A few years ago, makeup artists started brushing brows straight up with a damp bar of clear soap, and soap brows went viral almost overnight. It was a clever hack, but it could flake, and brow gels have since caught up with the look. They give the same feathery, laminated effect with more hold and none of the white residue. A brushed-up brow opens the eyes and makes the whole face look lifted, which is exactly what tired skin needs in the darker months.

The first row is clear brow gels, the base of the look. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze is a wax-gel hybrid with extreme hold and a comb applicator. Rare Beauty Brow Harmony in Clear lifts and sets and is waterproof. MAKEUP BY MARIO Master Hold Brow Gel has a clear matte finish and serious hold. MILK MAKEUP KUSH Clear Brow Gel uses cannabis seed oil to condition. Kosas Air Brow Clear is a lifting treatment gel. MAKE Beauty Infinite Hold moisturizes without flaking. Clarins Wonder Sculpt is a clear waterproof gel, and Charlotte Tilbury Brow Fix is a simple, clear gel that tames brows in seconds.

A quick test: brush a clear gel up, then scrunch your face. If brows stay in place, the hold is right for you.

A tinted brow gel adds color and volume at the same time, so it fills sparse brows while brushing them up. It is the fastest brow product there is.

Benefit Gimme Brow+ in 4 is a warm deep brown with fibers that cling to hairs. Kosas Air Brow Tinted in Medium Chocolate Brown is a mousse-gel for airy, feathery brows. REFY Brow Tint in Chestnut is a water-based tint with peptides. Anastasia Beverly Hills Volumizing Tinted Brow Gel in Caramel is made for red hair. Victoria Beckham Beauty FeatherFix in Blonde has a precise, comb-like applicator. Clinique Just Browsing is waterproof and volumizing. VERSED Easy Brow in Black Brown is for dark brows, and MILK MAKEUP KUSH Fiber in Dutch is a medium dark brown with fibers and cannabis seed oil.

Pairing tip: choose a tinted gel one shade lighter than your hair if you are dark, and one shade darker if you are fair. It looks the most natural.

What I would skip: a heavy tinted gel on very full brows. It can make them look blocky. Use a clear gel instead and let your natural color show.

A fine brow pencil fills small gaps with hair-like strokes before the gel goes on. It is the secret to brows that look full but natural.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Soft Brown is an ultra-slim retractable pencil. Westman Atelier Bonne Brow in Stone builds fullness exactly where you need it. Hourglass Arch Brow Micro-Sculpting Pencil has a tiny tip for single strokes. Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Pencil in Warm Brown is waterproof and sweat-resistant. Benefit Precisely, My Brow in 3.5 is a neutral medium brown that many people repurchase. REFY Brow Pencil in Chestnut has an ultra-fine tip. Kevyn Aucoin The Precision Brow Pencil in Brunette is easy to control, and Dior Diorshow Brow Styler in 03 Brown is a waterproof pencil for warm-toned brows.

How to use them: draw short, upward strokes only where there are gaps, following the direction of your hair. Then brush up with gel.

What I would skip: outlining the whole brow with a pencil. It looks drawn on. Fill only the gaps, and let the gel do the shaping. A spoolie brushed through after the pencil softens any strokes that look too sharp.

Start with a clear gel and brush your brows up and slightly out. If you have gaps, add a few pencil strokes first. If your brows are sparse or light, swap the clear gel for a tinted one. Brush through again after a minute to soften any stiffness. That is the whole routine, and it takes less than a minute. Brow gel is one of the quickest ways to look awake, and once you find a formula that holds, you will reach for it every morning, even on a no-makeup day. Keep a clear gel in your bag for touch-ups, since brows drop by the afternoon. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Eyebrow Growth Serum Picks for Growing Out Your Brows and Benefit Brow Bar at Home.