brow grooming comb so that you can still brush out excess product.

Available Shades: 3 Waterproof: No Key Ingredients: Green Tea Leaf Extract, Ginseng Root Extract, Niacinamide, Vitamin E Cruelty-Free: Yes

4. Best Eyebrow Pencil For Darker Red Hair

For deeper tones of red hair, this Haus Laboratories brow pencil in ‘Soft Brown’ gives you that warmer brown color that Goodwin likes. It also works for anyone with light to medium brown hair who's looking for a brown pencil to match their natural roots. The mechanical pencil's micronized pigments give it more of a creamy texture that glides right onto skin without any pulling or tugging, plus, it makes the pencil easier to blend in with the spoolie on the opposite end. And if you want to switch things up, there are 12 other pencil shades to choose from, several of which will complement redheads nicely.

Available Shades: 13 Waterproof: No Key Ingredients: Vitamin E Cruelty-Free: Yes

5. Best Eyebrow Pencil For Redheads With Darker Skin Tones

As Goodwin explained, deeper brown pencils are best reserved for redheads with darker skin tones. Maybelline's Express Brow Ultra Slim Defining Eyebrow Pencil in ‘Deep Brown’ is the darkest brunette shade you'll find that still has a warm undertone. The pencil was designed to deposit pigment with the lightest of strokes, and like the other pencils on this list, there's a built-in spoolie on the opposite end to help with blending out the product. You can purchase the pencil on its own, or pair it with Maybelline's Express Brow Fast Sculpt gel to set your brows in place after you've filled them in.

Available Shades: 7 Waterproof: No Key Ingredients: Soybean Oil, Vitamin E Cruelty-Free: No

Expert:

Rachel Goodwin, Los Angeles-based makeup artist.