With the above in mind when considering whether your eyebrows should be lighter or darker, I'd suggest the main rule of thumb is… “…to have your brows similar to your hair colour! You can't go wrong! If you wish to go for a slightly different colour, I'd recommend only 1-2 shades darker or lighter!”
“Lighter tones look more natural and are more forgiving,” celebrity makeup artist Kimara Ahnert tells SELF. “If you have dark brown hair, choose a light or medium brown powder—I feel that brows should complement the face, not overpower your features,” says Soto.
YOUR BROWS SHOULD BE DARKER
We hate to break it to you, but if you thought that your brows should perfectly match your hair, you might want to think again. In fact, your eyebrows should actually be darker than your hair color—unless your tresses are pitch black. This is what looks the most natural.
After you bleach your brows, Elena points out that you'll begin to see your roots in just one week, and you'll see your natural color coming back in about two. Your brows will likely need to be touched up more often than you touch up your regular hair color if you dye or bleach it, too.
Natural blondes who have fair hairs can feel free to deepen the shade of their arches, she says, adding that darker brows will act as a frame for the face and enhance your eye color. “Generally, it will give you the appearance of a lot more brow. It can really revolutionize your look,” agrees Lee.
In a study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, darker brows were found to make a person look younger, since we seem to (subconsciously) associate defined contrasts in facial features with youth. That makes sense, considering eyebrows do tend to lighten with age.
There's no hard and fast rule when or when you shouldn't dye your eyebrows, but as a general guideline, it would be best if you don't dye your eyebrows for temporary hair colors or hair extensions that you plan to replace after just a week or two, sometimes even a month.
“What many women don't realise is bleaching can make the brow hair brittle and even fall out. So when the brow hair grows back, it often won't grow back the same and in some cases it won't grow back at all.”
Be aware of the risks. No dye—even products marketed as eyebrow dye—is FDA approved for use on your eyebrows or eyelashes. You can have an allergic reaction or damage the sensitive skin around your eye. The dyes can cause irritation and, if they get in your eye, can potentially cause blindness.
Study shows women with thick eyebrows may be more attractive to men. Women typically tweeze and wax their eyebrows, but a 2019 study conducted by two Oakland professors found that men are more attracted to women with thicker eyebrows.
In most cases, the color of your pubic hair is closest to the natural color of your eyebrows. Throughout life, the melanin in your body decreases. This makes hair lighter and eventually grows gray, both on the head and in the pubic area.
Consequently, sparse eyebrows are a sign of that aspect of the aging process—just like the thinning of hair on your head. Thicker eyebrows can make you look more youthful.
The problem is the age we age; many of us find our eyebrows get a lighter, a lot thinner, and even turn gray. Years of waxing, threading and tweezing away those little hairs also make our once full, nicely arched brows lose their shape.
Letting your brows get overgrown is an eyebrow mistake that will make you look older. While some people may experience thinning eyebrows as they age, others may notice their brows becoming bushier. This is still a normal part of aging, but may not be all that fun to deal with.
First, take a nude pot eyeliner or primer, like the NYX Professional Makeup Eyeshadow Base in Skin Tone and brush it evenly through your brows with a spoolie until fully saturated. To lighten up any remaining hairs, take a blonde root spray and gently paint over the spots with an angled brush.
Avoid using chemical skin exfoliants on the brows and forehead area. Use of these products will cause premature fading and tattoo discoloration. Examples may include but are not limited to: Glycolic Acid, Hydroquinone, Retinol, Retin A, Vitamin C, "peels" or "brightening."
Use hydrogen peroxide.
Leave it on for a few minutes the first time you apply it, then wipe it off. If you want, reapply every day, which will result in a gradual lightening of your eyebrows. If your brows are very dark, hydrogen peroxide will turn them a reddish-brown color instead of blonde.
Use an angled brush and brow powder or eyeshadow to fill in any sparse areas. Make light strokes working from the inner corner of your eye outward. Also use your angled brush and powder to smooth out and blend the color from your pencil. Apply more powder at the ends of your brow.
I follow this rule: Blondes – your eyebrows should be one to two shades darker than your hair. Brunettes – your eyebrows should be one to two shades lighter than your hair.
“Darkening brows is great for natural blondes who have light brown hair because the darker tint will colour any blonde hairs, making them appear thicker and more defined.” Bonus: Darker brows help make blonde highlights stand out more—think Sienna Miller, Jennifer Aniston, and Cara Delevingne.
Go for a soft brown color if you have brown or black hair.
If you have black hair or dark hair, go for a dark brown shade. Unless your brows are naturally black, avoid using a black color for your brows, as it can look too harsh and dark. When in doubt, opt for a dark brown shade instead.
The simple, quick practice—done once every couple weeks—will enhance whatever shape your eyebrows currently exhibit. That's because trimming your brows isn't the same as plucking them—it's not the time to downsize or reshape your brows.