Enhancing your brows in one way or another has become a huge beauty staple and a key step in any makeup look. But drawing them on with a pencil every single day gets tiring very quickly. So it’s no surprise that more and more people are turning to semi-permanent and permanent solutions.
The most long-lasting and practical solution is definitely brow PMU, but there are many alternatives that don’t entail that much commitment. One of them is brow tinting – a way to darken your natural brows and make the most of them. You can get professional brow tinting, or you can save some $$$ and DIY it.
Here’s how to do an eyebrow tint at home.
What Is an Eyebrow Tint?
An eyebrow tint is a brow enhancement done with a type of dye that colors the brows in a shade you want. It gives the brows volume by darkening all hairs – long ones that are more prominent, but also thin baby hairs that aren’t normally visible.
It’s a very quick treatment that can give a striking enhancement. It’s especially beloved by people with light eyebrows who can’t get a realistic look with regular makeup, and people with gray brows.
Image source: Pexels
How Can I Do an Eyebrow Tint at Home?
You can do an eyebrow tint at home with a brow tinting kit.
ATTENTION: Don’t try to color your brows with regular hair dye! The formula is not adapted for brow hairs and it can damage them and cause hair loss. Only use dyes made for eyebrows, and try to find high-quality ones.
Here’s a step by step guide through an eyebrow tint at home:
Step 1 – Get a kit for an eyebrow tint at home
The first step is buying a kit for DIY brow tinting. There are a bunch of them on the market, so make sure you find a high-quality, non-toxic one that provides all the supplies you need, plus matches the shade you want.
Your kit should contain:
- The dye
- An activator solution
- A mixing cup
- An applicator – usually a wooden or plastic stick or a brush
NOTE
There are 2 types of brow tint available: regular tint, and henna. Henna is a plant-based dye that colors the hairs, but also stains the skin underneath, for a powdery brow effect.
Regular dye can also stain the skin a bit, but it washes off from it in a few days. Henna stays on the skin for 2+ weeks. For more information, read our henna brows guide.
2. Read the instructions
We’ll give you a step by step guide in this article, but always read the instructions that come with the product, too. Every kit is different, and so is every dye formula, so the instructions may differ.
3. Do a patch test
Whenever you buy a new brow tint, you need to do a patch test to make sure you’re not allergic to it before you cover a significant part of your face with it – you don’t want to end up with red, rashy brows! Apply a small amount of the dye in the crease of your elbow and let it sit on for about 48 hours. If there’s no reaction, you can proceed with the treatment.
4. Clean your brows
In order for the dye to color all the hairs evenly, your brows need to be clean from any sebum, makeup and product residues. Clean them with micellar water before you start tinting.
Extra tip: Applying the tint can get messy, and since it stains the skin a bit, it might be a good idea to cover the skin around your brows with protective cream that will prevent spots you don’t want darkened from getting stained.
5. Mix the dye with the activator
The dye usually comes in the form of a powder or a drier paste, so it needs to be mixed with an activator solution. Mix appropriate amounts of both products (find the measures in the manual) in the mixing cup. It’s usually a 1:1 ratio.
Image source: Pexels
6. Apply the dye
Dip the applicator brush into the dye and cover your brows. Make sure to cover all spots in an even coat of dye. Use a q-tip to remove excess tint that’s made its way out of your desired brow outline and create the shape you want – your skin will be stained slightly, so you don’t want to make it much thicker than the brow area.
7. Leave it on for a few minutes
How long you should leave the tint on varies from one formula to another, but it’s usually no longer than 10 minutes. Some formulas work as fast as 2 minutes. Read the instructions to find out when you should remove the tint. Leaving it on for too long can cause hair damage and skin irritation.
8. Clean the area
Use a damp cotton pad to remove the tint from your brows. Make sure to remove all of it. If you feel your brows are lighter than they should be, or that the tint didn’t take in some spots, you can repeat the process.
Congrats, you’ve successfully done your first eyebrow tint at home!
Image source: Pexels
How Long Does an Eyebrow Tint at Home Last?
The brow tint lasts about 4 weeks, so as long as the brow growth cycle. Once most of the colored hairs fall out, your brows will go back to their natural color.
Some formulas don’t give results that are long-lasting. They fade after about 2 weeks.
How Much Does a Kit for Eyebrow Tint at Home Cost?
DIY brow tinting is quite affordable. The kits cost between $15 and $25, and you get about 12 applications out of it. Certainly cheaper than professional tinting, which is priced at up to $40 per treatment!
Since brow tinting is often done as part of a brow lamination treatment, you can get 2-in-1 kits for both DIY lamination and tinting. Those are a bit more expensive. You can also find formulas which can be used on eyelashes, too.
Why Should I Try to Do an Eyebrow Tint at Home?
DIY brow tinting gives a great subtle enhancement that lasts for a few weeks, it covers any gray hairs, it’s affordable, quick and easy, and it saves you the trip to your brow tech. Still, professional tinting will probably give crisper results, so if you want to treat yourself to bomb brows once in a while, it’s worth cashing out.
If you tried and loved DIY brow tinting and want the same style of enhancement but with more permanent results, look into microblading.
Cover image source: Unsplash
