Thin eyebrows are making a big comeback. #thineyebrows has had more than 255 million views on TikTok alone, as more and more people swapped bushy brows for sleek 90s eyebrows straight out of a Y2K romcom.
While you can easily get thinner arches with the help of tweezers or wax, the skinny brows trend doesn’t have to require a long-term commitment. With the right brow products at your disposal, you can fake it till you make it and still look great.
In this guide, we’ll dive into why 90s thin eyebrows are back in style, and how you can use NYX makeup to achieve thin brow looks, without spending too much time plucking and trimming!.
90s eyebrows: Key takeaways
- Thin eyebrows are officially back, with #thineyebrows racking up over 255 million views on TikTok, but 2026's take is more sculpted than skinny, focusing on grooming rather than going full Y2K.
- Not every face shape suits skinny brows equally: shorter, rounder faces (and naturally sparse brows) tend to pull off thin arches best, while fuller faces and thicker brows can lean into a bolder shape.
- With the right NYX makeup, you can trial skinny brows entirely with makeup, no tweezers or long-term commitment required.
- NYX's Micro Brow Pencil is your secret weapon for defining a sharp arch and slightly extending the tail, instantly giving the illusion of a slimmer brow.
- To get the 90s eyebrow look, conceal, don't pluck. NYX's Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Full Coverage Contour Concealer streamlines stray hairs to fake a thinner shape, but make sure to keep The Face Unglue Makeup Remover Cleansing Balm on standby for any wobbly moments.
- Finish strong with a shimmer moment: highlight your arch with NYX's Jumbo Eye Pencil, then sweep on some Ultimate Glow Shots for maximum Y2K glow-up energy.
Eyebrows in the 90s
Watch any teen rom-com from the early ‘90s or early 2000s, and it will be evident: skinny brows were the go-to look in the Y2K era. It wasn’t until the 2010s that full, bushy eyebrows took over.
Since then, we’ve collectively found a bit of a middle ground, with most trends favouring natural yet well-groomed arches. But beauty, like fashion, is cyclical, and thanks in large part to TikTok’s viral ‘90s thin eyebrow filter, thin arches are seeing a resurgence in popularity.
While thin brows have made a comeback, they’re not an exact replica of those that reigned 20 or 30 years ago. In the ‘90s and early 2000s, eyebrows tended to be extremely thin with a soft, rounded arch. But in 2026, thin eyebrow shapes are more sculpted than skinny, and the trend revolves around grooming your natural brows in a certain way so that your arch is neatly emphasised.
Do 90s eyebrows suit me?
Before you jump into any trend, it’s always best to stop and check whether it suits you. Skinny brows are cool, but they definitely suit certain types of face shape more than others.
Ideally, your brow shape should complement and help balance your face. Determining your perfect brow shape really boils down to understanding your face shape and determining which features you want to emphasise. Both thick and thin brows can be flattering, but if you’re struggling to pick between thicker and skinny brows, we’d recommend:
- Thin brows: If you have naturally sparse brows, you may be better suited to thinner brows, so less time filling in gaps is required. Skinny brows may also suit shorter, rounder face shapes more than longer ones, as they can elongate the face.
- Thick brows: If you have naturally fuller brows, thick eyebrows will probably suit you more. Thick brows also work well to fill out thin faces and accentuate the eyes.
If it sounds like 90s thin eyebrows are for you, the good news is that you don’t have to hit the salon or break out the tweezers to make a decision. As we mentioned earlier, you can test-drive beautiful thin eyebrows with makeup, no commitment needed. Keep reading to learn how it’s done.
You can also discover your perfect brow shape with our quick online brow quiz!
How to get 90s thin eyebrows with makeup
Now, the part you’ve been waiting for: how to get 90s thin eyebrows without tweezers, wax, or any other hair-removal devices. Discover our beginner-friendly guide to achieving the eyebrow shape for thin brows below:
What you’ll need
Before we get into our 90s eyebrow routine, here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need:
- A spoolie brush
- NYX’s Micro Brow Pencil
- NYX’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Full Coverage Contour Concealer
- NYX’s Jumbo Eye Pencil
- NYX’s Ultimate Glow Shots
- NYX’s The Face Unglue Makeup Remover Cleansing Balm
Step 1: Brush Your Brows Into Place
Begin by using a spoolie brush to comb your brows in the direction you want the hairs to fall. For a clean, thin, and well-defined look, we recommend brushing in the direction of hair growth rather than upward or outward (as you would for fuller, fluffier arches).
Step 2: Define Your Arch and The Tops Of Your Brows
The secret to 90s thin eyebrows is a well-defined brow shape, so you’ll want to emphasise the natural arch of your brow using a brow pencil. Our pick for this is NYX’s classic Micro Brow Pencil.
With a super-skinny tip, which allows you to draw precise lines with ease, you can use the pencil to carefully fill in just the arch and upper half of your brow and visually lift your eyebrows. Your Micro Brow Pencil can also extend the tail of your brow a tiny bit, which can help make your brows appear thinner.
Step 3: Apply Concealer
If you’re still wondering how do you thin your eyebrows without tweezers, then here’s the trick: concealer.
After defining your arch, coat any stray hairs, or any hairs that fall below or outside of your desired shape, with a full-coverage, long-lasting concealer, like NYX’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop Full Coverage Contour Concealer. Doing this streamlines your brow shape and allows you to test out how skinny brows show up on your face without committing to a long-term look by plucking.
When you’re doing this, it's always good to have The Face Unglue Makeup Remover Cleansing Balm on hand, just in case an unsteady hand accidentally erases half your eyebrow!
It's also worth saying that depending on your hair colour, you may have to use more than one coat of concealer. For the best results, we recommend letting your concealer dry fully between each coat.
Step 4: Highlight Your Arch
For the perfect-looking 90s eyebrows, emphasise your arch with a light, shimmery eyeshadow.
You can use any eyeshadow for this, but we’re partial to NYX’s Jumbo Eye Pencil. This creamy, multi-use eye crayon applies and blends easily, and it can be worn alone or layered under powder eyeshadow.
Using the Jumbo Eye Pencil, trace the lower edge of your arch and blend the highlighted area with your fingers, so there isn’t a harsh or obvious line.
Step 5: Finish With Eyeshadow
To really lean into the Y2K vibes of this look and get proper throwback 90s thin eyebrows, we recommend completing your look with more shimmer.
Pick your favourite shade of NYX’s Ultimate Glow Shots (there are 12!) and use its built-in applicator to sweep the semi-sheer liquid eyeshadow over your lids. You’ll get a subtle pop of colour, and, of course, lots of look-at-me glow.
Unlock throwback skinny brows with NYX
90s thin eyebrows are back, and with NYX, you can enjoy thin, Y2K brows without any of the fuss of plucking and trimming. With our range of brow products, you can enjoy bold, shimmery, and lifted skinny brows that look straight out of your favourite 90s movie.
Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself and discover your inner Y2K!
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