The road to perfect eyebrows is laid with good intentions, and also so many different possible processes it’s difficult to keep them straight! Because your brows frame your face, they have such an impact on your overall appearance.
The wrong brows can make any other facial beauty process seem lackluster, while perfect brows can elevate even your “I woke up like this” face to off-duty supermodel. Brows are important! But where do you even start when it comes to deciding what’s best for your brows?
If you’re an eyebrow enthusiast, you may have come across the idea of eyebrow tinting. But what is eyebrow tinting, and is it right for you?
What Is Eyebrow Tinting?
Eyebrow tinting is a semi-permanent way to cut down on your morning routine and still get the bold brows you envy on Instagram. While you can achieve bold, structured brows with cosmetics, you may be looking for a more long-wearing solution to cut some pencils, gels, powders, and pens out of your makeup bag. If that’s the case, eyebrow tinting might be a great option!
Eyebrow tinting can bring out your bolder side for around four weeks— more or less, depending on your hair and your upkeep. It’s essentially the same process as dying your hair. A technician will apply petroleum jelly around your brows to keep the dye from staining your skin, and then apply the dye to your brows. If you’re going for a your-brows-but-better vibe, you’ll want something close to your natural hair color, but slightly darker.
Your technician will let the dye rest for 15-20 minutes and then remove it, leaving you with your new semi-permanent bold brows.
Who Is Brow Tinting Good For?
If you’re a blonde who loves your unique hair but gets frustrated with how light it is elsewhere, brow tinting will be perfect. Or if you’re still recovering from a teenage-hood of over-plucking—or just a bad day at the salon—brow tinting is a great option to fake it until you make it. It’ll keep your brows dark and bold and give them the appearance of being thicker while you wait for your natural brows to grow in.
Brow tinting is also a great option if you’ve dyed your hair recently, and you find that your brows don’t quite suit your new ‘do. Alternatively, if you’re rocking, or covering up, some gorgeous salt and pepper in your hair, but would prefer not to see that reflected in your brows, brow tinting may be the touch-up you need.
And like we said before—if you’re just looking for a way to roll out of bed with the brows of your dreams, no maintenance necessary, eyebrow tinting is great. Especially if you’re uneasy about more permanent eyebrow solutions like microblading or very permanent solutions like eyebrow tattoos, eyebrow tinting is a great in-between. It lasts, but it isn’t a lifetime commitment (but maybe don’t mention this preference to your next date.
How Long Does Eyebrow Tinting Last?
There are a number of factors that can change the answer to this question! It depends on everything from the type of dye used to color your brows to how often and intensely you wash your face.
In general, it might be worth avoiding your brows with your heavy-duty facial exfoliator and just being a bit more mindful. Of course, we’d never encourage you to cut back on washing your face, but it’s worth trying to avoid getting your brows wet more often than you need to.
It’s also important to keep up with your sunscreen use after tinting your brows! Too much sun exposure can bleach and fade the dye more quickly than you’d like. Eyebrow tint can also fade faster if you’re blessed with fast-growing brows.
But in general, brow tinting usually lasts about a month, which is a long time to not have to bother with fixing up your brows! With good care and some luck, though, you can extend that post-brow tinting glow for several weeks.
How Much Does Eyebrow Tinting Cost?
As always, it depends on where you get your brows done, and even where you live. Getting any cosmetic procedure done in a major city is always going to set you back a bit further than it would if you were getting it done in a small town. Luckily, brow tinting isn’t one of those procedures you’re going to go broke for after you splurge on it once.
Brow tinting usually costs around $25, give or take. Some places will offer it for as little as $10, or as much as $75, depending on the salon and your price range. We always recommend doing your research no matter your price point and making sure that your brows are in the hands of someone you trust.
Is There Any Upkeep?
Like we said, the main thing is bearing in mind how often you’re washing your brows, and cutting down on your sun exposure. You also may end up wanting to pluck or tidy up your brows as you get nearer to the end of the month if that’s your thing.
But on the other hand, having your brows tinted means that your naturally lighter hairs that grow in probably won’t detract from the shape of your brows much, so you may be able to cut this step out of your routine, too.
As far as your makeup routine goes, one of the main appeals of eyebrow tinting is the time it takes out of your daily routine. But there are two cases in which we’d recommend not totally throwing out all of your brow products.
The first is if you’re tinting your brows to make them darker and give them some structure while waiting for them to grow in a bit. We love using our Brow Enhancement Serum to help encourage eyebrow growth, and give you the boost of vitamins and amino acids you need to encourage your brows to live their lives to the fullest so you may not need to tint them again.
The other is if you’re looking for one little thing to keep your brows neat and tidy, or you’re going to a more formal event (or just a night out with the girls!) and want to go the extra mile. A clear brow gel like our Ultra Hold Brow Gel can be the one-step routine you need to take your tinted brows up a notch.
Is Eyebrow Tinting Safe?
Depending on where you live, you may have noticed that eyebrow tinting doesn’t seem to be available to you—mostly, we mean California. If this gives you pause as to whether or not brow tinting is safe, we totally understand.
The thing is, brow and lash tinting are not yet approved by the FDA. This doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s dangerous or you shouldn’t do it—it just means places with strict laws about cosmetic practices, like California, won’t okay brow tinting until it is.
The concern with brow tinting, and eyelash tinting too, is that it might negatively impact your eyes. You could get dye in them, and the skin around your eyelid is much thinner than anywhere else—so if you have an allergic reaction to the dye, it could hurt your eye health. This is why a good technician will always do a patch test!
But again, this doesn’t mean that you can’t or shouldn’t get your brows tinted—it doesn’t even mean you have to be super worried about side effects! Just do your research, and make sure you trust the person doing your brows.
In Conclusion
Brow tinting is a great solution for all kinds of brow-related complaints. It’s quick, affordable, and only semi-permanent, as compared to many more extreme options. If you’re looking for a low-commitment way to embolden your brow, it’s a great option!
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Sources:
How Long Does Eyebrow Tinting Last? | Healthline
Are Eyelash and Eyebrow Tinting Safe? Here's What the Experts Say | Allure
Tinting, microblading or lamination: which eyebrow treatment is best for you? | Vogue