If you’re a permanent makeup artist, you already know the importance of a good pre-draw.
Whether you’re offering brow, lip, or other PMU services in your salon, making a precise and detailed map is crucial for achieving truly amazing results.
But, finding reliable mapping tools can often come as a challenge, so we decided to gather a list to make your decision easier. Let’s find you the best eyebrow mapping pencil!
What Is the Best Brow Mapping Pencil?
While pencils for eyebrow mapping come in a variety of colors, the most popular options are white and brown.
You’ll most likely use a white pencil to map outlines, but to simulate hair strokes for your client, you’ll probably find a brown pencil to be more useful.
That’s why we decided to give you our top product picks for both color categories:
Beige & White Brow Mapping Pencils
Artists who swear by white mapping pencils claim they give them better visibility. Here are some of their go-tos:
Biotek Corrector Gold Pencil
Popular among brow artists, the Biotek Gold Pencil is one of the best quality skin-colored pencils for mapping on the market.
Smudge-proof and water-resistant, rest assured that the preparatory drawing you do with this pencil will stay in place during the whole microblading, machine brow, or eyebrow tinting process.
Also, the formula is made with a hypoallergenic, non-toxic, bio-resistant color for super hygienic and skin-safe use.
Biotek Corrector Gold Pencil
Biotek White Marker Pen
Not exactly a pencil, but definitely a must-have for your brow mapping kit!
This sharp-tipped white marker is perfect for drawing precise lines and fine micropoints on the skin for guidance during your microblading and PMU procedures.
And the best thing? It’s super practical and it stays visible even after you wipe away the pigment.
After the treatment is done, you can easily remove it using your favorite PMU wipes.
Biotek White Mapping Marker
Black & Brown Brow Mapping Pencils
On the other hand, brown pencils might give the client a better idea of what they’ll get. Here’s a few picks:
Biotek Mapping Pencil for Permanent Makeup
Biotek mapping pencils are a great option for achieving clean and precise strokes, but also for seamless shading, if you want to show your client what they’ll be getting.
The formula is very pigmented and glides on the skin effortlessly. Plus, it’s made with the same safe and non-toxic Biotek pigments, it’s hypoallergenic and nickel-free.
These pencils come in black and brown, so you can pick and choose depending on your client’s hair color.
Biotek Brown Mapping Pencil
Biotek Black Mapping Pencil
Hanafy Mapping Pencil
Created for professional brow artists, the Hanafy mapping pencil allows you to achieve clean, precise eyebrow mapping with ease.
Its smooth texture helps you draw fine, controlled lines for accurate symmetry and brow shaping, while the stable, smudge-resistant formula keeps your guidelines visible throughout the procedure.
Available in three shades - black, white, and red — it suits different skin tones and mapping techniques, making it a reliable tool for consistent, professional results.
Hanafy Mapping Pencil (Pack of 3)
Or Try an Alternative Product – Brow Mapping String
Apart from traditional pencils, there’s a bunch of other products you can try for mapping, like this one:
Hanafy Mapping String
Designed for professional brow artists, the Hanafy mapping string helps you achieve precise, symmetrical eyebrow mapping quickly and efficiently.
Pre-inked for convenience, the string allows you to create clean, straight guidelines with minimal effort, ensuring accurate brow alignment and proportion. The pigment transfers clearly onto the skin without excessive smudging, keeping your mapping neat and easy to follow throughout the procedure.
A practical and time-saving tool, the Hanafy mapping string supports consistent, well-balanced, professional brow results.
Hanafy Mapping String
Why Use a Pencil for Eyebrow Mapping?
Using a pencil for eyebrow mapping can act as a guide through which you will implement pigments during your microblading or machine brow procedure.
Working between the lines you sketched out is extremely important for precise results.
It also allows your clients to better understand and see the final shape of their eyebrows, plus you can easily make small tweaks to the shape until they’re satisfied.
Mapping pencils come in a variety of colors and sizes, as well as in the form of gel pens and markers, so you can explore the options until you find the right one for you.
Image source: Freepik
How to Use an Eyebrow Mapping Pencil
Using an eyebrow mapping pencil is just like using a regular pencil for tracing and marking. The most important thing to know is that it has to be sharpened before each use, and the rest comes down to your mapping skillset. So, let’s take a closer look at how to map brows with a pencil:
Sharpening
Getting your pencil tip to be perfectly thin and flat takes some practice. To achieve this, you don’t need a standard sharpener, but a sharp blade instead.
Since most brow mapping pencils consist of the same paper material, you will first need to unwrap your pencil lead before you start sharpening. Then, proceed to shave off one side of the pencil until flat. Turn the pencil and repeat the process until you have two evenly flat sides.
Now, your eyebrow mapping pencil is ready for pre-drawing.
@femininkbeauty The perfect brow mapping always starts with a sharp pencil 💕 #microbladingbrows #pmubrows #pmuarist #protips ♬ original sound - femininkbeauty
Pre-Drawing
Pre-drawing your client’s brows without using any additional tools like a caliper or compass, may come as a challenge, but don’t worry. Here’s a simple pre-drawing step-by-step:
Step 1
Begin by identifying your client’s eyebrow front, arch, and tail.
Step 2
To mark the front of the brow correctly, run the end of your eyebrow mapping pencil vertically from the client’s nose dimple to the inner corner of their eye, marking where the pencil crosses their brow.
Step 3
To identify the arch, draw a line from the dimple of the nose to the brow.
This time, you should bend it slightly diagonally so that it’s in line with the outside of the iris of the eye — this is where the arch should be the tallest.
Step 4
Angle your pencil from the side of your client’s nose to the outer corner of their eye to determine where the tail of their eyebrow should end.
Step 5
The last step is to connect these points to trace the top of the brow.
Then, draw a similar curve around the bottom of your client’s brow.
This step is also very important for determining the final thickness of the brow.
Image source: Instagram @flauntbrows
In Conclusion
When trying to find the best brow mapping pencil, the most important factors to consider are color and durability.
A white brow mapping pencil can be great because it stands out, but when it comes to filling out the brows and drawing on hair strokes, a brown mapping pencil is your best choice.
So, now that you know how to pick the best eyebrow mapping pencils, visit PMUHub Shop and choose your favorites for flawless pre-draw results.
This professional resource is designed to help PMU artists and related aesthetic professionals better understand and use professional tools and supplies.
