If your eyes are the windows to your soul, then what does that make your eyebrows? A good awning? A nice shutter?
Perhaps, but with the exploding trend in recent years of the young kids wanting gray hair. And us oldies, well, letting our grays show, there is much debate about exactly how to define our beloved brows.
So what is the best shade to use to define your brows? And what can you do about sparse eyebrows, or those wild rogues that seem to be non-existent one day, and 3 inches long the next?
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Why Are Your Eyebrows Important?
Your eyebrows are important because they provide your eyes with a frame. A definition.
Wild metaphors aside, they really do help create definition on your face. And best of all, if you do a great job of defining them as you get older, they can help you look younger!
Well-defined eyebrows also go a long way in helping you to communicate. To really express your feelings to your family, friends, loved ones, and co-workers.
When you think about it, they’re actually really important to your face.
And having said that, your trusty eyebrow pencil may just become one of your most important beauty products!
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Should I Have Gray Eyebrows if I Have Gray Hair?
The million-dollar question. The thing is that it’s not uncommon to naturally have eyebrows that are a different color from the hair on your head.
And because of this, it certainly won’t look out of place to define your eyebrows in a shade that is slightly darker, lighter, warmer, or cooler than the head on your head.
Good news, right?
Absolutely. Because this gives you complete freedom to create the brow look that suits you best and makes you feel great, too.
So, in answer to the question asked, I say no. Not necessarily.
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What Eyebrow Pencil Shade Should I Use?
While you want to create some definition, if this is all very new to you, it’s easier than you think to go too dark.
So take a look at your hair, and if you approach it with a similar shade of eyebrow pencil to your hair or slightly darker for added definition, that’s a good jumping-off point.
Unless you have a deep skin tone, I would steer clear of black pencils for your brows. No one wants to recreate Bette Davis from Whatever Happened to Baby Jane!
A good blonde pencil or taupe pencil for lighter skin tones is a good place to start.
If you have a darker skin tone, start off with a neutral charcoal or cool brown pencil.
And as is the case with your makeup, don’t be afraid to experiment.
You might just discover a new product or shade that suits you perfectly that becomes your signature eyebrow shade. And when that day comes, stick to it!
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Don’t Be Put Off By Going Gray
There are ample options for trying gray eyebrow pencils as well.
These are also fantastic starting points if you have gray or silver hair because they are quite neutral in tone.
What I mean by neutral is that a shade is neither too warm nor too cool. It’s just right.
Ah, nothing like a good Three Little Bears reference in your eyebrow education!
If this still sounds like gobbledegook, you might learn a few basics about undertones and color theory here.
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Undertones
You should be aware of your skin’s natural undertone at some point in life.
Knowing this will help you guide your decision-making about eyebrow colors as well.
And what I mean by this is that a warm brown pencil may not look good on someone that has a lot of natural flush in their skin.
Yet it may be perfect on someone who has a cool skin tone and soft strawberry blonde tones in their hair.
It’s all about finding what works for you. And what doesn’t work.
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What Eyebrow Colors Work Best for White Hair?
Again, there are no hard and fast rules to answer this question. It all comes down to your own personal preference, the color of your complexion, and how you want to present yourself. And your brows.
I suggest starting with a soft blonde or light ash or taupe pencil. These are great starting points because they are light in tone, and you can always build on them, try different shades, and even go darker as you get more comfortable applying your eyebrow makeup.
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The 31 Best Eyebrow Pencils for Gray Hair
Best Taupe Eyebrow Pencils
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer in Taupe
ABH may be the queen of eyebrow products, and the exceptional Brow Definer sits up high in the castle. Brow definer is the perfect taupe, and with a triangular, wedge-shaped pencil top, it is easy to create a natural look with your brows in an instant with this retractable pencil.
- triangular wedge-shaped tip
- retractable
- wax and pigment-based
- spoolie
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IT Cosmetics Brow Power Eyebrow Pencil in Universal Taupe
Pros: Micro-thin oval-shaped tip. Budge-proof and with spoolie included. Pencil is biotin-infused to help promote your healthy brows.
Cons: The price (which was the same as the ABH Brow Definer at the time of publishing) is higher than a lot of other eyebrow pencils. It’s worth mentioning that users are loyal and stick to their beloved Brow Power Eyebrow Pencil.
