The simple, strategic power of an enhanced eyebrow to transform the face is unrivaled; if a way to transform one’s appearance with a snap of the fingers (sans surgery, of course) were to ever exist, a well-groomed brow would be it. Without fail, a little definition, a little bit of emphasis on the arch, a little extra color, or some combination thereof makes a person look more attractive, more awake, more suitable for mating and encouraging the necessary proliferation of the human race. Or maybe that’s just me.

The point is that even if the rest of your face is bare, a good brow speaks for itself—which also means that maintaining good brows on the regular requires the right products with which to do it, which in turn means that you’re going to run out of them sooner rather than later. Them’s the facts.

So if your reputation for having impeccable brows every day is something you value, but you also don’t necessarily want to squander your life’s savings on the admittedly amazing $30 pencil the Kardashians swear by (you know the one), a solid drugstore standby is probably gonna be your jam. Fortunately, there are some real winners of the budget variety—and these five drugstore eyebrow pencils, powders, markers, and “sculptors” (definition unclear) are tried and true. Go forth for better brow game and more money in the bank.