Your Intro to Eyebrow Tinting: Cost, Lasting Power, and More

When it comes to perfecting your eyebrows, you’re likely familiar with eyebrow makeup products like pencils and gels, but what about more long-lasting options that you can get done at the salon? We’re not talking about getting your brows waxed—nope, we’re here to talk all things eyebrow tinting. This brow treatment has been creating quite some buzz over on social media and for good reason. In under an hour, you can leave the salon with bolder, more defined brows that don’t cost a fortune. Want to learn more? Below, find our guide to brow tints, covering everything from how long eyebrow tinting lasts to the differences between eyebrow tinting and microblading.

WHAT IS EYEBROW TINTING?

First thing’s first, what does eyebrow tinting do? This process involves applying a semi-permanent dye to your eyebrows to enhance your natural brows. The dye will help your eyebrows appear more defined and prominent, but won’t change your brow shape. It’ll simply cling to the hair you already have for a bolder look. Typically, eye brow tint is applied for only 10 to 15 minutes before being removed to reveal your improved eyebrows. That being said, just as with normal hair dye, the longer the brow tint sits on your eyebrows, the darker the end result will be!

EYEBROW TINTING VS. MICROBLADING

You can probably already guess this, but the major difference between eyebrow tinting and microblading is that a brow tint simply enhances your eyebrows by temporarily coloring them a darker shade, whereas microblading involves semi-permanently tattooing your eyebrows to fill in sparse areas and change your brow shape. Since microblading involves tattooing your skin with semi-permanent makeup, it lasts much longer than a brow tint (more on that later).

Typically, a tint will be a good option for someone who’s happy with the thickness of their brows but wants them to be a little bolder or match their hair color better, while microblading may be a better fit for someone who needs a little more done to their brow shape and may have less hair to work with. Both brow treatments can be beneficial if you want to wear less makeup.

CAN YOU DO EYEBROW TINTING AT HOME?

Stop your “how to tint eyebrows” Google searches—we hate to break it to you, but this is one trend that’s best left to the pros. The semi-permanent dye used to tint your eyebrows is specially formulated to be used on your arches. Not to mention, a professional will know how to expertly place the dye—and how long to leave it on for—to ensure your brows are on fleek at the end of the process. The last thing you want is to DIY an eyebrow tint, only to be left with unsightly brows that you can’t disguise!

If you want to get a better idea of what brow tinting can look like before heading to the salon, try using a brow mascara in a shade that’s darker than your eyebrow color. We love the L’Oréal Paris Brow Stylist Boost & Set Brow Mascara, which comes in blonde, light brunette, and dark brunette shades. Similar to a tint, eyebrow mascara will cling to the brow hairs without actually placing product on your skin or filling in spare spots.

HOW LONG DOES EYEBROW TINTING LAST?

To make sure your tint lasts, you want to wait a period of time before getting your eyebrows wet. Following your appointment, it’s best to let your brow tint be for at least 12 hours. Of course, since you’ll still be washing your face—and eyebrow tinting is only done with semi-permanent dye—your tint will fade over time. You can expect an eyebrow tint to last between four and six weeks, keeping in mind that it’ll slowly fade as the weeks go on.

HOW MUCH DOES EYEBROW TINTING COST?

In comparison to other brow procedures, eyebrow tinting is pretty affordable. Price is dependent on the salon you go to and its location, but you can expect to pay around $20 to $50.

HOW TO REMOVE AN EYEBROW TINT

Want to part ways with your tinted brows? First, if you have an immediate panic after tinting that your eyebrows are way too dark, it’s important to know that it won’t last. Just as with coloring the hair on your head, the dye used on your eyebrows will fade to a lighter shade in a few days. So, give it time.

If you want to safely remove the tint from your skin, dip a cotton swab in an oil-based makeup remover and rub it over your brows. Repeat this process until the tint has lightened. If you want to speed up the process of your brow tint fading, head back to the salon to ensure your tint is removed from your brow hairs sans damage.

Next up: Read about another eyebrow trend in our article, What Is Eyebrow Lamination? Learn About the Latest Brow Trend.