The brow pencil trick no one tells you about: a fine-tipped brow pencil can stand in for the eye products you forgot to pack. After leaving two essentials behind on a recent trip, Nikol Johnson improvised her entire eye look with the one pencil she had — and the result was good enough to become a tutorial.
Key Takeaways
- A skinny brow pencil doubles as a soft eyeliner — the waxy, buildable formula hugs the lash line without harshness.
- Brown brow shades read as natural definition on mature eyes, often softer than actual eyeliner.
- One multi-tasking pencil can save an entire travel makeup look.
- The trick works in reverse too: a sharpened liner pencil can feather through sparse brows in a pinch.
What Happened on the Trip?
Nikol arrived at her destination to discover two key makeup items missing from her bag — the kind of moment every traveler knows. Rather than buying duplicates, she reached for her Skinny Brow Pencil in Brownie and used its fine tip to define her lash line the way an eyeliner would, pressed in tight strokes between the lashes.
Why Does a Brow Pencil Work as Liner?
Brow formulas are designed to be waxy, smudge-resistant, and natural-looking — exactly what a mature lash line wants. The Brownie shade delivers definition that's softer than black liner, and the ultra-fine tip (kept sharp with the Nikol Beauty sharpener) gives more precision than most liner pencils. For everyday wear, her dedicated Dark Chocolate waterproof eyeliner is still the long-wear choice — but the brow pencil is a genuinely capable understudy.
How Did She Complete the Improvised Look?
The rest of the kit did double duty: Eye Primer to keep everything in place, Volume Up Mascara on curled lashes, Creamy Concealer buffed with the Foundation Buffing Brush, Creme Brulee bronzer for warmth, the St. Barths Cream Blush, Coco 13 gloss on the lips, and Nikita Banana to set. The skincare and tools she travels with are linked in the video description on YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use a brow pencil as eyeliner?
Yes — a fine, waxy brow pencil in brown applies as a soft, natural-looking liner along the upper lash line. Keep it to the lash line and avoid the waterline, where brow formulas aren't designed to sit.
What makeup products can multitask while traveling?
A brow pencil (liner), a cream blush stick (lips and cheeks), and a hybrid bronzer (eyes and face) cover the most ground — three products, six jobs.
What color brow pencil works for gray hair?
A soft taupe-brown like Brownie — deep enough to define, cool enough not to clash with silver and gray tones.