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Laura Geller’s Sculpt’n’Stay Waterproof Eyebrow Pencil in Taupe
Laura Geller’s Sculpt’n’Stay is a two-in-one eyebrow product. If your brows need extra taming, this may be a good option for you. First, define your brows with the angled pencil tip, and then next step, use the gel spoolie to hold everything in place. Sculpt’n’Stay is also waterproof.
- waterproof
- 2-in-1 eyebrow product
- price may seem high, but remember this is two separate products in one
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Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil in Taupe
Sometime you just have to go back to a classic, old-school pencil style. They do feel more solid, and from my experience, you tend to have less breakages with the OG of eyebrow pencils of this form.
- full, powder-like pigment
- classic wooden pencil style
- spoolie
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NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Taupe
As far as taupe pencil tones go, NYX Micro Brow Pencil is quite a warm-toned taupe. This would be suitable if your hair is naturally warm in its undertone. Even if you now sport silver, white, or grey hair, if your underlying tones are warm-based, and you’re looking to start off with a natural shade, this NYX pencil is a good starting place.
- ultra-slim and retractable tip
- cruelty-free
- vegan
- spoolie included
Note: Warm tone might not be the most suitable for your gray or white shade of hair.
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Wet’n’Wild Ultimate Eyebrow Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Taupe
While this pencil from Wet’n’Wild is called Taupe, it’s really light in shade, dare I say blonde. Perfect if you are looking for a light/yellow-toned taupe and you have a fair complexion or your natural, original hair shade was in the blonde realm.
- great price
- retractable pencil
- spoolie
- vegan
- cruelty-free
Note: Light blonde tone might not be the best suited for your gray or white shade of hair. But for the cost of trying, it won’t hurt your back pocket.
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Brett Freedman Brett Brow Laser Brow Pencil
Buying Options
Amazon
The Laser Brow from Brett Freedman is an old-school pencil with a super-fine tip. It comes with it’s own pencil sharpener, so you can be re-assured to maintain that perfect thin, tapered tip as you use it.
The shade is a neutral, cool taupe tone and hence gives it the universal label.
I recommend this pencil for light to medium-skin folks. If you have darker skin tones, you might be looking for a darker shade for added dimension and definition in your brows.
- long-lasting
- low wax, high pigment formula
- paraben-free
- gluten-free
- cruelty-free
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Best Gray Eyebrow Pencils
Eye Embrace Eyebrow Pencil in Warm Betty
Buying Options
Amazon
Eye Embrace has cornered the silver-set market. And this is the perfect product for you to begin with if your hair is true silver or gray, and you’d like to start defining your brows.
Warm Betty is a true gray pencil, with very subtle warm undertones. What that means is that it’s perfect for you to use to define and fill your brows if you want to keep your brow tones close to your hair color, and still add extra definition to them.
- chisel-precision tip
- waterproof and smudgeproof
- vegan
- cruelty-free
- talc-free
- spoolie included
Note: At the time of updating this post, the Eye Embrace website did not have this pencil listed. So whether they have discontinued this range or not, if you love the Eye Embrace Warm Betty in Light Gray, I say stock up on them while you can!
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Etude House Drawing Eyebrow in Gray
A true gray eyebrow pencil from one of my favorite Korean beauty brands, Etude House. Another perfect selection for gray and silver hair wearers.
Etude always delivers high-quality products at ridiculously low prices.
- long-lasting
- triangle-shaped tip
- smooth and even clump-free finish
- affordable price
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Senna Sketch-a-Brow Pencil in Ash Brown
Despite being called Ash Brown, Senna’s Sketch A Brow is included in the Gray section because, well, the shade is more of a warm gray shade, in my opinion. This pencil will give you a perfect natural definition if you want to keep your brows subtle but understated.
- perfect precision tip
- smudgeproof
- spoolie included
- long-lasting
- loyal users stick by this pencil time and time again
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Eye Embrace Classic Eyebrow Pencil in Cool Helen
The Eye Embrace Classic Eyebrow Pencil in Cool Helen is perfect if you love an ever-so-slightly cool, light gray tone, and prefer a traditional classic eyebrow pencil. Here’s the same true gray tone as the retractable one, presented as a classic wooden eyebrow pencil.
Perfect to create natural-looking brows that complement your gray hair.
- classic wood pencil
- waterproof
- smudge proof
- spoolie brush included
- cruelty-free
- gluten-free
- paraben-free
- talc-free
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Eye Embrace Eyebrow Pencil in Liz
Buying Options
Amazon
Eye Embrace Liz gives you the perfect solution if you’re looking for a deeper definition in your brows than the standard Taupes and Grays provide. Liz is a true medium gray for warm undertones.
