In my six years as a beauty editor, I’ve learnt some pretty amazing tips and tricks – like layering liquid and powder highlighter for an insane glow and mixing facial tanning drops with my moisturiser in winter so I don’t look like the walking dead.
But the most valuable and life-changing skill I’ve learnt is how to tint my own eyebrows. And guess what? It’s damn easy.
Big brows have been in since the 00s, and as a result, brow bars are booming with their threading, waxing and tinting services. And while I love seeing a professional every now and then, I found I can get a fresh brow look quite easily myself at home.
Being fair-haired (my natural colour is a mousey brown), my eyebrows really benefit from a tint, to make them 1-2 shades darker. Because I cleanse my skin thoroughly every night (micellar water counts! ), a tint only lasts in my brows for a week or two, so this way I can have regular top-ups without splashing the cash.
Here’s how I do it…
The expert guide to brow mapping for your best face framers yet
Eyebrow tint step-by-step
First thing’s first, you need an eyebrow tinting kit. I like to use Eylure’s Dybrow in the shade ‘Dark Brown’ (£9. 95) from Boots, but I have used others too and the process is relatively the same.
STEP 1. Start by prepping your tint mixture. You’ll find a tube of dye cream in the kit, and a dropper bottle of colour activator. Combine 1cm of cream and about 3 drops of the activator into the mixing dish and mix together until a spreadable consistency.
STEP 2. Once your tint is ready, prep your skin by making sure all makeup is removed. Apply a moisture barrier around your brows (to prevent from any staining slips ups), using a balm like Lanolips or any old moisturiser. Just a thin layer underneath your arch and above your tail is usually all you need.
STEP 3. Using the small spoolie included in the kit, gather the tint on the brush and comb it through your brows. Make sure each hair is coated and shaped the way you want it, I focus a lot on the fluffy start of my brow because these are the lightest of hairs. P. S. Don’t do this because it tells you not to, but I also like to cheekily pop some on the tips of my lashes because they’re blonde. Shhh.
STEP 4. Wait up to ten minutes depending on your desired depth of colour. I wait for about 15 because I like them extra dark. You can kind of tell when it’s time to remove it because the colour sets.
STEP 5. To remove, simply wet a cotton pad and rub the mixture off.
See? Told you it was easy!
The main difference for me is always at the beginning of my brows. This is the area I usually have to fill in with a pencil, adding hair-like strokes. But when I have a fresh tint, all I need to do is run a styling gel, like Glossier’s Boy Brow through them and I’m out the door. Such a timesaver!
