Henna Brows: The Hottest Trend in Brow Beauty

Henna Brows: The Hottest Trend in Brow Beauty

We often talk about the use of Henna for cultural reasons and for colouring your hair, but over the last few years another big trend has swept the beauty world.

Henna, mixed with specific ingredients, is being used by brow artists to create a long-lasting but less permanent alternative to treatments like SPMU (semi-permanent makeup, which requires tiny cuts to be made to a brow which is then filled with dye).

Like hair colourants, traditional brow dyes are often loaded with chemicals that can cause significant allergic reactions.  Box dyes for the head especially are far too strong to use near the delicate eye area.

Henna (which still requires a patch test!) is more gentle and less likely to cause damaging reactions.

It’s natural, easy to mix and when applied correctly can last up to 14 days.

The Method:

Firstly, mix up your colour.  Remember a brighter result comes with a more acidic mix, so lemon juice will mix the colour. A cooler result requires a mix with something like a cooled tea (I like earl grey). Rich browns need something like coffee and a dark brown/black requires a tiny bit of indigo.  

ALWAYS patch test for your colour result and allergies.

Your colour mix will be unique to you – take time to check results before applying to make sure it’s ok.

Pop your mix in the fridge overnight to settle. It should be the consistency of thick yoghurt with no drips. If it’s too thin, it won’t sit on the brows correctly.

At least one day before you’re ready to apply, shape your brows.  They should start at the inside point of the nose and finish at a line from the outside eye that lines up with the nostril (see diagram below).

NEVER over pluck. Try to follow a gentle arch (we all remember the noughties brows, and many of us are still trying to hide the damage).

When you’re ready to apply the colour, firstly, cleanse the skin thoroughly so the dye ‘takes’ as well as it can.

Next, grab a light eyebrow pencil and fill in where you’d like to colour. 

Using a super-rich balm, protect the outside edges of the brows to ensure there is no colour bleed, or dying of the surrounding skin.

Using a small eyebrow spoolie or bamboo toothbrush, apply the henna colour to the area you’ve masked off.  Leave it for up to 25 minutes, wipe off then if you need a second coat, or a colour tweak, re-apply.

Ombre brow:  If you want an ‘ombre’ effect (where the inside of the brow is lighter than the outside) remove the lighter half after 10 minutes.

PRO TIP:  Use a bamboo cotton bud to clean up the ends of the brows for a super-neat finish

NOTE:  Henna is NOT suitable for use on eyelashes.  ALWAYS consult a professional if you are in any way unsure about using dyes near the eyes.  

View our full range of organic, natural Henna and Dyes here