It takes a lot to pry my attention away from the stunning looks being paraded through central London at the 2025 BAFTAs. Or so I thought, with one forgotten product making its return on the red carpet. (And piquing my interest by consequence.)
If you peek inside the beauty arsenal of the most in-demand celebrity makeup artists, you’ll notice a few essentials are employed to ensure film’s best and brightest look their best during award season. These include a really hydrating primer, a long-lasting lipstick and now, a brow pencil.
Indeed, the arch-defining tool that defined much of the past decade’s most memorable beauty looks has made a comeback with the likes of Saoirse Ronan, Raffey Cassidy and Letitia Wright reviving feathered tips, full tails and filled-in brows.
While the BAFTAs has been privy to countless iconic beauty moments—from Gwyneth Paltrow’s sweet half-up half-down hairdo in 1998 to Jodie Turner-Smith’s glistening face gems and vibrant pink eyeshadow in 2023—the resurgence of brow pencils could be the easiest to replicate.
Zoë Saldaña, who is nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category for her performance in the genre-defying Spanish-language epic Emila Pérez, opted for a more minimal look with a nude-toned lip and sultry eye made from matching monochromatic nude shades. Yet, it was her bold brows that really dominated.
Anna Kendrick went for a thinner ‘90s brow but used a brow pencil to gently define her shape and add a sweep of colour where brows might’ve been a bit more sparse. Selena Gomez also used a brow pencil to give some structure to the end of her eyebrow to create that coveted elongated outline.
After years of seeing laminated brows and fine microblading command the red carpet, it’s refreshing to see a shift back to this more effortless style. Of course, that’s also the beauty of using a brow pencil.
The fine tip and pigmented finish means you can be super precise, leading to a more natural texture or barely-there results with fine strokes that mimic your existing brow hair. It's also one of the most accessible beauty products around too as some of the most high-powered brow pencils costing around £20.
Take note from the 2025 BAFTAs attendees and opt for a creamy formula, impressive tint and easy application for that celebrity-approved blended look. From smudge-proof to products with built-in spoolies, creating that instant lift and vividness brow pencils provide is only a stroke away. Shop the best brow pencils, ahead.
Shop Brow Pencils for Full, Fluffy, Celebrity-Approved Brows
1. Hourglass Arch Brow Micro Sculpting Pencil
Features a thin, triangular tip to create hair-like strokes.
2. Glossier Boy Brow Arch Pomade Pencil
Just set your look with a touch of Glossier's iconic Boy Brow brow gel.
3. Mac Pro Brow Definer 1mm-Tip Brow Pencil
This brow pencil comes in nine shades and promises to last for 24 hours.
4. Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Precision Pencil
This is presumably the brow pencil Selena Gomez used to achieve her 2025 BAFTAs makeup.
5. Kevyn Aucoin the Precision Brow Pencil
For a skinny brow, you can't go past Kevyn Aucoin.
6. Anastasia Beverly Hills Perfect Brow Pencil
This brow pencil has a creamier consistency.
7. Charlotte Tilbury Brow Cheat
Boasts a feather-light thin tip pencil.
-
Mocha Mousse Waves in L.A., Romantic Updos in Paris: The 6 Hair Trends Fashion People Can't Stop Wearing, Per J.Lo's StylistWe can't get enough.
-
50 Years Later, Bottega Veneta's Signature Weave Remains UnmatchedIn honor of the anniversary, we tested out four of 2025's most-wanted Intrecciato bags.
-
Mocha Mousse Waves in L.A., Romantic Updos in Paris: The 6 Hair Trends Fashion People Can't Stop Wearing, Per J.Lo's Stylist
We can't get enough.
-
Inside the Wacky, Wonderful, Whimsical World of Andrew Dahling, Chappell Roan's Makeup Artist"I have visions of grandeur."
-
Not a French Bob, Not a '90s Blowout—14 Collarbone-Length Haircuts That Look Good on Everyone"The kind of cut that turns heads without trying too hard."
-
Jennifer Aniston Has a Self-Proclaimed Weakness for IG Beauty Recs—2 Face Creams She Tried and LovedBRB, I'm placing a skincare order.
-
Doechii's Nail Artist Just Told Me These 10 Products Are the Secret to Any Great Nail LookAnd her favorite looks she's ever created.
-
You'll Never Guess How Hailey Bieber Uses Rhode's Lip Shape in Her 3-Step Get-Ready RoutineTalk about multitasking.
-
I've Wanted to Know Chad Michael Murray's Scent Since 2001—Now I Know It's This French Hair PerfumeHint: It's a Parfums de Marly fragrance…
-
"Island Girl Beauty" Is the Next Best Thing to a Tropical Paradise Escape—How to Get the LookWe're taking it to the beach.
