The Surprising Trick for Fuller Brows: Beard Dye

Faint, fine, and sparse: three words I always feared would be the definition of my eyebrows in their natural state. I thought I had tried everything to visually thicken them: gels, pencils, and even a full kit specifically devoted to the spectral eyebrow cause, Urban Decay’s Brow Box. The results were mixed, the application itself was a tedious dance of putting on and taking off, and no matter what I used, the enhancement never looked entirely natural. It was something of a futile pursuit, until I found a solution in the most unlikely of places: a box of men’s beard dye. Allow me to explain.

On the set of a recent photo shoot, makeup artist Mark Edio offered to teach me how to fill in my brows. While lamenting my history with products, he stopped mid-stroke to examine my face and said: “You should color your eyebrows with beard dye.” According to the editorial whiz, the facial hair color is among his favorite shortcuts to thicker, more defined eyebrows because it offers more neutral tones than the average hair dye, it was designed to dye fine hairs, such as those found in the brow, and, in his words, “It makes them look fuller without having to fill them in.”

Edio’s right. Only a week later, following a trip to my local drugstore and ten minutes in front of my bathroom mirror, and I would describe my slightly darkened eyebrows as thick and more defined—all without the help of a pencil. And better yet, the results have lasted for months. Give it a whirl—or dye—for yourself. Here, Edio’s tips on how to utilize beard dye for your own brows.

 

The Prep Work

 

Edio gravitates toward light- and medium-brown shades for the most natural results (especially those from Just For Men). To avoid getting color in your eyes or accidentally dyeing your skin, Edio says to outline the shape of your brows with a balm (he prefers Egyptian Magic) using a cotton swab before applying dye to the hair.

 

The Application

 

For accuracy, Edio uses a clean mascara wand to apply the dye. “Beard dye works quicker than regular dye,” he warns, explaining that he removes the dye with a warm, damp cotton swab after 30 to 45 seconds, reapplying for 30-second intervals until the desired shade is achieved.

 

The Cleanup

 

For a clean shape, excess color on the hair or skin can be swiftly cleaned off with a gentle eye makeup remover, such as Bioderma. And once the eyebrows are dyed and dried, any stray, visibly darkened baby hairs can be easily tweezed.

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