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Tinted Brow Mascara

How To Use Tinted Brow Mascara: Top Tips, Revealed

13 Oct 2022

If someone were to take a peek inside your everyday makeup bag, we’re willing to bet that they’d find mascara in there. The lash staple has the almost magical ability to make your eyes look bigger, brighter, and more awake in just a few swipes of the wand. Eyebrow mascara, though slightly less ubiquitous, is similarly transformative—a great brow can take any look to the next level. And if you’re new to brow styling, you’re in luck: Brow mascara is easy to use at any experience level (yep, even for first-timers).

Here, we’ll give you the full run-down on eyebrow mascara, explaining what it is, what it does, and why it deserves a spot in your daily makeup routine. You’ll also learn our top tips for applying brow mascara for full, natural-looking arches. Find all the details ahead.

What Is Eyebrow Mascara?

Brow mascara is exactly what it sounds like: mascara for eyebrows. Typically, it’s used to help make your brows appear thicker and more defined. Depending on the product, brow gel or mascara can provide hold and help tame your arches. Tinted formulas can also add color, temporarily mimicking the look of an eyebrow tint.

What Is The Difference Between Mascara and Brow Gel?

Generally speaking, eyelash mascara and brow gel aren’t interchangeable (even if they look like they could be). The biggest difference between the two similar-looking products is that mascara is designed for your lashes, while brow gel is meant specifically for your eyebrows. Additionally, unlike mascara, brow gel doesn’t usually add length to your brow hairs—it’s more geared toward taming and tinting. Brow mascaras also tend to have smaller brushes that are better suited to eyebrow hairs. Plus, they tend to be less pigmented than regular mascaras, which often are designed to help darken and define your lashes. As such, using a traditional lash mascara on your brows may give them a heavy or overdone look. Instead, make sure you’re reaching for a brow gel to get arches with a natural-looking finish.

Are There Different Types Of Brow Mascara?

At NYX Professional Makeup, we offer a couple of different brow mascaras—the best one for you depends on what look you’re after. If you’re a fan of full, fluffy arches, we recommend reaching for the Thick It Stick It! Brow Gel. The buildable tinted eyebrow mascara helps thicken your individual brow hairs for gorgeously full arches. Plus, it’s available in eight versatile shades that provide up to 16 hours of wear. Alternatively, for a natural eyebrow look, try our classic Tinted Brow Mascara. Available in five shades, this brow mascara tints, tames, and helps set your brows for natural-looking wear

When Should You Use Brow Mascara?

You can use brow mascara every day, regardless of your brow situation, but there are a few scenarios in which it’s particularly beneficial:

  1. You want to thicken the appearance of your natural brow hairs
  2. Your brows are unruly
  3. You want to add color to your brows without getting eyebrow tinting
  4. You want to create a no-makeup makeup look but still appear put together

How To Apply Eyebrow Mascara: 4 Tips

Now that you know what eyebrow mascara is (and what it does), read on to discover our best tips for applying it like a pro.

Tip 1: Fill In Sparse Areas First

Brow mascara can thicken and tint your brows, but if the hairs are sparse to begin with, the effect won’t be as dramatic. To help give your brows a naturally full look, we recommend filling in sparse areas with a brow pencil before reaching for your brow mascara. Try our Fill & Fluff Eyebrow Pomade Pencil—the dual-ended tool is ideal for adding color and definition to thin brows. Use the angled pomade pencil tip to draw thin, hair-like strokes in patchy areas, then lightly blend with the micro paddle brush on the other end to give your brows a fuller appearance.

Tip 2: Use Light, Even Pressure

When applying your brow mascara, we recommend using light, steady pressure. The goal is to disperse the product more or less uniformly to your brows—variations in how much pressure you use when applying can lead to an uneven look. Light pressure also helps ensure you’re not depositing too much product in any one area.

Tip 3: Brush According To Your Preferences

How you brush on your brow mascara plays a huge role in what your end look will be. Brushing in the direction of hair growth will help tint your brows but keep them looking natural, while angling the brush slightly upward can help create a fluffier, boyish brow look. If you want to DIY the look of laminated brows, you can brush your brow hairs straight upward—just keep in mind that it may take more than one coat to keep the hairs in place.

Tip 4: Let The Product Set Between Coats

Lastly, if you are applying more than one coat of brow mascara, allow the product time to set between coats, just as you would with lash mascara.

set between coats, just as you would with lash mascara. Next: Now that you know how to use brow mascara, check out our article How To Tame, Tint, and Fill In Your Brows.

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