Most of us have tried hair dye at least once in our lives. Whether for you that experience was a well-executed colorful dye job in a nice salon that you couldn’t wait to show off or more of a “we did it in my best friend’s basement and now we’re worried we’re going bald” sort of thing, with all the colors of the rainbow at our disposal and an increasingly large repertoire of dyes to choose from, it’s hard to resist!
If you love dying your hair any and every color, have you ever thought about dyeing your eyebrows? Or on the flip side— if you love the look of crazy hair colors but can’t bring yourself to do it—would you ever consider dyeing your eyebrows instead?
It’s a trend we love because it combines all the greats. It has the boldness of the trend toward dark, structured, face-framing brows. It has the whimsy and supermodel cool of bleached brows, which we must say, we’re obsessed with. Just add color! What’s not to love?
What Color Should You Pick?
What a great problem to have, right? You’ve got the whole rainbow at your disposal. Colorful eyebrows are a great way to break out of the mold if you feel like you’re in a bit of a rut stylistically, and are desperate to see something other than browns or blondes or greys or blacks in your makeup drawer.
There really aren’t any rules when it comes to picking your new brow color. In general, though, we’d recommend thinking about what might complement your skin tone as well as your hair color. You want something that complements your coloring, without being too close so that it might bring out less flattering tones.
Choosing your brow color can be especially fun if you have hair that’s been dyed as well. Love combining unexpected colors in your outfits? Try experimenting with your hair and brow color! If you love color but don’t want to go too loud, you could try two shades of the same color—one for your hair, one for your brows.
Or you could pull out that grade school color wheel and start thinking about complementary colors, which is to say colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. This means combinations like yellow and purple, blue and orange, or a festive red and green.
Really, though, it comes down to what brings you joy!
How Do You Color Your Eyebrows?
Now that you’ve decided on a color for your brows, it’s time to get to work. There are two different approaches to take when it comes to coloring your brows. You can do it in a semi-permanent way or in a temporary way you’ll be able to wash off at the end of the day. If you’d like to give the colorful eyebrow trend a test run before fully committing, or if you’d like to reserve your right to change up your look at a moment’s notice, temporary is probably your best bet.
The steps are, however, effectively the same, so we’ll walk through the steps and make sure we tell you all of your options!
1. Perfect Your Brows
You know what to do—this means plucking, waxing, tweezing, threading, or whatever it is you do to make sure there aren’t any unwanted hairs around your brows, and everything is trimmed into perfect shape. You don’t want a bright color clinging to a hair you didn’t want to be there in the first place!
If you’re not totally happy with the shape of your brows, or you’ve recently had a brush with over-plucking, it might be worth pressing pause on coloring your brows for the moment. Colored brows are a bold look, and you’re going to be coloring your natural brows, not re-drawing or replacing them.
You’ll want to be happy with the shape! If you’re impatient and your brows aren’t filling out fast enough, our Brow Enhancement Serum will help bring them to the party a little faster.
2. Lighten Your Brows
Anybody who has dyed their hair before is probably pretty familiar with this reality: you need a blank slate if you’re going to apply a new color! If you’re planning to color your brows in a semi-permanent way, this means bleaching your brows. Bleached brows are in and of themselves a hugely popular trend, so if you follow this step and love the look, you can stop here!
You can get dye specifically targeted toward your brows, or you can seek out a trusted professional to bleach your brows for you. In either case, it’s important to patch test the bleach to be sure you don’t have a negative reaction.
And if you’re doing it on your own, be sure to read the instructions! Bleach can be really harsh on the skin if not applied properly, and it’s a real concern when you’re applying it to a sensitive area like your brows.
If you’re only looking to temporarily color your brows, don’t worry; you can leave your natural color alone. Just find an eye pencil that matches the color of your skin, and fill in over your brows until you can barely see them.
If a pencil that matches your skin tone doesn’t sound likely, you can also use foundation or concealer—you’ll just want to apply it more thinly so it doesn’t get clumpy or cracked before you add color.
3. Add Color
This is the fun part. If you’re going all the way, you’ll want a dye that’s suitable for sensitive skin. And, like with the bleach, you’ll want to patch test the dye first to make sure you don’t have a negative reaction.
You don’t need much dye, and because advice for how to use hair dye varies, make sure you follow the instructions on the packet. We also recommend applying petroleum jelly around your brow to keep the dye from staining your skin!
If you’re not going to be dying your brows and are going the temporary route, you’ll want a colored eye pencil and eyeshadow. You’ll use these effectively like you would use brow makeup! You’ll want the eyeshadow to cling to the hair of your brow, and the pencil to add structure and detail afterward to make your brow look more natural.
4. Set It
A swipe of clear Ultra Hold Brow Gel on each brow will help to set your color and keep your brows in place so you can show them off! If you’ve dyed your brows, you can swipe against the grain of your hair to make sure you’ve coated everything, and then back in the proper direction to get them into shape.
If you’ve achieved your color with makeup, you’ll want to be more mindful of the product already on your brows. Just swipe the brow gel in the direction of your hair for an all-night hold that’s as bold as your new look.
In Conclusion
Colored brows are a bold, fun trend that is totally worth a try if you think your look could use a bit more fun and whimsy. With the ability to color your brows semi-permanently, or even just for the night, there’s no reason you shouldn’t try it out!
Shop the Look
Get the perfect eyebrow color with some of our favorite products! Our brow products come in a wide range of colors, so you can always find the shade you need.
Sources:
How to Dye Eyebrows - Why I Tried Colored Eyebrows | Elle
New Hair Color Trend: 14 Colorful Eyebrows You HAVE to See | Brit
Bleached Eyebrows Is Huge Pinterest Search Trend 2021 | Refinery 29
Eyebrow Tinting at Home: Best DIY Tips & Products | Glamour