How The Pros Select The Perfect Brow Product Color

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The face-framing power of well-defined eyebrows is unmatched. Whether you prefer the brushed-up look of brow gel or layer in pencil or pomade for a thicker look, choosing the right brow product color is the key.

When searching for a flattering brow product color, your hair color is the most important thing to consider. When in doubt, makeup artist Judi Gabbay says the rule of thumb is to stay within two shades of your hair color for the most natural brow look. And since there’s even more strategy to it, we turned to the pros to break it all down. Below, Gabbay and fellow artist Nikki La Rose spill their secrets to selecting the perfect brow product colors for each client.

Black or Dark Brown Hair

If you have dark hair, La Rose advises not matching your brow products exactly to your hair color because it can come across as harsh. Instead, she says, go with a color that's a shade or two lighter than your natural hair color. For brunettes, specifically, Gabbay suggests a caramel or taupe color.

Blonde Hair

La Rose shares the opposite advice for blondes: Go a shade or two shades darker than your hair color for a more complementary look. Gabbay recommends brow products in ash shades.

Red Hair

While product shades such as red and auburn are typically marketed towards redheads, La Rose advises against them because they tend not to look as natural. Instead, "stick to something that's a little more on the taupe side," she says.. Gabbay seconds this tip and adds that warmer brown tones tend to look best on redheads.

"Keep the darker tones towards the tail of the brow and lighter ones towards the front of the brow for a more natural look."

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Keep your Hair’s Undertones in Mind

La Rose says your skin’s undertone doesn't matter as much when selecting a brow color. Instead, factor in your hair’s undertone. For example, someone with ash or dark brown hair should avoid chocolate-colored brow products. "That's going to have more red undertones to it, which is going to look unnatural against your hair color," she explains.

Consider Your Overall Makeup Look

The question of whether to go with a more natural or bold brow comes down to the overall makeup look you have in mind. If your goal is to create balance, then you’ll want to think about contrast. For example, La Rose says if you have dramatic eye makeup like a smokey eye, go for a more natural brow so it's not competing with your eyeshadow. Conversely, she says, if your makeup look is more natural and fresh-faced, that's an opportunity to go for a bolder brow and make them the focal point of the look.

Mix Different Brow Product Shades

To give the brow more dimension, makeup artists also recommend combining different brow shades to create a shaded effect — imagine a very subtle ombre look that gradually gets darker — to give your fill a more natural appearance. "Keep the darker tones towards the tail of the brow and lighter ones towards the front of the brow for a more natural look," Gabbay says.

La Rose notes that this technique may not be necessary for everyone. She suggests skipping this step if you have naturally full brows, but notes that it can be great for those with very sparse ones. "I try to pull in different textures and different tones to really give it a natural appearance," she says. "I would go just a touch lighter in the center and just slightly dark around the tail, but very, very slight."

"I try to pull in different textures and different tones to really give it a natural appearance."

Bend the Rules

All that said, guidelines on what brow product shade to use are just that — guidelines. "Makeup is meant to be fun and is totally subjective," La Rose says. "There are zero rules for brows these days,” adds Gabbay. “Ice blonds can rock black brows, brunettes can rock bleached brows and everything in between."

Gabbay's best brow advice? Experiment. Try different brow product shades and decide what looks good with your features. "Even if it's just throwing a brow gel or a little bit of powder on them before you leave the house, you can just really bring them to life," La Rose says. "They really do frame your entire face."

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