I Made My Thin Eyebrows Look Youthful and Full Again With This $24 Magic Fluffing Stick

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Photo:

Real Simple / Tyler Roeland

Among all of the talk about wrinkles and sagging skin as I get older, there is something my mother—or anyone, really—never told me that I have in my future. In my opinion, thinning eyebrows is one of the lesser-known, rarely discussed effects of celebrating birthdays into your 40s as I have. But I couldn’t avoid this noticeable hair loss every time I looked in the mirror, and recently, I knew it was time to take action.

Eyebrows begin to look sparse in your 40s thanks to a slowing down of the hormone estrogen, and mine were particularly bare at the tails. My mother would always nonchalantly suggest using a brow pencil because “everyone does it,” so when I had the opportunity to test Ilia’s In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil that creates thin strokes to boost brow volume, I was interested to see if it could give me a naturally fuller look.

Ilia In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil

ILIA

Buy Now $24

I opted for the soft brown shade to blend with my medium-brown eyebrows, and I started with brushing the hairs with the pencil’s mini spoolie brush to shape my brows before filling them in. Once I brushed them, I was able to really see the bare spots that could use the most help. On the opposite end of the double-sided brush was the thin pencil. I appreciated its two-in-one design as someone who prefers a minimal makeup routine.

With the tip of the pencil, I began adding small upward strokes to my brow area, focusing the most heavily on the tails where they’re the thinnest and sparse spots across my eyebrows to make the color blend seamlessly. I didn’t have to use too many strokes, as the pencil added just the right amount of pigment without making my eyebrows look overly bushy or noticeably filled in. Instead, the color was discreet and from a short distance, looked exactly like my other hairs. I finished by brushing my brows once more with the spoolie, which made them look completely natural.

The pencil’s mineral-based pigments are vegan, and it includes vitamin B5 to condition and nourish your skin and existing hairs. The micro-tip brow pencil is available in eight shades, ranging from blonde for those with light brows to soft black for dark brows.

Since my mature eyebrows can also have a mind of their own and get a bit unruly at times, I ended my makeup routine with Ilia’s In Frame Brow Gel that locked each hair in place. In fact, after applying the pencil and gel during my early 7 a.m. routine, I went about my day working, driving kids to and from sporting activities, and even hit the gym. By nighttime, my eyebrows still looked fuller thanks to what I’m deeming as my magic fluffing stick.

Ilia In Frame Brow Gel

ILIA

Buy Now $24

The brow pencil received more than 1,000 rave reviews, including from one shopper who said it “goes on precisely and smoothly.” Another reviewer who has “naturally thin and light brows” shared that “for the first time” in their life, the pencil “allowed [them] to have natural-looking, defined brows.” They also liked that it “didn’t flake” and “lasted the entire day,” and another customer confirmed that their brows “were still perfect after an 8-hour shift and drinks.” A third “‘90s girl” reviewer who was a “victim of thin brows thanks to over-tweezing” said that the pencil is great for “natural-looking structure and shape.” They noted that it “blends flawlessly,” and recommend it for “small eyebrow peeps.”

If you also suffer from thinning brows that could use a volume boost, grab the Ilia In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil, and read on for more eye products from the editor-loved beauty brand.