Eyebrows are essential for framing your face, enhancing your natural beauty, and adding definition. Choosing the right eyebrow color is crucial for achieving a balanced and harmonious look. This guide provides comprehensive information on how to select the perfect brow shade to complement your hair color, skin tone, and personal style.
Unlike hair, eyebrows have a smaller range of natural shades, typically ranging from black to dark brown, dark brown to light brown, auburn, blonde, or even a brown-gray. When selecting an eyebrow color, it's important to consider several factors, including your natural brow color, hair color, skin tone, and undertones.
Pinpointing your true brow color can be tricky, as brows are smaller and more subtle than hair. However, understanding your natural brow color is the first step in finding the perfect shade. Typically, brows range in color from black to dark brown, dark brown to light brown, auburn, blonde, or even more of a brown-gray as opposed to a chocolate brown.
Your hair color is a key factor in choosing your eyebrow shade. While your brow color most likely won’t match your hair color perfectly (and really, it shouldn’t), looking at the shade of your hair is a great benchmark for determining your brow shade.
The goal isn’t to match your hair color exactly, it’s to find a shade that looks natural and enhances the brow shade you already have! As a general rule, when choosing your eyebrow makeup color, stick within two shades of your hair color to keep the look natural.
Read also: Hair Meat Origins
Skin tone also plays a significant role in choosing the right brow shade. Some brow shades will simply complement your face better depending upon your skin tone. Generally, highly pigmented and dark eyebrow products will appear too bold on fairer skin tones, and lighter shades in the brown and blonde family won’t necessarily show up on darker skin tones.
To achieve the most natural look, choose a brow shade with a similar undertone to your skin tone. If you’re totally in doubt about undertones, go for a brow color with a neutral undertone, as these shades are typically the most flattering and natural-looking on the widest range of skin tones.
Here are some specific color recommendations based on hair color and desired look:
Several types of eyebrow products are available, each offering a different application and finish.
The guiding principle for natural-looking brows is to start light and build-it’s always easier to build up color than to take it away. If you’re still unsure if you’ve selected the right shade for your brows, choose a lighter one and layer the color to get a darker effect and a closer match. If you feel like your brows are still a little bit too light or don’t have that full and filled-in look you’re going for, gradually darken your shade until you’ve nailed your desired look. Applying less pressure when applying faux hair strokes with your eyebrow pencil will give light, subtle colour which is recommended at the bulb of the brows for example.
Read also: Why Use Deshedding Shampoo?
Pro tip: No matter what shade you choose, ease up at the front of your brows - a harsh front can age your face fast.
Before you go in with your new brow shade, it’s best to start with groomed eyebrows to get the most out of your look. Start by grabbing a clean spoolie eyebrow brush and brush your arches directly up. If you see any hairs that are particularly longer than the others, gently trim them so that they fall in line with the rest of your brows and achieve more of an even, streamlined shape.
Brow tinting is a quick, effective, and lasting way to achieve fuller, more vibrant brows. When choosing an eyebrow dye color, focus on four main factors: hair color, skin tone, brow hair texture, and the desired effect. In general, you'll want to aim for a slightly lighter or darker brow shade than their natural hair color to keep the look harmonious. This will ensure fuller-looking brows that don't seem unnatural or give the appearance you've drawn them on.
Tinted eyebrow do not require much maintenance; however steps can be taken to increase the lifespan of the colorant. To take care of your newly tinted brows you’ll need to keep them dry for 12 to 24 hours. Wash your face with a washcloth or cleansing cloth and avoid cleaning your brows with soap. Oil-based cleansers, serums, exfoliants, and face oils can fade the tint faster. Sun and chlorine bleach all hair, eyebrows included, so intense days at the beach or pool will reduce their lifespan and need more frequent applications.
Consider using an aftercare lotion which forms a protective layer to maintain your color and hydrate the hair. With consistent application, you can increase the lifespan of your tint by up to two weeks.
Read also: Color-Treated Hair Shampoo Guide
Eyebrow tinting can sometimes stain the skin in unwanted places or go too dark on your brows. You can start with a soapy exfoliant to rub off stained skin immediately after tinting. General face washing, chlorine pools and sunlight can also accelerate the fading effect of eyebrow tinting. You can also use products specially made for removing eyebrow tints, which differs from traditional hair color removers as it targets different active ingredients.
