If you have recently just gone from brunette to blonde – maybe even a platinum shade – then you are going to want to know how to light those eyebrows.
Whilst having brows that are the same color as your natural hair is fine, it makes sense to want to go a little lighter so they do not stand out too much. Do not worry, we have got you!
Important: Never use household bleach / laundry bleach to lighten your eyebrows or to do anything else to yourself. Bleach is not safe! Make sure to use a safe bleach product such as Jolen Creme Bleach. Any time we refer to bleach in this article we mean Jolen Creme Bleach.
Using a small amount of a safe bleach product, you can soften the color without it looking too matchy-matchy. And anyway, if the likes of Kim K and Rihanna can pull it off, so can you.
Let us get to it…
Prep Those Brows
Before you can even think about lightening the eyebrows, you will need to make sure they are ready to take the safe bleach product. Here are a few steps to take:
- Are they freshly groomed? Make sure you have waxed or plucked them ready to be dyed – just make sure that it was at least 24 hours ago if waxing or threading, otherwise it may irritate the skin. Ouch.
- Keep all hair out of the face. You can do this by putting your hair up into a bun or ponytail, or using a band to keep it out of the way.
- Clean the eyebrows so no traces of makeup or dirt are present, otherwise you may end up with patchy brows.
Testing
This means two things: doing a patch test of the safe bleach product, and testing the color shade. We shall start with the former.
Even though you may have already used this safe bleach product, do a patch test. You never know what issues may arise.
Secondly, and this is the fun part, use makeup to try out the shade you are aiming for – and obviously that all depends how long you are leaving the bleach to develop.
Starting From Scratch
Eyebrows help to frame a face, and they are one of the first things people see when they look at you. What you do not want to happen is to get the shade wrong, so doing a color test will be very beneficial before you go ahead with the safe bleach product.
Use a concealer to cover the whole of the eyebrows as much as you can. This will create the base. Next, use a lighter shade brow pencil or eyebrow gel to build up a brow in the color you would like to achieve with the safe bleach product.
It will also tell you if you like the way it looks, because if you do not, then you might as well give up on the idea. You do not want to make any mistakes.
If you love it, then move on to the next step.
Cleanse the Area
Now that you are ready to bleach those brows, you will want to have a clean face. This means having no makeup, moisturizer or serums on the skin. You need it to be as natural as possible so the bleach can work to its full potential.
Use a non-irritating and simple cleanser, so avoid anything that includes actives and acids. You will want to make this step as simple and straightforward as possible.
What You Will Need:
Before you can begin, here is what you will need:
- A Safe Bleach Product. Buy one that is suitable for the face such as Jolen which can be used on the face safely.
- A spoolie that is used for applying something like mascara – just make sure it is either new or clean.
- A plastic bowl. This is optional if the bleach does not come with its own surface to mix the formula.
- A brush to mix the ingredients together. This can be an old makeup brush or even a paintbrush. You just need it to be clean.
- Cotton balls and Q-tips.
- Water – such as from the sink.
Follow Instructions
The first thing you will need to do is follow the instructions on the bleach package. This will let you know how to activate the formula. Usually this involves mixing it in a plastic bowl, so use the old brush to do the job.
Applying
Once the mixing and activating has been done, use the spoolie to brush the bleach solution through the hairs. Using a tool like this helps you to do it evenly.
After this process has been completed, use the Q-tip to clean any excess bleach around the edges of the brows.
Removing the Bleach
Whilst you wait for the bleach to do its magic, it can be nerve wracking to wonder how it is doing and what it will look like.
After 3 minutes, apply some water to a cotton ball and wipe some of the solution away from the brow so you can see what the color is. If it is exactly how you hoped, then wash it all off, if not, then onto the next phase…
Achieving the Desired Color
Sometimes it can take several minutes to feel satisfied with the final color. If this is the case, then there are ways you can achieve the color you hoped for.
Reapply the bleach and leave for a minute, then check again. Do this until you are happy.
Make sure not to go too light otherwise you may risk your eyebrows turning orange. Remember you are not after blonde brows, but instead a lighter brown.
Related: How To Bleach Hair Without Bleach
How to Lighten Eyebrows With Makeup
Not all of us want to apply bleach to the brows as well as the head hair, it can be too daunting! When this is the case, you can always try using makeup.
Whilst it may prove to be tiresome to do every day, it does mean that if you make a mistake with color, you will only need to get out the makeup remover wipes to correct it.
Here are simple solutions to lighter brows:
- Eyebrow gel – using an eyebrow gel can quickly change the color of those brows, and still make them look natural. Remember to choose a color that is only just a bit lighter than your natural shade to avoid it looking fake.
- Eyebrow pencil – whilst not the best one to change the color of your brows, it can work. Using small strokes to color over the eyebrow hairs and to fill in any space can give a natural, yet defined, look.
- Concealer – you can always do the same approach that was taken in the testing area above. Making sure that the concealer is your usual shade, apply it over the eyebrows and then use a spoolie to evenly distribute an eyebrow gel for a natural look.
Related: How to Darken Eyebrows
Final Words
Lightening the brows is an easy task once you know how, and is beneficial if you are wanting to go very blonde. Whilst dark eyebrows are fine – your opinion is what matters – lightening the eyebrows can soften the look of your new blonde hair.
If bleach is not your thing though, there are ways to do it with makeup. Just remember to choose the approach that you are most confident and happy with.
Last update on 2023-05-29 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API