The Best 12 Brow Powders for Fluffy, Defined Arches

Best Overall

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo

$23 at Amazon $23 at Sephora $23 at Ulta

Shades: 11 | Applicator Included: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

When it comes to eyebrow makeup, Anastasia Beverley Hills is untouchable. The OG brand has been in the game for decades—long before the early-aughts overplucking era—and you can pretty much always count on quality. Sure enough, this brow powder stood out from all the others we tested. We loved how the soft texture was lightweight while still being buildable, and the matte finish looked totally natural.

The pigment was perfect: not too stark and conveniently blendable. And since each compact comes with two shades, you can create an ombré eyebrow effect. It stayed exactly where we applied it, without any flaking, transferring, or smudging—even when we rubbed a finger over our eyebrows.

Since the powder isn't water-resistant, you might need to touch it up if you sweat a lot or step out in the rain. While you'll need to buy a brush separately, this pint-sized pan is ideal for on-the-go use—there's even a handy mirror inside the compact.

Who It's For:

This impressive product is just the thing for anyone looking for a high-quality brow powder or interested yet skeptical about trying this form of brow filler.

Best Budget

e.l.f. Bite-Size Brow Palette

$12 at Amazon $8 at Walmart View on Elfcosmetics.com

Shades: 6 | Applicator Included: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We found this affordable powder super easy to apply with a thin, angled brush (which you'll have to buy separately). It filled in our patchy spots without a fuss and didn't really look like makeup, thanks to the natural matte finish. A little goes a long way, but it's easy to distribute across your skin and blendable if you go too dark at first.

After setting our work with the included wax, the formula wore well throughout the day without smudging or transferring. The only thing to note is that it may not be the most beginner-friendly, as the instructions aren't very clear, and not everyone may know what to do with the two powders and two waxes.

Who It's For:

The Bite-Size Brow Palette will only run you a few bucks and comes with two shades for a customized, natural-looking effect, plus a dark and light wax to hold everything in place.

Best for Beginners

CoverGirl Easy Breezy Brow Powder Kit

$11 at Amazon $15 at Walmart $12 at Walgreens

Shades: 4 | Applicator Included: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This ready-to-go brow powder is a cinch to apply with the included dual-ended applicator (though neither end is very fine-tipped, so you won't get ultra-precise lines). The matte-finish formula is highly pigmented yet blendable, and you can mix the colors to get the right shade for your eyebrows.

The powder held up well during the day without the need for touch-ups. But when it came time to take off our faces, it was easy to remove with makeup wipes. While each pan comes with multiple colors, the shade range isn't very extensive and might be a little too rich or warm for blondes or people with cooler-toned hair.

Who It's For:

The Easy Breezy Brow Kit has all the essentials for getting started: two shades for filling and defining, a lighter hue for highlighting the brow bone, and a dual-ended applicator brush.

Best Long-Wearing

Benefit Goof Proof Brow Powder

$22 at Sephora $22 at Ulta $22 at Nordstrom

Shades: 10 | Applicator Included: No | Cruelty-Free: No

Benefit's Goof Proof Brow Powder offers major color payoff that glides on smoothly, builds effortlessly, and blends beautifully. We were thrilled with the finished look and blown away by how incredibly well it lasted throughout the day. Without the need for setting spray or wax, it didn't transfer or smear—even in hot, humid weather.

And surprisingly, it came off easily when we washed our faces. You'll only get one color per pan, but with 10 shades available, you might consider getting two if you like doing a two-toned brow with a darker tail.

Who It's For:

You can count on this brow powder to stay in place on your face for hours on end through sweat, heat, and muggy conditions.

Best Undertones

Joey Healy Luxe Brow Powder

$28 at Amazon $28 at Joeyhealy.com

Shades: 4 | Applicator Included: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Though there are only four shades available, Joey Healy's Luxe Brow Powder is supposed to mimic the look of real eyebrow hairs—and we thought it delivered. It went on slightly lighter than we expected, but this made it even more buildable, and it effortlessly camouflaged with our existing hairs.

The shades we tried were on point too. We were particularly fond of the Corduroy color, a grayish taupe, which filled in patchy areas on lighter eyebrows without darkening them. This brow powder doesn't come with a sealing agent like wax, but you don't really need one because the waterproof, mess-free formula lasts all day.

Who It's For:

This brow powder takes the guesswork out of trying to match a shade with the undertones of your real eyebrow hairs.

Best for a Natural Look

RMS Beauty Back2Brow Brow Powder and Brush Kit

$29 at Amazon $29 at Dermstore $23 at Walmart

Shades: 3 | Applicator Included: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This product was easy to apply, gliding on smoothly and evenly without looking patchy. We also appreciated the strong yet blendable pigment. Using a fine-tipped angled brush, we were able to draw clean, sharp lines to mimic our real eyebrow hairs. You can also start light and build it up to your preferred shade.

