Of all the makeup trends we’ve seen transform throughout the years, no feature has undergone metamorphosis as much as the eyebrow. From pencil thin in the 90’s, to shaving off the ends in the 2020’s, the power that brows have to change a look up can sometimes be unbelievable.
Just as important as the style of brow, though, is the color. We’re always taught to stay within the realms of our natural hair color, and that going too dark or too light could potentially ruin your makeup look.
But we’re here to tell you that that notion couldn’t be more wrong. Makeup, calculated as it may seem, is at its essence, artwork – and shouldn’t be treated as less than such. You can create stunning looks with a magenta, green, or even a rainbow colored brow.
But we’re talking about something a little less intense today, and that’s rocking a black brow if you have brown locks.
So, black eyebrows with brown hair -does it work? Absolutely it does. And there are different ways of rocking it that bring a whole new vibe to each look you make. Today, we’ll be talking about three methods: bold brows, boy brows, and natural brows.
So read on while we break down each of these brow looks so that you can have one for whatever mood strikes you!
Bold Brows
As seen on celebrities like Selena Gomez and Cara Delevigne, rocking a black brow with lighter hair can take a makeup look from cutesy to edgy with just a few simple steps!
It may sound strange, but the contrast of a darker brow against brown hair is prime for elevating a makeup look from commercial to editorial.
This one’s for those of us who aren’t scared to step out of their comfort zone a bit. Pulling off a bold look is less about the makeup, and more about your confidence while wearing it!
Since the star of this look is a thick, bold brow, you’re going to want to take some extra time making sure they look the part. The key to this look is filling in your brows in a way that makes them come off show stopping, but not drawn on or blocky.
It may sound confusing, but worry not! We’re here to walk you through each step in taking your eyebrows from plain jane to beautifully bushy in just a few simple steps.
Things You’ll Need
- A black brow pomade
- An angled brush with spoolie
- A highlighting pencil
- A clear brow gel
What To Do:
- Give your brows a quick groom – Using the spoolie on your brush, comb through your brows to get rid of any potential tangles, and to shape them into place.
- Dip your brush in some pomade – If you open up your pomade and find that it’s dry, you can bring it back to life with a drop of mineral oil. Load up some product on your brush, but keep it light – that way, you can easily maneuver where the pomade goes. A gentle hand will also prevent you brows from looking too drawn on. Bold brows aren’t necessarily cartoony.
- Start by lightly lining the bottom of your eyebrow – This will make it easier to see where you want to place the pomade. From there, fill in the tail of your brow, and, without picking up any excess product, draw hair like strokes to the front of the brow. You want to concentrate the color on the tail and get a little lighter as you go- almost like a gradient!
- Brush through when you need to – If you accidentally use a heavy hand, or if you’re noticing an area looking darker than the rest of your brow, use your spoolie to diffuse the pomade a little bit. This will also keep you from needing to fill the entire brow with product, leaving your brows looking blocky instead of thick.
- Clean up with some highlight pencil – Using a pencil highlighter, drag the product along your brow bone with a long swipe. Not only will this clean up any pomade that traveled down during application, but it will bring all the attention to your brows and add some definition and dimension.
- Lock it in place – Using a clear brow gel, comb through your brows and shape them back into place. Gel should always be the last step in your routine, since it locks your brows into the shape you put them in. Trying to work additional product on top of an already set brow is super difficult, and will make the hairs look chunky, so don’t reach for gel until the very end.
Boy Brows
A lot of us will look at makeup as a transformative process – a time where you can become someone else with the flick of an eyeshadow brush.
But have you ever thought about makeup that accentuates the features you may otherwise try to conceal? Things like dark undereyes, acne scars, and even stray brow hairs?
It may sound easy enough, but there actually is method behind this technique. In a way, it’s less about perfection and more about structure – a perfect combination of masculinity and femininity. Staple takeaways from this look are a basic, chapstick donning pout, dewy skin, and, of course – a full, thick, and bushy brow.
A fantastic way to achieve a full eyebrow is through the “soap brow” technique. A black soap-brow would be beautifully contrasted against brown hair, giving this look the masculine finish it needs.
This method hit the internet in 2020, but became popular this year. For a lot of people, this is their go-to brow on a regular basis, even if they’re not going for the boy beat!
