How to Do Something Your Don Know: How to Fade Eyebrows

Eyebrows naturally start lighter near your nose and get darker towards the tail. When you fade your eyebrows, you’ll enhance this look. Fill in your brows with a subtle fade to achieve nice shape and lift. For a more dramatic look, make a more obvious gradient from the beginning of your brows to the ends. This also create a lovely frame for your eye. Create an ombre effect by lining and filling in your brows with different, matching shades of pencil and powder.

EditSteps

EditFilling in Your Brows

Wash your face and towel dry your brows. Use a spoolie brush to brush up your eyebrows. Note the natural shape of your brows and look for any spots where your brows are sparse or uneven.^[1]
- Pluck or wax any hairs that you don’t want.
- Trim the top of your brows if necessary.
Figure out where your brows start and end. Line a thin makeup brush up along the side of your nose. The brush will hit your brow where it should start. Next, keep the brush next to your nose and move it at a 45° angle to the outer corner of your eye. This is where your brow naturally ends.^[2]
Use an eyebrow pencil to lightly draw short, upward strokes. The strokes should mimic the growth of your brow hairs. Match the color of your pencil to the color of your brows. Start drawing in the inner corners of your eyes. Slowly work your way out to the ends of your brow, lightly drawing strokes in the sparse spots.^[3]
Define your brows with pressed powder that matches your brows. With an angled brush, comb brow powder or eyeshadow through your brows to better fill them in. Use very little powder where your brows start, and add more towards the end of your brows. Try brushing the powder lightly back and forth for good coverage. This will also better define your arch.
- Blend the color and soften any sharp lines with by brushing your brows with your spoolie brush.
- Focus on really diffusing the color near the beginning of your brow.
Clean up your brows. Use your fingers to wipe away any color that’s outside your brow lines. Make the brows look sharp and clean by brushing translucent powder around the edges of your brows. Or you can clean them up by brushing color-correcting concealer around the perimeter of your brows.
- Lightly cover your brows with clear gel or clear mascara to help maintain your look all day.

EditCreating a Gradient Look

Start with clean, dry brows. Pluck or wax any hairs you don’t want in your brow line. Brush your eyebrows upward with a spoolie brush to see the shape of your brows. Trim the tops of your brows if you have longer hairs you don’t want above your brow line.
Line the bottom arch of your brow. Use an eyebrow pencil to line it. Shape the bottom arch into the shape you want for your brows. Make your line heavier from the center of your iris outward. You want to end with a very dark, well defined tail for your brow.
Fill in your brows with powder. Use an angled brush and brow powder or eyeshadow to fill in any sparse areas. Make light strokes working from the inner corner of your eye outward. Also use your angled brush and powder to smooth out and blend the color from your pencil. Apply more powder at the ends of your brow.^[4]
- Consider using a slightly lighter shade of powder in the inner corner of your eye to emphasize the gradient effect.^[5]
Diffuse the color at the beginning of your brow. Take your spoolie brush and brush through the beginning of your eyebrow. Wiggle the brush around to soften the color on the inside of your eye. Next, lightly brush your brows outward with the spoolie brush. Make sure to blend any clumps of color as you brush.^[6]
Clean and set your brows. Outline the edges of your eyes and the rim of your bottom arch with concealer. Use a concealer brush and blend the concealer. You can also use a concealer pencil, but be sure to blend it very well. Apply some clear gel or clear mascara to set your brows.
- Further highlight your arches by feathering very light eyeshadow under your brow bone up to your eyebrow arch.

EditMaking Ombre Brows

Begin with clean, dry, well-defined brows. Wash your face. Remove stray hairs from your brows by plucking, waxing, and/or trimming them. Use your spoolie brush to fluff up your brows. Check for sparse spots where you’ll need to fill in extra color.
Choose two colors. Make ombre brows with any combinations of colors that you like. Choose one lighter and one darker color that match your brows for a more subtle approach. For example, you might want a light brown for the beginning of your brow and a deeper brown for the end. Select completely different colors, like gold and brown for a more stark contrast.
- Pick vibrant colors for more impact. Try choosing one color in two different shades, like light and dark blue.
Use a pencil that matches your darker color. Use it to line the outer edges of your brows. Focus on the arch under your brows. Start with lighter strokes in the center of your eye, and make the strokes heavier as you work your way to the end of your brow. Clearly define the tail of your brow in pencil.
- Bring the end to a point if you want to emphasize your arch.^[7]
Apply powder with an angled brow brush. Start with the lighter color. Make feathery, upward strokes at the beginning of your brow. Using the same brush, fill in your brows at the end in the darker shade. Blend the colors over your arch.^[8]
- Use a spoolie brush for better blending.
- If you’re using a vibrant color that doesn’t match your brows, be sure to fill in your entire brow with powder.
Clean and set the color. Define the edges of your brows with a concealer brush and concealer or a concealer pencil. Add a light eyeshadow under your brow bone to highlight the ombre effect. Finish up with a clear gel or clear mascara to set the color.
- Use a matching eyeliner to really emphasize your ombre look.