- diamond-wedged applicator
- waterproof
- smudge-proof
- spoolie brush
- cruelty-free
- gluten-free
- talc-free
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Best Brown Eyebrow Pencils
NYX Micro Brow Eyebrow Pencil in Cool Ash Brown
A true cool brown if you’re looking for definition and just a hint of color in your brows.
- super skinny retractable tip
- spoolie
- waterproof formula
- vegan
- cruelty-free
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Makeup Forever Aqua Resist Brow Definer in Medium Brown
The perfect brown eyebrow definer if you have gray hair. This shade will give you the definition you are looking for without being too brown in color. If you used to have strong definition with your brows and they have since disappeared, perhaps with your hair going gray, this pencil might just be what you’re looking for. Depth, dimension, in a soft medium-to-dark brown tone.
- 24hr wear
- transfer-proof
- sweatproof
- waterproof
- slanted tip
- natural, hairlike finish
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Haus Laboratories The Edge Precision Brow Pencil in Soft Brown
With a neutral-warm undertone, Lady Gaga brings another great brow solution to silver-haired folk. Soft brown is a great choice for your sparse brows, or if you need more than a little filling in, this is a great choice.
- precision tip
- easy-glide formula
- micronized pigment for extra definition
- cruelty-free
- vegan formula
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NYX Dual-Ended Precision Brow Pencil in Espresso
A great, low-cost offering from NYX to give you a soft, yet strong definition in the brow department. I particularly like the flat tip of the pencil end to give you clean definition and a great filling tool for your brows.
- cruelty-free
- spoolie included
- matte finish
- vegan
Maybelline Express Brow 2-in-1 Defining Pencil in Deep Brown
If you have dark skin and silver, gray hair or highlights, this Maybelline Express Brow Define in Deep Brown is a great choice.
Best of all, you can define the brows and hair textures with the fine-tip pencil end, then quickly fill in your sparse brows with the dual-ended filling powder tip.
- dual-ended
- strong pigment
- perfect almost neutral deep brown tone
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e.l.f. Ultra Precise Brow Pencil in Neutral Brown
An ultra-affordable offering from a drugstore fave of mine, e.l.f. This is a great shade for medium to dark skin tones looking to add natural oomph to your brows.
- micro-slim liner
- cruelty-free
- vegan
- paraben-free
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Best Charcoal Eyebrow Pencils
Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil in Granite
It’s no secret I love Anastasia Beverly Hills brow products. The Granite Perfect Brow Pencil is a great choice for creating your darker brows if you have a medium to dark complexion. It will work wonders if your hair used to be black or dark and is now in the silver-to-gray realm. I love this pencil – it’s the perfect neutral dark gray.
- spoolie
- classic wood pencil
- sharpens to a fine point
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Winky Lux Uni Brow Universal Eyebrow Pencil
Winky Lux presents a neutral soft warm charcoal/taupe combo (if such things exist) as a universal shades. This may well be true, except, I suspect, for the extremely dark and fair complexion owners among us.
It is, however, a great neutral shade to try for those in between.
- plastic neutral
- cruelty-free
- wedge-shaped tip
- spoolie included
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J. Cat Beauty Perfect Brow Up Pencil in Charcoal
A true dark gray eyebrow pencil from J. Cat Beauty. If you want to match your gray, silver or blue-toned hair, look no further.
This pencil will also work well if your skin has natural cool undertones.
- waterproof
- fine tip
- spoolie included
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L’Oreal Stylist Definer Ultra Fine Tip Shaping Pencil in Soft Black
Even though this is a black pencil, the ultra-fine tip makes it a choice worth considering if you’re looking in the charcoal color field for your brows. You can create beautiful, defined dark brows with ease.
The tip is definitely fine enough to feather on brow shapes and fill in your eyebrows easily.
- self-sharpening
- ultra-fine tip
- waterproof
- ophthalmologist-tested
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NYX Lift and Snatch Eyebrow Tint Pen in Gray Black
Another fantastic option for giving your brows that extra pizazz. From NYX, the Lift and Snatch Eyebrow Tint Pen is a quick and easy way to give your face a frame. And the Gray Black shade is an absolute must-have for deeper complexions.
- smudge and transfer-free
- micro-brush tip pen
- vegan
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Arches and Halos Micro Defining Brow Pencil in Charcoal
This soft, smudge-proof pencil from Arches and Halos in Charcoal will easily fill in your brows, sparse or sparser.