Things You’ll Need
- A brow spoolie
- Setting spray or water mister
- Brow soap
- A stiff angled brush
- A black eyebrow powder (a high quality eyeshadow works too!)
- Black eyebrow pencil
- A dark brow gel
- Optional: tweezers
What To Do:
- Groom – Make sure your brows are well groomed! If you want a clean shape to them, you can pluck the stray hairs underneath your brow. However, this look is all about emphasizing your hairs, so this part is entirely optional!
- Dampen your soap – Spray some setting spray or a light misting of water along the surface of the brow soap. This will prep it for application and make it easier to work with. Don’t wet it too much or you run the risk of it lathering when you try and pick it up with your spoolie!
- Load up your brush – Rub the brush against the surface of the soap. When the product on your spoolie starts looking waxy and more paste-like, you’re there. Start with just a bit of soap at first; you can add on more as you need it.
- Shape, shape, shape – Comb through your brow hairs with the spoolie. The popular way of doing this is by combing your brows straight up, but if your hairs on the longer end, you can shape the top to give it a more clean look. Load up on soap as you need to, and if your brow hairs are on the stubborn side, you may have to do multiple applications to get them to stay where you want them to. The best part about using soap is that it’s very malleable and won’t set very quickly, so you have time to manipulate the look as you need it.
- Think thick – Now is the time to add some color and extra thickness to your brows! Go ahead and load up your angled brush with some black brow powder. Fill in any areas where your hairs are looking thin or sparse, using any excess product on the front of the brow. A powder will give you more condensed looking hairs, but if you’re just looking to fill in your tail or another small area, opt for a black eyebrow pencil. Draw hair like strokes where you need it, and brush out with a clean spoolie to blend it all together.
- Lock it down – To make sure this brow lasts all night, use a dark brow gel to keep everything together.
Natural Brows
If you’re the type of person who is no-fuss about their makeup, but still wants to give their brows some shape, we have the perfect option for you!
Going for a black brow if you have lighter hair may seem like it’ll be striking no matter what you do, but this technique will give you a natural finish- and it only takes one product!
It’s a classic. We’re sure you saw this on the shelves growing up, or maybe in your mom’s makeup drawer when you were rummaging through her things. It’s a small palette, containing a plate of clear (or tinted!) wax, a plate of eyebrow powder, and a small angled brow brush and/or a mini spoolie. It’s easy to master, and it will give you gorgeously groomed brows every time!
Things You’ll Need
- Black Powder and Wax Eyebrow Kit
- A popular pick is the NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder, but there are also great options from QVC, Elf, and even Chanel.
What To Do
- Prep – Load your angled brush or spoolie up with some clear wax. Just like the soap brow technique, you don’t want to put too much product on at one time. Use the wax to mold your brows into the shape you want them in, adding more wax when you need to. The clear wax acts as an adhesive for the powder, so you want to make sure you’re covering each strand of hair, and that you don’t overdo how much product you use as you up the risk of it smearing throughout the day.
- Find your key points – You could freehand the shape of your brows if you want, but if you have an extra minute or two to map out the key placement of your eyebrow, we suggest you do! It makes for a more symmetrical pair of brows. After loading some powder onto a (clean) angled brush, you’re going to want to place a dot on these 3 areas of your brow: where it lines up with the outside edge of your nostril, where it aligns with an line that passes from the outside of the nostril to your pupil, and where it aligns with a line that passes from your nostril to the outside of your eye. These three dots represent the starting point, arch, and ending point of your brow! This will make it a lot easier to see the overall shape you’re trying to achieve.
- Connect the dots – Now that you’re done mapping, go ahead and connect those lines with some more black powder! It will be really easy to get a condensed color as the wax will help bring out more pigment, so you don’t need to pick up too much product. Try using hair like strokes to keep it looking as natural as possible, instead of dragging the brush from each key point.
- Brush – Now that your brows are all filled in, use a spoolie to brush them out. This will blend the color out, making them look more natural instead of colored in.
Final Thoughts
Don’t limit yourself when it comes to what you do with your brows! They’re just as personalizable as the rest of your features, and shouldn’t be strangers to your creative freedom.
Rocking black brows with brown hair may not have been conventional in the early days of makeup, but remember that the only barriers when it comes to cosmetics are the ones you build yourself!
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