Quick answer: The brow pencil trick no one tells you about is using a skinny brow pencil in a soft brown as a lip liner. When Nikol Johnson landed after a cross-country flight and realized she had forgotten both her eyeshadow and her lip liner, she reached for her Skinny Brow Pencil in Brownie and used it to outline and define her lips — then softened it with a fingertip and layered lip color on top.
Key Takeaways
- A soft-brown brow pencil doubles as a lip liner — the waxy, buildable formula outlines the lips and creates a natural shadow that stops lipstick from disappearing into the skin.
- For mature skin, defining the lip line matters: as we lose pigment and definition with age, a liner brings the mouth back to life.
- A hybrid cream bronzer can stand in for eyeshadow — swept across the lid with a blush brush for instant color.
- One or two multitasking products can rescue an entire travel makeup look.
Not every makeup lesson comes from a perfectly packed kit. Nikol arrived at her destination straight off a long flight — puffy, a little discolored, and missing two things she never travels without: her eyeshadow (her “Cabana”) and a lip liner. Instead of buying replacements, she improvised a soft, put-together daytime look for mature eyes and lips using the products she did have. The star of the save is a trick she says almost no one in the mature-beauty space talks about: your brow pencil is a lip liner in disguise.
What Is the Brow Pencil Trick?
The trick is simple: when you do not have a lip pencil, a fine, waxy brow pencil in a soft brown does the same job. Nikol used her Skinny Brow Pencil in Brownie — the same pencil she uses to groom and fill her brows — to line her lips.
- Outline the lip with the brow pencil, following your natural lip line.
- Let it create a soft shadow just at the edge — do not worry if it looks stark at first.
- Soften and blend the line inward with a fingertip.
- Layer your lipstick, lip oil, or gloss on top; everything melts together while the defined edge stays.
Because the Brownie shade is a soft, neutral brown, it reads as definition rather than an obvious line — which is exactly why it flatters silver and gray tones too.
How Did She Fake Eyeshadow Without a Palette?
With her eyeshadow left at home, Nikol built color on the lids from products already in her bag.
- Start with Eye Primer to cancel discoloration and give color something to grip (it needs a powder or shadow over it).
- Sweep Creme Brulee, her hybrid bronzer, across the lid with a blush brush for an instant wash of color — no precision required.
- For a little depth, press a touch of her Dark Chocolate waterproof eyeliner along the outer corner, or run it across the whole lid for an evening look.
- Curl the lashes, then coat them with Volume Up Mascara, front-loading at the base and wiggling up through every lash.
How Did She Finish the Rest of the Face?
The base stayed light and skin-like, letting the improvised eyes and lips do the work.
- Buff Creamy Concealer under the eyes and down over any pigmentation with a buffing brush, blending so there is no line of demarcation.
- Warm the complexion back up with a little more Creme Brulee bronzer.
- Add life to the cheeks with the St. Barths Cream Blush — it works on the eyes for a pinky-bronze wash too.
- Groom and fill the brows with the same Brownie brow pencil, brushing them up and filling any sparse spots.
- Set the under-eye concealer with Nikita Banana brightening powder.
The Bottom Line
Your makeup does not have to do just one job. A single skinny brow pencil can define your lips, shape your brows, and rescue a look when a lip liner goes missing — and a hybrid bronzer can stand in for eyeshadow in seconds. As Nikol puts it, the goal is to have alternatives and never feel stuck. Explore the pieces behind this look in Precision Eyebrows, Lip Products, and Best Sellers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the brow pencil trick no one tells you about?
Using a skinny brow pencil in a soft brown as a lip liner. When you do not have a lip pencil, the brow pencil outlines and defines the lips, then blends into a soft shadow under any lip color.
Can you really use a brow pencil as a lip liner?
Yes. A fine, waxy brow pencil in a neutral brown outlines the lips, creates a soft shadow at the edge, and gives definition. Soften it with a fingertip, then apply lipstick, lip oil, or gloss on top so it all melts together while the defined line stays.
Why does Nikol recommend a lip liner for mature skin?
As we age we lose pigment and definition around the mouth, so lipstick alone can look like it blends into the skin. A liner restores that edge and makes the lips look defined and put-together rather than washed out.
What did she use for eyeshadow when she forgot her palette?
She swept her Creme Brulee hybrid bronzer over the lids with a blush brush for instant color, over eye primer, and added a touch of Dark Chocolate eyeliner at the outer corner for depth.
What color brow pencil works best for this trick and for gray hair?
A soft brown like Brownie — deep enough to define, neutral enough to blend under any lip color, and cool enough to flatter silver and gray tones without clashing.
