I Used To Hate Brow Pencils, But ILIA's Clean Option Helps Me Fake A Brow Tint 

I'm not shy about my aversion to brow pencils. I can acknowledge their ability to create tiny, hairlike wisps in precise areas—perfect if you have noticeable gaps like me. However, most pencils contain waxes (candelilla, carnauba, etc.) that help the pigment adhere to the brows and hold shape, which means they can also grip the fine hairs with each stroke. 

My brows are super fine, sensitive, and—I'll be honest—just plain wimpy, so it's easy for those waxes to grab onto the hairs and tug against the follicle. No matter how gently I wield the pencil, I always wind up with an irritated and red brow area. 

So I stuck to brow powder and gel instead and avoided pencils like the plague. That is until I got my hands on ILIA's newest launch: the In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil. (I'm a devout Super Serum Skin Tint stan, so if there's any brand to get me back on the brow pencil train, I know it's ILIA.) 

After testing the product for about a month, I can proudly call myself a brow pencil convert. No irritation, no redness, just gloriously full and fluffy brows. 

No, I did not succumb to the tweezer-happy trend of the early aughts. I was just born with thin, light, and very sensitive brows. Do I wish I could sport fluffy, caterpillar-like face framers? Of course I do, but it's just not in the cards for me. I've made my peace with my subpar brow game. 

That's not to say I enjoy them looking sparse and gappy. I'll commit to just about anything I can to make my arches appear fuller—tinted brow gels, powders, growth serums, you name it. I also swear by a regular brow tint (performed by my brow wizard Joey Healy), which maximizes the surface area by catching those light vellus hairs that often go unnoticed. 

ILIA's pencil does include a synthetic wax, which I admit did make me a bit nervous. But I find it's actually quite soft, effortlessly gliding across my brows without any pulling or tugging. The micro-fine tip also allows me to draw directly on the skin without yanking precious brow hairs in the process. 

I use the taupe shade, which deposits the perfect light brown pigment onto my arches; a couple of swipes with the attached spoolie to blend, and I'm left with soft, diffused, fluffy-looking brows. 

I've also been pairing it with ILIA's In Frame Brow Gel, which includes hydrolyzed quinoa and a special hair renewal complex to promote growth as it holds brows in place. The formula itself feels super flexible—it's so lightweight, I honestly thought it was more of a light-hold brow gel—but it actually sets my brows all day long, no reapplication necessary. 

mbg's assistant beauty editor Hannah Frye also considers herself a fan: "Sometimes you need a brow gel that will last as long as your nine to five, and this one does," she says after testing the clear gel. "Not only that, but it's so lightweight that my brows feel like they can actually move under the gel's strong hold." 

Relying on this duo for the past month, I've even been able to prolong my brow tint appointment. A few pencil strokes are all I need for my brows to look just as full as they did post-service. I'll still opt for a tint later in the summer when I'm too lazy to even look at my makeup, but for now, the pencil-gel combo has me covered.

I always shied away from brow pencils. Most options I've tried yank on my sensitive brow hairs, causing redness and even hair loss. So I'll be honest: ILIA's In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil made me raise a gappy, sparse brow. But I've been testing it for many weeks, and all my brow hairs remain intact—in fact, they're stronger and fluffier than ever before.