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Looking for the best eyebrow pencils for gray hair used to feel like a niche problem. But these days, gray is proudly everywhere—streaked, salt-and-pepper, fully silver, or something in between—and brow pencils have finally caught up. Shades have gotten cooler, undertones more realistic, and formulas flexible enough to handle different textures and levels of pigment loss.
Like the hair on your head, eyebrow color can fade, lose contrast, or change texture with age. And while they don’t take up much real estate, that shift makes a surprisingly big difference. “Brows frame the shape of the face and restore contrast,” says Kierra Lanice Wray, a makeup artist based in Lansing, Michigan. “As the hair lightens, you start to lose shape and definition,” and the eyes can look less lifted.
Our Top Eyebrow Pencils for Gray Hair
- Best for Fully Gray Brows: Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Brow Pencil in Cool Grey, $28
- Best for Dark Hair Going Gray: Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Precision Eyebrow Pencil in Cool Brown, $19
- Best for Blonde Hair Going Gray: Victoria Beckham Beauty BabyBlade Eyebrow Pencil in Taupe, $35
- Best for Reddish Hair Going Gray: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dual-Ended Fill & Define Powder Perfect Brow Pencil in Caramel, $22
- Best for Wiry Brows: Jones Road The Brow Pencil in Grey, $24
- Best for Thinning Brows: Lamik Revelation Brow Duo in Blonde/Elegance, $49
- Best for Salt-and-Pepper Brows: Merit Brow 1980 Volumizing Eyebrow Gel Pomade in Taupe, $24
The biggest mistake Wray sees when choosing a pencil for gray brows is trying to match your past hair color. “Gray isn’t a lighter shade of brown; it’s its own color and lacks pigment,” she says. Drawing brows on rather than filling them in “causes harsh contrast, instantly aging the face.” To help you find a shade that meets you where you are now, here’s where to begin.
Frequently Asked QuestionsLargeChevron
- How do you choose your eyebrow pencil shade for gray brows?
- How do you avoid harsh-looking brows?
- Meet the experts
- How we test and review products
- Our staff and testers
Best for Fully Gray Brows: Benefit Cosmetics Goof Proof Brow Pencil in Cool Grey
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Benefit Cosmetics
Goof Proof Brow Pencil in Cool Grey
Nordstrom
Ulta Beauty
Why it's worth it: Benefit Cosmetics has been in the brow game for so long that most of us have owned at least one of their pencils at some point. If your brows are entirely gray, the brand’s Goof Proof Easy Shape & Fill Pencil in Cool Grey is as universally flattering as it gets. When brows turn gray, undertone matters: too warm reads unnatural, while overly ashy can veer chalky and dull. “This cool-toned shade keeps gray brows looking natural and believable,” says Tonya Riner, a makeup artist based in Houston, Texas. The retractable, angled tip makes shaping intuitive and eliminates the need for sharpening, so the stroke width stays consistent and harder to overdo. “Use the angled edge to fill in sparse areas, then switch to the finer point to add hair-like strokes,” she adds. The attached spoolie brush lets you comb through pigment to soften edges and blur any heavy spots for a more natural finish. And the smooth, castor-oil–based formula blends easily, then sets into long-lasting, 12-hour wear without smudging.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: castor oil, beeswax
- Shades: 12
- Features: built-in spoolie, waterproof formula
- Who it’s for: people with full gray brows
Best for Dark Hair Going Gray: Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Precision Eyebrow Pencil in Cool Brown
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Rare Beauty
Brow Harmony Precision Eyebrow Pencil in Cool Brown
Ulta Beauty
Sephora
Why it's worth it: Choosing a pencil shade for brows that are starting to gray can be tricky, as warmer browns often look too red, while ashy tones can fall flat or chalky. Rare Beauty’s Brow Harmony Precision Eyebrow Pencil in Cool Brown hits that balance with a neutral-cool undertone that “won’t pull warm,” says Riner, making the 2024 Best of Beauty Award winner flattering across a wide range of skin tones. The angled tip lets you flick individual hairs for a feathery look or shade in sparse, over-tweezed areas for more density. The formula lands in that just-right middle ground—blendable yet firm enough to hold—so it sets without making brows look stiff, and because it’s smudge-proof and sweat-resistant, your shape stays intact throughout the day.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: soybean oil, synthetic mica, tocopherol
- Shades: 7
- Features: built-in spoolie, waterproof formula
- Who it’s for: people with darker hair going gray
