Once upon a time, before the “it” eyebrow trend became full and fluffy, my daily routine consisted of some quality plucking time with my trusty ol’ tweezers. And lemme tell you—when you’ve got bushy, dark, Italian hair like I do, it’s a damn job. So when the new eyebrow muses (think: Cara Delevingne and Lily Collins) began sporting full, thick brows, you bet your girl was here for it. My only problem? Keeping my wild, thick eyebrows looking smooth and tidy instead of their usual disheveled selves. And then I discovered a $5 hack at the bottom of my dad’s messy bathroom drawer that was the answer to all my problems: Göt2b Hair Gel. Yes, really.

Göt2b Ultra Glued Invincible Styling Hair Gel

Now 36% Off

Now before you’re like, Did she seriously go straight to hair gel before trying any other TikTok makeup hack or brow product?!, please take a beat. First of all, how dare you underestimate how many times a 13-year-old influencer has convinced me to buy yet another TikTok beauty product? And second, when it comes to my wild eyebrows, soap brows don’t hold up, brow lamination is too damn expensive, and don’t get me started on eyebrow gel (one word: clumpy).

And while those methods may work perfectly great for you or your friends, when you’ve got brows like moi, you need something stronger that’ll keep ’em shaped, brushed, and smoothed all damn day. Göt2b Hair Gel does just that, all for the price of my morning Starbucks coffee.

Hi, it me! My brows are looking on fleek, and they will last alllll day long.

Can you use hair gel on your eyebrows?

Before you go digging in your dad’s, your brother’s, or your boo’s drawers for a crusty old tube of gel, there’s one major thing to know first: Hair gel can be irritating when used on your eyebrows due to its alcohol content, which is especially important for anyone who has particularly reactive or sensitive skin. According to board-certified dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD, associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine, your scalp skin and facial skin aren’t exactly the same: “The scalp is a sturdier entity than the skin around the eyes, which is particularly sensitive,” she says.

For some people, Dr. Gohara notes that using hair gel on your eyebrows can lead to irritation, bumps, redness, or even allergic reactions. Basically, if you know your skin doesn’t tolerate products well, you should avoid using hair gel—or at least do a patch test 24 hours beforehand. That being said, there’s some good news: Dr. Gohara says she “wouldn’t be shocked if a large majority of people could use hair gel without consequences.” Still, be smart and listen to your skin before trying it out.

FYI, the Internet Also Loves These Hair Gels for Brows

Aussie Instant Freeze Hair Gel

SheaMoisture Strong Hold Styling Gel

It’s a 10 Haircare Miracle Firm Hold Gel

Now 15% Off

SexyHair Style Hard Up Hard Holding Gel

Now 30% Off

How to use hair gel on your eyebrows

So, erm, hold up—how do you use hair gel on your brows? Well, the process is v simple: Grab a spoolie brush—make sure it’s clean and one that you’ll use exclusively for your eyebrows (i.e., don’t use this spoolie for other makeup products)—and follow these three easy steps:

Le gel on le hand! Read: the TINIEST bit (!!). Srsly, if you use too much, the gel will make the brows look shiny. I use this amount for both of my eyebrows.

If you want to see this process in action, check out the following TikTok video or Ashley Graham’s brow gel tutorial using hair gel (um, not to be that person, but I was a hair-gel-for-your-eyebrows stan long before this tutorial. But still love you, queen).

Is hair gel better than eyebrow gel?

It depends on your skin type and budget, but for me, yes, hair gel is a way better option. Not only is the price of Göt2b Hair Gel so effing cheap, but there’s a ton of product in each bottle. To put it into perspective: There are six ounces of product in Göt2b Hair Gel and about a quarter of an ounce in most eyebrow gels (you do the math, and thank me later).

That being said, actual eyebrow gels are specially formulated to be safe to use around your brow area, which means they’re usually free of alcohol, fragrance, and other irritating ingredients. So if you’re someone whose skin is super sensitive, you’re probably better off sticking with a strong-hold eyebrow gel, like one of these:

The Best Strong-Hold Eyebrow Gels

E.L.F. Cosmetics Clear Brow & Lash Mascara

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

Patrick Ta Major Brow Lamination Gel

Benefit Cosmetics 24-HR Brow Setter Clear Eyebrow Gel

Final thoughts

I’ve been using the Göt2b Hair Gel on my eyebrows for a few years now, and I have yet to find another product that does this damn good of a job (and I’m a beauty editor, so trust—I’ve tried a lot). I’m also a sucker for deals, and I love that one tube of gel will last me a heck of a long time since I need to use only the tiniest bit once a day.

We all know that eyebrow trends change every season (sup, ’90s brow resurgence), but whether the world suddenly decides that the best eyebrows are bushy, groomed, straight, or, er, skinny (sry, I can’t commit to that one just yet), you bet my Göt2b Hair Gel will shape ’em however I need. And with that…*drops mic, adds another tube to cart*.

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Siena Gagliano is the associate editor at Cosmopolitan, where she primarily covers beauty, fashion, travel, and lifestyle. Wanna know how to get the best brows of your life? Gotchu. What about how to find the best fashion deals of the season, the softest sheets on the market, or exactly how to use retinol without irritating your skin? Check, check, and check. Before joining Cosmopolitan, Siena was a writer at Bustle and several other media outlets. As her 2024 goal, she has vowed to find the best (extra) dirty martini NYC has to offer—and yes, that means ~attempting~ to try every cute cocktail spot in the city (hit her up with some recs, pls). Follow Siena on Instagram for a behind-the-scenes look at that magazine life.

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