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Everything you need to know about at-home eyebrow tinting

Save money AND achieve great brows.
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Good brows can literally transform your face. Thick and defined eyebrows have been on-trend for a few years now and we most definitely have Cara Delevingne to thank for this.

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Chances are you fill in your brows every morning with a pencil or pomade, but there is an easier way to keep your brows looking on fleek! Enter: eyebrow tinting at home. DIY brow tinting is super cheap, easy and will honestly make your mornings way easier. And you literally only need to set aside 10 minutes every month to tint your brows. It’s soooo quick and easy!

It’ll also save you a bunch of money. An eyebrow tint at a salon can cost anywhere from $15 to $80 per appointment, while at-home brow tinting costs less than $20 for an ENTIRE year. 

Even if you’re only currently spending $15 a month on eyebrow tinting, that works out to be $180 after a year. Grab a $20 eyebrow tinting kit and you’ll save yourself at least $160! We’re here for this.

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What is eyebrow tinting?

Eyebrow tinting is basically dying your eyebrow hair with a semi-permanent colour – it’s much like dying the hair on your head but on a much smaller scale. People tint their brows as it makes them look much thicker, fuller and darker without relying on eyebrow pencils, pomades or gels. 

How long does brow tinting last?

Depending on the dye you use and how well it takes to your eyebrow hair, brow tinting should last between four to six weeks.

This is way less maintenance than manually filling in your brows every day and much less scary than microblading. Microblading is a semi-permanent tattoo that uses tiny needles to deposit pigment under your skin and it usually lasts anywhere from one year to three, with touch-ups required in between. 

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How to choose the right colour

When it comes to choosing a tint colour, it all depends on how dark you want your brows. Most people want a darker colour than their hair as it helps bring attention to your eyes and frames your face but if you’re a bit apprehensive, it’s best to start with a lighter colour to see if you like how it looks. 

If you want lighter eyebrows (just like Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian with their bleached brows), you’ll have to use bleach rather than tint. It sounds a little scary but it’ll help you achieve the look you’re after. 

At-home tinting tools

All you need to tint your brows is a tint kit – they are super easy to use and have everything you need in one box. The kits usually contain the brow colour, a developer, a little mixing dish, a stirring tool, and an application tool.

Tip: The brow application tool is usually pretty small and crappy so we recommend using an eyeshadow brush to apply the tint.

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Our top tinting picks are:

1000 Hour Lash & Brow Dye

We only have great things to say about this eyebrow tint kit from 1000 Hour! It’s super budget-friendly and you can also use it to tint your lashes at the same time. It contains enough product to last around 12 applications, which works out to cost $1.50 per month.

$18.99 @ Priceline

100 Hour Eyebrow tint
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Maybelline New York Tattoo Brow 3-Day Gel Tint

If you’re too scared to commit to dyeing your brows straight away, this product is a great way to dip your toe into the whole thing as it only lasts around three days. Simply apply it to your eyebrows, leave it to dry for 20 minutes and then peel off the gel. You should be left with darker and fuller-looking brows.

$24.95 @ Priceline

Maybelline Tattoo Brow Gel
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How to tint your eyebrows

#1 Head to the bathroom

Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need within arms reach. Unpack your brow kit and grab a jar of Vaseline, some cotton buds, a cotton pad, micellar water and a little bowl of warm water (or just use the sink tap).

#2 Clean your brows

Sweep a cotton pad with micellar water over your brows to clear away any makeup or residue, then using a cotton bud dipped in Vaseline, trace around your eyebrow with the cream which will help protect your skin from being stained by the dye.

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#3 Mix the dye

Squirt the recommended amount of dye into the small mixing dish in your kit, followed by the developer drops and stir them together using the little tool provided.

 #4 It’s time to tint

Using the applicator or makeup brush, paint the dye on your eyebrow so it’s completely covered. Only cover your brow with dye and be careful not to get the dye on your skin as it can stain it. Use a cotton bud to clean any dye that comes into contact with your skin.

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#5 Remove the dye

Leave the dye for the recommended time – which is usually about 10 minutes – and then remove the tint with a wet cotton ball. If you’re scared that it’s going to be too dark, leave the tint on for half the time to see how it takes to your brow hair. If it’s not dark enough, you can leave it on a little longer.

#6 Enjoy your brows

Your eyebrows should be looking fuller and pull more focus to your eyes now that they are tinted. You shouldn’t need to fill them in with a pencil or pomade now, but you might want to run a spoolie brush through them or you can set them with a clear brow gel to keep them in place.

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How to remove eyebrow tint

If your brows turn out darker than you thought they would, don’t panic! The colour always looks super dark when you first tint them but keep in mind that this will fade. Give your brows a few days to settle down, as they will naturally fade on their own through showering and washing your face. 

If you didn’t quite achieve the colour or tone you wanted, you might need to try a different colour dye. Otherwise, head to your local brow expert to get them to fix it if you’re not happy with the colour. 

If the dye did happen to stain your skin during the process, use an oil-based makeup remover to remove it. 

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Another option…

If you’re after something more permanent than tinting but not as long-lasting as microblading, you might want to try henna. Henna is particularly good if your brows are sparse – which is something that tinting can’t fix – as it uses henna colour to actually stain your skin to make your brows look darker and fuller. It only takes about 10 minutes to develop and usually lasts for a month or so, depending on your skin – oily skin can make the area lose colour faster. Unfortunately, this isn’t something you can do from home and should be undertaken with a brow expert. 

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