Best for Blonde Hair Going Gray: Victoria Beckham BabyBlade Eyebrow Pencil in Taupe
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Victoria Beckham
BabyBlade Eyebrow Pencil in Taupe
Nordstrom
Bluemercury
Why it's worth it: Blonde brows transitioning to gray can lose both definition and depth, so finding a pencil that stays cool, precise, and natural becomes key. Victoria Beckham’s BabyBlade Eyebrow Pencil handles all three. “This is my favorite for blondes because the taupe is perfectly cool-toned,” says Riner. “The ultra-fine tip makes it nearly impossible to overdo it, so you always end up with a soft, natural, and flattering shape.” The long-wear formula glides on cleanly, but it also treats the brows as it fills: Camellia japonica oil delivers antioxidant-rich hydration, while rosehip seed oil brings essential fatty acids to help keep the skin and brow hairs supple. Each stroke gets you a fuller, better-defined brow that complements blonde-to-gray tones without too much warmth.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: camellia japonica oil, rosehip seed oil
- Shades: 6
- Features: built-in spoolie
- Who it’s for: people with lighter hair tones going gray
Best for Reddish Hair Going Gray: Anastasia Beverly Hills Dual-Ended Fill & Define Powder Perfect Brow Pencil in Caramel
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Anastasia Beverly Hills
Dual-Ended Fill & Define Powder Perfect Brow Pencil in Caramel
Amazon
Dermstore
Ulta Beauty
Why it's worth it: Only 1 to 2% of the world’s population has naturally red hair, which makes red brows a niche all their own, especially once gray starts to enter the picture. The undertone has to stay convincing without going brassy or flat, and it’s easy for a brow pencil to look too heavy. Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Dual-Ended Fill & Define Powder Perfect Brow Pencil in Caramel (light red) or Auburn (soft, deeper red) strikes the right balance for most redheads, says Wray. “While many people do enjoy a mechanical pencil, this traditional wooden pencil has a softer, powder-like formula to look more natural for red hair,” says Wray. “It's very beginner-friendly with a spoolie on the end to brush and blur imperfections.” Mica and plant oils help the color glide and diffuse into a believable finish.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: mica, vegetable oil, cottonseed oil
- Shades: 8
- Features: built-in spoolie
- Who it’s for: redheads going gray
Best for Wiry Brows: Jones Road the Brow Pencil in Grey
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Jones Road
The Brow Pencil in Grey
Jones Road
Why it's worth it: Graying brows often shift in texture, becoming coarser and more wiry with age. Jones Road’s Brow Pencil “uses tiny hair-like fibers to bridge the gap between wiry hairs and smoother, thinning sections, so the brow looks fuller and more consistent once it’s filled in,” says Wray. The formula conditions as it colors: Shea butter delivers fatty acids and antioxidants to soften coarse hairs, while castor seed oil and plant waxes (like candelilla and carnauba) give wiry strands more flexibility and help them lay flatter. And in true Jones Road fashion, the jumbo format of the pencil makes it easier for makeup novices to create light, feathery strokes—“you can fill them in faster and more easily,” says Wray—which makes everyday shaping feel intuitive.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: castor oil, shea butter
- Shades: 6
- Who it’s for: people with wiry or textured brows who still want fullness
Best for Thinning Brows: Lamik Revelation Brow Duo in Blonde/Elegance
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Lamik Beauty
Revelation Brow Duo in Blonde/Elegance
Nordstrom
Ulta Beauty
Why it's worth it: Rather than a pencil, Lamik’s Revelation Brow Duo pairs a silky brow powder with a sculpting cream to define, fill, and shape without the harsh, stamped-on look. “This is an excellent option for creating the illusion of full brows if they’re thinning,” says Wray, who points to this specific soft ash-blonde shade for its ability to prevent gray brows from reading too sharp or blocky. The powder’s satin finish and weightless texture are thanks to jojoba oil, which also conditions brow hairs. The sculpting cream adds structure and hold: “You can essentially stretch and create a laminate effect to the brows to give more shape,” says Wray. It’s infused with castor seed oil (which also encourages healthier hair growth), and it all tucks neatly into a mirrored compact for quick shaping on the go. Use it solo or pair it with your favorite brow pencil for extra dimension and precision to sparse brows.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: jojoba oil, castor seed oil
- Shades: 15
- Features: includes brow powder and brow sculpting creme
