Maintaining your brows at home is an art form, and to be the artist we know you are, you’ll need the right tools. Queue the best clear brow gels—long-hold formulas crafted to keep your arches in place without pigment. But “clear” doesn’t always mean invisible—poorly made gels can leave brows flaky, stiff, or with a dreaded white cast.

Vogue’s Favorite Clear Brow Gels:

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The secret is to find a gel that does none of that, leaving your brows expertly sculpted and defined to your liking without any residue—keeping everything in place while still looking effortless. Whether you want every hair locked in place like anti-freeze or prefer a softer, natural finish, we asked top makeup artists to share their go-to picks. Ahead, 11 of the best clear brow gels for every hair type, tone, and density.

Best Overall: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Gel

• Why We Love It: You there! Freeze! This clear brow gel features a paddle-shaped applicator with bristles designed for optimal smoothing as it combs through the hairs. According to celebrity makeup artist Shayna Goldberg, the finish has a subtle sheen, which works best on thicker brows that already have some natural shine. “Once it’s set, I don’t like to manipulate it, and it really doesn’t need it,” she says. “I use this when I’m working with curly or coarse brow hair that needs a strong hold and benefits from being laid onto the skin.”
• Key Ingredients: Polyacrylate-2 crosspolymer, glycerin
• Shades: Clear

Best for Fine Brows: Jones Road The Brow Gel

• Why We Love It: “Simple and reliable,” says Phillips, who recommends this brow gel for people with finer brows who want just enough hold without feeling heavy. The spoolie makes application easy, and the brand suggests using short upward strokes starting from the inner brow and moving toward the arch and tail. The formula is buildable, so you can do a quick pass for a natural look or add multiple sweeps for something more defined.
• Key Ingredients: Glycerin
• Shades: Clear, blonde, ash, grey, light brunette, brunette, dark brunette

Best for Touchups: Chanel Le Gel Sourcils Longwear Eyebrow Gel

• Why We Love It: “Chanel Le Gel Sourcils an all-in-one for me,” says Goldberg—and we cosign her opinion. It works as a one-step brow product or as a pigmented first step, providing color and fibers to fill while the gel offers a flexible hold. “I use this in my set bag for touch-ups and on the go for personal use. For a more built-out look, I use it as a first step to form the brow as much as possible before going in with other products to fill and shape further.” She adds that the dynamic, water-based formula gives a natural, believable result.
• Key Ingredients: Glycerin
• Shades: 3, Transparent, blond, brun

Best for Sparse Brows: Ilia In Frame Brow Gel

• Why We Love It: Vadhera recommends this brow gel, noting that “this one is great if you’re looking for a little extra support while growing out your brows.” She also points out that it “will give you longer-lasting wear,” so there is no need to reapply throughout the day or worry about sweat or humidity wiping it away. The spoolie works especially well for sparse hairs, and the formula is infused with hydrolyzed quinoa, which helps condition and strengthen.
• Key Ingredients: Hydrolyzed quinoa, hair renewal complex
• Shades: Clear

Best for Full Brows: Benefit Cosmetics 24-HR Brow Setter Clear Brow Gel

• Why We Love It: From the brow experts themselves, this 24-hour wear brow gel comes with a dual-ended bristle applicator designed to lay hairs flat. “I love using this formula for fuller brows, as they usually need to be brushed a few times throughout the day, and this allows for combing without flaking,” says Goldberg. She adds that it offers a flexible yet strong hold and is arguably one of the most universal brow gels on the market.
• Key Ingredients: Provitamin B5, polymers
• Shades: Clear

Best Laminated Finish: Refy Brow Sculpt Shaping and Lifting Gel

• Why We Love It: What sets this gel apart is its formula—packed with polymers that lift and hold brow hairs, along with a touch of glycerin to keep them from looking dry. Celebrity makeup artist Amrita Mehta explains that it goes on slightly tacky at first, but once brushed through and left to dry, it delivers that laminated look. “The hold is strong, which makes it great for long wear or for coarse, stubborn, and unruly brows,” she says. “The dual brush and comb separate and shape the hairs for a sculpted finish, though I like to wipe off the excess from the wand first since too much can leave a white cast. I reach for this one when I want my brows to stay put all day with that bold, laminated style.”
• Key Ingredients: Carnauba, candelilia wax, provitamin B5, glycerin
• Shades: Clear

Best Flexible Hold: Milk Makeup Kush Clear Brow Gel

• Why We Love It: Milk Makeup’s vegan formula uses hemp-derived cannabis seed oil to condition, keeping brows in place without stiffness. Then there’s aloe and cucumber extract which add an extra boost of hydration. “This gives a more flexible hold for a natural look,” says celebrity makeup artist Shalini Vadhera. The spoolie is easy to maneuver, whether you want to brush brows upward for a laminated look or do a simple pass-through to keep hairs in place.
• Key Ingredients: Hemp-derived cannabis seed oils, aloe, cucumber extract
• Shades: Clear

Best for Natural-Looking Brows: Hourglass Arch Brow Shaping Gel

• Why We Love It: If you want something so weightless you forget you applied it, reach for this clean, vegan, water-based brow gel. Infused with vitamin E for light conditioning, the formula relies on a polymer blend to keep everything in place. “I love this one when I want a natural but still polished look,” says Mehta.. “It fluffs up the hairs so they appear fuller and softer, instead of flat or overly sculpted. I wouldn’t call it a strong-hold gel, more of a flexible one that feels comfortable and never flakes. I usually reach for this when I want an everyday brow that looks soft, natural, and effortless.”
• Key Ingredients: Glycerin, panthenol
• Shades: Clear

Best Applicator: Kulfi Free The Brow

• Why We Love It: Vadhera says she loves this brow gel from Kulfi for its applicator, which includes not only an easy-to-use spoolie but also two brushes of different sizes to help comb through the brows. The design makes it easy to achieve the look you want, whether that’s a precise, laminated style or something softer and fluffy. Celebrity lash expert and makeup artist Dionne Phillips adds, “It balances hold with nourishment, so it keeps brows in place while helping them stay healthy,” noting that it also doubles as a brow serum.
• Key Ingredients: Safflower oil, sunflower oil, roselle hibiscus sabdariffa
• Shades: Clear

Best for Shaping: Dior Diorshow On Set Brow Gel

• Why We Love It: “Diorshow On Set Brow is categorized as a pomade spoolie in my kit,” says Goldberg. “I like to work it forward and backward through the brow hairs to maximize the ability to mold and shape without leaving a gelled finish.” She notes that the grip of this formula also boosts color payoff when filling the brows with powder, giving the shadow something to adhere to while resisting flaking. “It’s a product I often wear myself and always carry with me.”
• Key Ingredients: Beeswax, panthenol
• Shades: 5, universal clear, blonde, brown, dark brown, black

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