- long-lasting
- smudge-proof
- dual-ended with spoolie
- vegan
- cruelty-free
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Revlon Colorstay Eyebrow Pencil in Soft Black
Buying Options
Target
Another 2-in-1 pencil option here from Revlon. This pencil is sneakily designed so the powder option is inside the cartridge. So you get a fine-tip pencil at one end, a spoolie at the other end, and a powder applicator in the center to fill in sparse patches within your brows.
I love the Soft Black for extra drama from Revlon.
- up to 16 hours of wear
- water-proof
- smudge-proof
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Best Blonde Eyebrow Pencils
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Whiz in Blonde
This is the lightest shade in the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Whiz range. And if you have a fair complexion with olive undertones and fair natural hair, then this may just be what you’re looking for.
It does have quite a bit of yellow warmth to it, so if you’re looking for definition with less color, then you might be better off sticking with a taupe or gray shade.
Otherwise, Blonde will definitely be worth considering.
- fine-tip
- perfect wax and color blend
- custom spoolie included
- cruelty-free
- vegan
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Makeup Forever Aqua Resist Eyebrow Pencil in Soft Blonde
I’d call this more of a medium/warm blonde. Perhaps that’s where the soft comes in? This is a lovely pencil from Makeup Forever. While it may be much darker in shade than some of the other blondes we are looking at today, it’s definitely worth considering if you are fair-skinned.
- multi-use slant-tipped pencil
- smudge-proof
- long-lasting
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Kevyn Aucoin True Feather Brow Marker Gel Duo in Ash Blonde
This is like the perfect neutral blonde. This Kevyn Aucoin brow gel pen will precisely create individual brow hairs with short, hair-like strokes in your application.
A great option for medium to fair skin, and natural hair shades.
- dual-ended
- sleek size for easy application
- paraben-free
- mineral-oil free
- phthalate-free
- fragrance-free
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Maybelline Total Temptation Eyebrow Definer in Blonde
Buying Options
Amazon
A soft, light finish pencil to give your brows an understated emphasis. Perfect for you if your complexion is fair and your hair is silver or very light naturally.
- teardrop definer
- fluffy rounded spoolie
- light finish
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Maybelline Brow Extension Fiber Pomade in Blonde
Buying Options
Amazon
While this is a much thicker-tipped pencil, the results you can get with the Maybelline Brow Extension Fiber Pomade are quite interesting. The crayon will instantly thicken your brows and provide a soft definition in Blonde. It contains tiny fibers that also help give the illusion of hairs where there is none.
- natural matte finish
- infused with hair-like fibers
- ophthalmologist tested
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Fenty Beauty Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Definer in Light Blonde
This ultra-fine, retractable brow definer will help you create your brows where they’re not. You can literally feather in individual hairs, and with this shade, Light, you can create a soft, yet still there definition. This shade has a little warmth to it and is perfect if you have a lighter complexion and lighter natural hair color.
- long-wearing
- waterproof
- vegan and cruelty-free
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How To Use a Gray Eyebrow Pencil Properly?
Okay, so you’ve got your brand spanking new, fab eyebrow pencil.
And you’re asking, “What do I do with it?” Well, don’t panic – I hope that my skills as a makeup artist can put you at ease, and help get you started to find a good eyebrow pencil, and a technique you can master.
Let’s walk through how to quickly and easily create definition on your eyebrows right here.
- Give your eyebrows a brush in the direction of the hair growth.
- While you are doing this, take a look at the shape of your eyebrows. Pay attention to any sparse areas, any unevenness, and where you think you want to fill in to create an even, attractive brow shape.
- From the center of your eyebrow, lightly draw the pencil on your brow from where the hairs start growing out of your skin. Use short, feathery strokes to draw on your very own brow hairs with your eyebrow pencil.
- Work your way out to the outer edge of your eyebrow.
- You can use an angled brush to brush through the hairs, blending your eyebrow pencil at the same time. Or, as most pencils seem to come with a spoolie as well, use that. The choice is yours.
- You do not have to fill in your entire brow if you don’t have to.
- Repeat on the other side.
Remember this: Your eyebrows do NOT have to be perfectly symmetrical.
Balance and symmetry are not the same, so if your left and right eyebrows are not perfectly symmetrical, it’s okay!
Aim for balance, not perfection.
I hope that inside this guide you find the right eyebrow pencil for you. And continue to celebrate your beautiful brows for years to come.
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Featured image by Deagreez
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