The Best Eyebrow Tint Kits, Plus Brow-Dyeing Tips From Experts

As long as you’re armed with the right tools, dying your eyebrows at home is a lot easier than you may think. Though you can buy eyebrow-tinting products separately, purchasing an all-in-one kit is the most convenient way to go. The best eyebrow tint kits typically contain dye, developer, an applicator tool, and a mixing bowl (though note that if you’re going the henna route, developer won’t be necessary). Even with the right tools though, you still need to know what you’re doing, so to learn more about DIY brow-tinting, The Zoe Report spoke with a few master estheticians to get their top tips.

First up: what color to pick. “The shade fully depends on each client’s preference,” esthetician Aneta Zuraw tells The Zoe Report. “I always suggest to [choose a tint] as close as possible to your roots color.” Esthetician Sarah Akram’s general rule of thumb for eyebrow tinting is, “If you have lighter hair, tint your brows one shade darker. If you have dark hair, use a tint that is one shade lighter. Start light. Remember, you can always go back and make them darker if you need to.”

For best results, esthetician Darya Rzaca, who, along with Zuraw, co-owns Atelier Beauté, says, “We suggest double cleansing and exfoliating your skin prior to tinting. Exfoliation is the key for [a] no ‘gaps’ effect.” Choose an exfoliant without any active ingredients, like AHAs or BHAs, she adds. Akram tells The Zoe Report to prep the area around your brows with a layer of Vaseline to avoid staining your skin, and then wipe the tint off first with a dry cotton ball, followed by a wet one, when you’re done. Gray hairs can be tricky, Rzaca warns, so it might be worth seeing a professional. Or, for gray brow hairs that seem resistant to dye application, “try using a developer first, remove it, and then apply your tint, Akram suggests (then shape as desired).

Scroll on for three of the most user-friendly brow-tinting kits you can get on Amazon, plus more tips from the experts.

1. The Esthetician-Approved Kit

Rzaca and Zuraw say that Refectocil is “one of the best products” for tinting brows and one they can highly recommend. This kit contains a tube of the brand’s dye and a bottle of developer, as well as a mixing bowl and applicator brush.

When it comes to applying the dye, Aneta explains that the intensity of the shade depends on the ration of tint to oxidizer. “You can use more oxidizer for a lighter shade of that particular color. Or vice versa. Also, you can keep the mixture on your brows for a longer or shorter time to get the intensity of the color based on your preference.” Just make sure you follow the directions on your tint to the letter, and don’t use any of these kits on your hair for longer than recommended. Finally, it’s important to always do a patch test before using any type of dye, as some people can have serious allergic reactions to the ingredients in the formula.

• Available colors: Pure Black, Blue Black, Natural Brown, Light Brown

2. The Fan-Favorite Kit

This eyebrow tinting kit conveniently comes with four individually sized capsules of dye that you mix with the developer when you’re ready to use it, meaning you have four applications worth of product that won’t dry out between uses. A fan-favorite on Amazon with over 7,000 five-star ratings and reviews, the kit comes with a mixing bowl and four applicator sticks, in addition to the developer and capsules of dye.

• Available shades: Natural Black, Dark Brown, Medium Brown, Light Brown

3. The Best Henna Tinting Kit

There’s a lot to like about this henna tinting kit, which is a nice alternative to dye for anyone who’s looking for a more natural option. For starters, each box provides 25 to 30 applications, so it’s a fantastic bang for you buck. And since it’s just a natural, ammonia-free color, you can try it out and, if you want, reapply the henna a second time for a darker tint without the fear of overdoing it. It’s also easy to work with — just mix the dry henna powder with a few drops of water to get the right consistency, apply with a fine brush or spoolie, and your brows will stay dyed for up to six weeks.

Bonus: This Peel-Off Brow Tinting Gel

Though it’s not a permanent (or even semi-permanent) dye, Etude House’s eyebrow tinting gel is actually quite satisfying and easy to use. Apply a thick layer of the gel to your brows and let it dry for at least two hours, or longer if you want more color. Once your time is up, the product will have fully dried, and you can slowly and carefully peel it off. The result: intense, full-looking brows.

This gel is made with ingredients such as moisturizing panthenol and calming green tea extract, so you’ll get some skin care benefits along with your color. Being a temporary tint, it’s a good way to try tinting out before taking a plunge into the world of permanent dyes.

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“Castor oil is great for promoting hair growth,” says Akram on other ways to boost the appearance of your brows. This reasonably priced kit contains cold-pressed, USDA-organic castor oil, as well as a mascara wand, brow brush, liner brush, and vial and stopper, so it’s easy to apply the product without any mess. Castor oil, which has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and moisturizing properties, is also great for eyelashes and scalps.

Brow growth serums can also be helpful if you find you’re losing brow hairs, Akram adds, and for optimal brow fullness, be gentle with your brows and avoid rubbing or pulling out the hairs.

Experts:

Sarah Akram, celebrity master esthetician, and owner of Sarah Akram Skincare

Darya Rzaca, master esthetician and co-owner, Atelier Beauté

Aneta Zuraw, master esthetician and co-owner, Atelier Beauté