Fashion seems to be endlessly inspired by the 90s. The decade has offered so much influence for so many of the latest trends, from corsets, to cargo trousers.
Thankfully, although the same is true for the return of blue eyeshadow, there is one trend in the beauty sphere that we are pleased has been left in the past - the overly-plucked, ultra-thin eyebrows that characterised the era.
Since these boldly arched brows were in vogue, eyebrow trends have taken the form of extremes. In a rejection of this style, we had the dark bushy brows that Cara Delevingne made so popular, or more recently, the brushed-up, fluffy look spotted all over our newsfeeds.
With influencers like Jess Hunt leading the way, this latter slicked-up brow look frames the eyes, adds volume and has a lifting effect. This is true of another popular trend: the elongated eyebrows. They both of have the same thing in common in that you need the right products to achieve the look - and that’s a brow gel.
Brow lamination is one of the most sought-after and popular in-clinic beauty services with over 2.8 million tags on Instagram. This semi-permanent treatment uses a chemical solution to straighten and lift the individual hairs and set them in place, creating a fuller appearance using your natural brows. For those who want the results without hitting the salon, we have the next best thing.
For faux lamination, a brow gel will be one of the most hard-working products in your beauty bag. It requires no level of artistry or skill, you simply apply using the spoolie brush provided and it acts like a setting spray for your brows. Some are completely clear so you can layer over your tints or eyebrow pencils, while others have colour to add density to sparse areas.
Enhance your natural brows with the best gels below
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel - Clear
To give lasting power to your brow look, call in the big guns - and by that we mean Anastasia Beverly Hills. The brand’s founder shot to worldwide acclaim with the creation of ‘The Golden Ratio’ - a shaping technique to find the brow style to best offer a lifted effect.
The products to follow - including this gel - make it easier than ever to achieve as part of your everyday makeup look. This formula is non-sticky and entirely clear in its appearance to offer all-day hold and prevent hairs from going rogue.
Buy now £23.00, Cult Beauty
Glossier Boy Brow
Whether you are opting for the bushy, brushed-up look or want to add density to thin brows, Glossier’s Boy Brow is a Holy Grail product. Imparting a creamy wax with every swipe of the wand, it enhances natural eyebrows rather than create a stiffened feel.
This is one of the products that earned the brand the stellar reputation it has garnered over the years, and you’ll quickly see why. The formula is enhanced with oleic acid, lecithin and solluble collagen that has a moisturising effect while it subtly tints. There are five shades available.
If you need any more convincing that this deserves its place in your makeup bag, take note from one reviewer who explains that it “literally stayed on through getting hit by a car”.
Buy now £15.00, Glossier
Benefit 24 Hour Brow Setter Clear Brow Gel
Rein in strays with Benefit - another brand who specialises in all things brow. Fixing the hair above your eyes firmly in place, it conditions at the same time so that your brows behave no matter what your plans have in store. The ‘24 hour’ in the product name refers to the impressive staying power, while the custom wand is dual sided to shape and tame simultaneously and make sure no hair is left behind.
Buy now £23.50, Boots
Rose Inc Renew Enriched Clear Shaping Gel
This is one of the best brow gels in the market and comes from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s Rose Inc label where each and every product is carefully considered before arriving to market. The brush and formula work in tandem to help you create soft, feathered brows with ease for that not-so perfect perfect look that has been a major eyebrow trend over the last few years.
While you can use the serum to create a polished look, it can work equally well for slicking up hair with its impressive taming capabilities. The gel is transparent and comes loaded with conditioning agents like vitamin E, B5, squalene and more to encourage growth at the same time.
Buy now £19.50, Space NK
Urban Decay Brow Setter Clear Gel
We could wax lyrical on the Urban Decay setting spray for as long as we’d hold your interest, but if you want to bring more targetted lasting power to make your brow makeup to ensure it is more long-wearing, flake-proof and smudge-proof than ever, you can’t go wrong with adding the Brow Setter into your routine.
Coat your brows in the lightweight formula and it will keep each individual hair firmly in place for up to 16 hours, while leaving a healthy sheen in its wake.
Buy now £18.00, John Lewis
REFY Brow Collection
Founded by influencer Jess Hunt, Refy has changed the brow game for those looking to transform sparse brows to become fuller, thicker and more feathery. The brow offering comes as a bumper pack of everything you will need to create a natural look or to step your arches up a few notches.
The Brow Sculpt is designed for the shaping and setting element, while the Brow Pomade adds depth and density with a tint (there are three colours; Light, Medium and Dark available). The Brow Pencil is the finishing touch to outline and create 3D definition. The tools are dual-ended for precision and the formulas are designed to stand the test of time with smudging or flaking.
Buy now £40.00, REFY
Hourglass Arch Brow Volumising Fiber Gel
Hourglass has created this product as a one-stop all-encompassing brow option for those trying to streamline their makeup regime. You have both a setting gel and micro fibres in one of six tints so that you are adding volume and colour, while keeping it locked in.
The formula is buildable to give a natural look to your creations and work to enhance, giving the impression of density without looking too heavily made up. On one side of the brush, you have short bristles, while on the other are long so you can adjust the intensity and fullness to the areas that need it.
Buy now £27.00, Cult Beauty
ICONIC London Liquid Brow Silk
ICONIC has created this product to hark back to the golden age of Hollywood with the revived soap brows trick. This process of using a spoolie and a soap bar to fluff up your brows has been brought into the realms of the modern age with Brow Silk that provides the same level of hold, just with more nourishing ingredients thrown into the mix like argan oil. The wand is small in size to allow for better precision and you don’t get the crunchy feel that other products tend to provide.
Buy now £18.00, Cult Beauty
Charlotte Tilbury Brow Fix
Enhance the look of your arches with Charlotte Tilbury’s Brow Fix, an effortless formula that offers hold in a natural way. The formula is enriched with caring, strengthening and moisturising ingredients like panthenol and watercress extract so that you are nourishing brow strands, while also providing smudge-proof protection. It is also waterproof, humidity-free and sweat-resistant for long-lasting wear. The product acts as an invisible finish with no residue left behind for the final touch of your makeup look.
Buy now £22.00, Charlotte Tilbury