- Who it’s for: people with sparse or thinning brows
Best for Salt-and-Pepper Brows: Merit Brow 1980 Volumizing Eyebrow Gel Pomade
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Merit Beauty
Brow 1980 Volumizing Eyebrow Gel Pomade
Sephora
Merit
Why it's worth it: Salt-and-pepper brows can look dimensional and striking, but they’re notoriously tricky to balance—pigment sits differently on gray hairs than on darker ones, and overly matte products can make everything look flat. Merit’s Brow 1980 Volumizing Pomade gets around that by adding soft color, lift, and a hint of sheen. “If you have a mix of gray and pigmented hairs, a tinted brow gel used strategically can make all the difference,” says Riner. She loves Brow 1980 in this context because “the formula reflects light while keeping brows softly in place,” and notes that the cool-toned Taupe (if you’re naturally blonde) and Dark Brown (if you’re brunette) shades tend to be the most natural-looking on graying hair. Mineral pigments and kaolin clay add believable volume without stiffness, thanks to panthenol that conditions each hair. Plus, the tapered brush applicator evenly catches all your brow hairs, letting you coat from multiple angles for a fuller, more uniform finish.
More to know
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- Key ingredients: panthenol, kaolin clay
- Shades: 4
- Who it’s for: people with brow hairs in a mix of tones
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you choose your eyebrow pencil shade for gray brows?
Choosing a brow pencil for gray brows comes down to finding the right balance of tone and depth. “If your brows are salt and pepper, when looking for a brow product, go with the lighter or most neutral option to soften the brows and overall appearance of the face,” says Wray. She recommends “going slightly lighter and more neutral as the brows lose pigment.” Go too far in either direction and the effect shifts: “Too light and the brows begin to disappear, and too dark makes them look overly dramatic.” A neutral, softly cool tone usually lands in that flattering middle ground.
How do you avoid harsh-looking brows?
To avoid eyebrow makeup that looks too heavy or over-defined, Wray says the trick is to mimic what your natural brow hair already does. “I always recommend using light pressure and creating short, hair-like strokes,” she says. Instead of drawing new brows on top, you’re “filling in negative space within the brow.” The order matters too: “Your brows should go from light to dark and thick to thin,” so concentrate on defining the tail and arch first, then work toward the center of the face to get natural definition.
Meet the experts
- Tonya Riner, a makeup artist based in Houston, Texas
- Kierra Lanice Wray, a makeup artist based in Lansing, Michigan
How we test and review products
Before reviewing any makeup, we ask questions about a number of factors: What ingredients are in it? Does the brand offer a wide shade range inclusive of consumers with all skin tones and undertones? Is it safe for readers who have sensitive skin or wear contact lenses? Is it on the affordable side or more of a splurge? Is its packaging consciously designed or needlessly wasteful?
For our review of the best eyebrow pencils, we enlisted the help of multiple editors, writers, contributors, cosmetic chemists, and professional makeup artists to review the products. This ensures our testing base spans different skin tones, genders, and dermatological conditions. We considered each product’s performance across four primary categories: ingredients, wear and longevity, packaging, and inclusivity. For more on what's involved in our reporting, check out our complete reviews process and methodology page.
Our staff and testers
A beauty product is a personal purchase. You might be searching for a face cream to address persistent dryness or a new nail product to add to your Sunday self-care routine; you may simply be browsing around for the latest launches to hit the hair market. No matter what you seek or your individual needs and concerns, Allure wants to ensure that you love anything we recommend in our stories. We believe that having a diverse team of writers and editors—in addition to the wide range of outside testers and industry experts we regularly call upon—is essential to reaching that goal.
After all, can we really say a skin-care product is the "best" for people over 50 if the only testers we’ve solicited opinions from folks who have yet to hit 30? Can we honestly deem a high-end diffuser worthy of your hard-earned cash if it’s never been tested on curls? We’re proud that our staff spans a wide range of ages, skin tones, hair textures, genders, and backgrounds, which means that we are able to fairly assess any beauty product that comes into the beauty closet.
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