Coloring Your Eyebrows – Step By Step

So the burning question is, should you dye your eyebrows to match your hair? It can be argued that both looks make their own style statement, so which one is for you?

For years Madonna has worn her blonde hair with notoriously dark eyebrows. And she’s not the only celeb to be rocking this trend. Models Cara Delevingne (on the catwalk for Burberry) and Agyness Deyn have both been spotted with pale locks and dark brows, as have singer Gwen Stefani and actresses Scarlett Johansson, and most famously, Marilyn Monroe.

Is this really a look you can wear everyday?

If you dye your hair and don’t dye your eyebrows, ultimately you give away the secret that your hair color isn’t natural. Of course that’s not always a problem, particularly if you’ve gone for a shade in blue or pink!

Its true that mismatched hair and brows can sometimes look a little trashy, however there are plenty of gals out there who deliberately opt to contrast their hair and eyebrow color to create an edgy and modern look – it seems on every cycle of America’s Next Top Model someone gets their eyebrows bleached to create a dynamic effect.

Basically you have three options when it comes to coloring your eyebrows:

1. Color your brows to match your hair
2. Don’t color your brows
3. Color your brows to create an even greater contrast with your hair color.

Dying your brows can be an easy way to update your look, and these days there are almost as many color choices for the brows as for the hair. However just like with your hair color, you need to make sure your chosen shade suits your skintone and be realistic about the color you will be able to achieve (for example if you have a very dark eyebrows it will be more difficult to achieve a lighter shade).

How to dye your eyebrows

If you are dying your eyebrows for the first time it’s probably safest to have them tinted or lightened at a hair or beauty salon, but if you’re feeling confident you can buy home tinting kits from most drug stores.

The ready made kit will include the tint color and developer liquid (usually peroxide) but there are a few other items that will be useful. Here’s our how to guide to dying your own eyebrows:

• Small Pot
• Make-up brush or small paint brush
• Petroleum jelly
• Q-Tips
• Tint color
• Developer liquid
• Cotton pads

Apply petroleum jelly around your eyebrows so that the dye doesn’t adhere to your skin.

Add a small amount of the tinting color to a small pot you don’t mind getting the dye on (this may be provided in the kit).

Add a few drops of peroxide liquid (or follow instructions as directed on the packet) and mix together with the tinting color using the make-up brush until you create a thick non-drip paste.

Starting at the inner corner of the eyebrow, brush on the dye using the make-up brush in light strokes towards the outer eye, following the natural shape of your eyebrow.

Tidy up any areas using a Q-tip. You will see why applying the petroleum jelly was a good idea as any excess comes off with the dye, meaning your skin isn’t stained.

Leave the dye on the brows as directed or for approximately 2-3 minutes – eyebrows dye very quickly and take pigment much more easily than the hair on your head.

Remove the excess brow dye with a damp cotton pad, sweeping it from the inner corner out, just as you applied the color.

Top Tip: Remember not to leave the color on for too long if you want it to look natural or the color will stain both the hairs and the skin. If you’re using peroxide to lighten your brows it can cause stinging so make sure you remove it thoroughly too.