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Your simple 3-step budget brow routine

Eyebrows are arguably the most important step in your entire makeup routine. Much like a beautiful frame enhances a piece of art, well-groomed brows frame and balance your entire face.

The good news is that you do not need an overwhelming collection of expensive tools to achieve clean, defined arches. Most people only need two simple products: a filling product (like a pencil, powder, or pen) and a setting gel.

The perfect 3-step application method

• Step 1: Brush: Use a clean spoolie brush to comb your brow hairs upward, revealing their natural shape and exposing any sparse areas.

• Step 2: Fill: Use a brow pencil or pen to map out precise strokes and fill in any gaps. Micro-tip pencils are a personal favorite because they are the easiest to control and create the most natural look.

• Step 3: Set: Lock everything into place by brushing through your hairs with a high-hold clear brow glue or gel.

Top 3 affordable brow products

My personal holy-grail combination for flawless brows is a precise micro brow pencil paired with a reliable clear gel. Here are my top three budget-friendly drugstore recommendations that keep your brows locked in place all day.

Essence Brow Lift and Freeze Glue

This brow glue is an affordable clear styling wax that hold brows all day.

Pros: 3-in-1 applicator contains a spoolie, comb, and pressing brush to help achieve the look you want, no white residue,affordable, and plenty of time to work with the product before it dries down

Cons: can disturb brow pigment if you put a pencil or powder on before applying this, can feel heavy, learning curve

Wet and Wild Ultimate Brow Micro Eyebrow Pencil

This brow pencil is an ultra-fine pencil designed to deliver hair like strokes.

Pros: Ultra-fine with a 1.5mm tip, buildable, built in spoolie, affordable, cruelty-free and vegan

Cons: fragile tip, beacause of the extreme fineness of the tip, it is prone to breakage if you press to hard, limited shade range, prone to fading

e.l.f. Ultra Precise Brow Pencil

This ultra-fine 1.5mm tip pencil is designed to deliver hair-like strokes with a long lasting formula.

Pros: micro-fine tip, firm texture that resist smudging, good shade range, affordable, long-wearing

Cons: stiff application, because of its firmness can take a couple of uses to get the pigment flowing well, fragile tip because of micro tip, spoolie brush can be scratchy.