We were very pleased with the natural-looking finished appearance—it didn't look like we'd filled in our brows at all, but they looked full and fluffy. The semi-matte finish has a super subtle sheen, which added some dimension.

Who It's For:

If you're in the market for a brow product for making hair-like strokes in a realistic-looking shade, Back2Brow might be the one.

Best Kit

Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Shape & Fill Duo

$14 at Kohls.com View on Rarebeauty.com

Shades: 6 | Applicator Included: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

While this product isn't technically a powder, the unique putty sets to a soft, powder-like, almost blurry finish. We thought the creamy formula went on easily with the included angled brush and liked how it allowed us to not only fill in but also shape our brows. Plus, you won't get any loose flakes dusting your cheeks.

What's more, the highly pigmented shades didn't budge lasting all day without touch-ups, even without a sealing wax. The brush has a built-in spoolie for brushing up your brows and blending your work, and you can use the mirror for on-the-go application.

Who It's For:

This is an excellent choice for folks looking for a travel-friendly kit and those who may prefer gel or pomade over powder.

Best Dual Brushes

Revlon ColorStay Brow Kit

$14 at Amazon $33 at Walmart $15 at CVS

Shades: 5 | Applicator Included: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

We appreciate that this eyebrow kit from Revlon comes with a dual-ended applicator brush and a mini spoolie for combing and blending. While the tools might be too tiny for everyday use, they'll definitely come in handy when you're on the go.

The brush picked up the powder with just a tap in the pan, and the angled tip allowed us to draw hair-like strokes and distribute it evenly throughout our arches to prevent a patchy look. Since the pigment is on the lighter side, you might need to touch up at some point, but the formula does seem to resist smudging.

Who It's For:

With a dual-ended brush and a spoolie, you'll have all the necessary tools for applying, blending, and brushing.

Best for Travel

Tarte Big Ego Brow & Root Camo Kit

$29 at Dermstore $29 at Tartecosmetics.com $25 at Macy's

Shades: 7 | Applicator Included: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We found this powder exceptionally easy to apply and ultra-blendable with a soft matte finish. It took us less than a minute to fill in both brows, and our finished work looked natural, even, and not patchy whatsoever.

This eyebrow kit comes with a small angled brush for drawing in little strokes and a thicker dual-ended brush for shading. Although the applicator might be too small for daily use, we'd definitely be glad to have it on a trip.

Who It's For:

It's a perfect set for travel, as you can fill in your brows anywhere, anytime with the included applicator and shading tools.

Best Drugstore

Maybelline Express Brow Duo 2-in-1 Pencil and Powder

$8 at Amazon $10 at Ulta $8 at Target

Shades: 6 | Applicator Included: Yes | Cruelty-Free: No

This pencil-style brow powder is a breeze to apply. There's a finer tip on one end for drawing in lines (though it's not fine enough for super-precise hair-like strokes) and a thicker sponge applicator on the other side for shading.

It was easy to control how much pigment we wanted, and we didn't have to worry about wasting unused product on a brush. While it's not billed as waterproof, the formula resisted smudging and held up through a sweaty yoga class. And it came off with a makeup wipe—no scrubbing needed.

Who It's For:

If you want a brow filler you can apply without a brush, this wallet-friendly drugstore pick is the way to go.

Best Vegan

Palladio Brow Powder

$9 at Amazon View on Palladiobeauty.com $10 at Sallybeauty.com

Shades: 4 | Applicator Included: Yes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Palladio Brow Powder is richly pigmented but not unnaturally dark. A little went a long way, offering excellent coverage without looking streaky or uneven.

We found the buildable, blendable formula easy to distribute to fill in patchy spots and create natural-looking shading from the inner-brow to the tail. While it doesn't come with any sealing wax, it stayed put for hours without flaking or smearing. The applicator brush is nice to have in a pinch, but you may want a larger one for everyday use. 

Who It's For:

The plant-based formula is not only vegan and cruelty-free but also made without gluten and parabens.

Best Multipurpose

Jason Wu Beauty Brows Before Boys

$14 at Target View on Jasonwubeauty.com $10 at Skinstore.com

Shades: 2 | Applicator Included: No | Cruelty-Free: Yes

We loved how buildable this product was, which allowed us to start subtly and work up to our desired pigment. While there are only two shade options available, each pan comes with three colors, so you have lots of wiggle room to create your perfect hue.

Whether you're going for a bolder brow, need to fill in bare spots, want to draw in hair-like strokes, or would like to make your hairline appear thicker, you can get the look you're going for. We were very happy with the results of the natural-looking matte finish. We noticed a few small flecks on our faces after applying, but otherwise, this water-resistant powder seemed to have good staying power.

Who It's For:

In addition to defining your eyebrows, this multipurpose product can be used with a blending brush to fill in your hairline.