When I decided to grow my hair out gray, I didn’t realize that I would have to switch up my eyebrow makeup too. But it totally makes sense. As I was going from a dark, warm brown to a cool salt-and-pepper, I couldn’t rely on the same warm-toned eyebrow makeup products. Here are three recommendations I am loving rn.
By: Lisa Fennessy
IN THIS POST:
- Clean beauty eyebrow makeup for gray hair
- Top picks for gray hair eyebrow makeup
I lived with warmed-toned hair my entire life—until I was 39 and started growing out my hair gray.
I was so focused on the grow-out process and how I was feeling about myself that it wasn’t until around the 1-year mark that I realized my eyebrow makeup needed some adjustment.
RELATED: Read how to grow thicker eyebrows with the best brow hair growth serums and An Esthetician Weighs In: The Best Facial Hair Removal Tools.
The 1-year mark is also where the length of my grow-out was overtaking the plane of my eyebrows as my gray started to graze my ears—and I think that’s why I started noticing the disconnect.
I had always opted for warm-brown eyebrow makeup, but now that my hair was coming in salt and pepper, I realized warm brown brows against cool, salt-and-pepper toned hair was starting to look a bit odd.
Clean beauty eyebrow makeup for gray hair
So I started playing around with some better beauty brow products that would complement my new look.
And when I say a “better beauty,” I mean a brow formula that relies heavily on certified organic oils and natural waxes as opposed to ingredients like propylene glycol, polysorbates, EDTA and phenoxyethanol.
RELATED: Check out our No Thanks List for other ingredients we skip.
I also wanted to find that Goldilocks shade that would compliment my gray hair. Something in that brown/black family that was sans any warm or red tones. And not something too dark like a jet black either. I needed something like a dark ash gray or light black.
After a couple years of searching and testing, I found a couple that work for me so if you have similar coloring, these might work for you too!
And pro-makeup artists agree
And just to cover my bases, I reached out to a couple of better beauty makeup artists that I enjoy following to see if there were any recommendations I haden’t discovered yet.
After sharing my two picks, Katey Denno, pro-makeup artist to the stars, confirms, “This is a serious hole in the industry. Those [my picks, below!] are the only two in the clean beauty space that I ever suggest unless basic brown still works with their overall coloring, then I’ll reach for one of the browns from Ecobrow or Plume.”
And Rebecca Casciano, a clean beauty makeup artist and founder of The Sacred Beauty Collective adds, “I can’t think of one off the top of my head. This is clearly an area for improvement.” Rebecca adds, “Sometimes I can use a blonde one, depending on the person’s original hair color.”
RELATED: Read my gray hair makeup tips here.
Top picks for gray hair eyebrow makeup
RELATED: 2022 Buying Guide: The Best Natural Mascaras.
We also have our eyes on Eye of Horus’ pencil too, which may work for people who have an ashy or blonde base. Do you have any eyebrow makeup recommendations for gray hair?
REFERENCES:
1. Mayne, Susan Mayne, Ph. D, Director of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition; FDA In Brief: FDA Releases Final Report of Talc-containing Cosmetic Products Tested for Asbestos, March 2020; https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-brief/fda-brief-fda-releases-final-report-talc-containing-cosmetic-products-tested-asbestos
2. Shah, Vaidehi; Eco-Business, March 23rd, 2017; What is sustainable palm oil?; https://www.eco-business.com/news/what-is-sustainable-palm-oil/
