I love a multi-purpose product, but some products can be used for multiple things but not marketed as such. Eyeshadow being one of these, can you use eyeshadow to fill in your eyebrows? Yes, you definitely can.
Eyeshadow actually has a few other multi-purpose uses as well, such as blush, highlighter, or bronzer. However, we’ll keep things simple today and stick to filling in the eyebrows with eyeshadow.
products I used
- Natasha Denona Glam Palette
- Real Techniques Brow brush from the New Nudes Daily Swipe Eye Set*
- Sigma E06 Winged Liner Brush*
- Elf Small Smudge Brush
- Jones Road – The Brow Gel shade brunette
Choosing a Shade
The first thing I do is choose a shade of eyeshadow to use. Not all eyeshadows will work for this purpose; there are various textures, finishes, and shades to choose from. Many of these may not be my ideal match to fill in the brows for a natural-looking brow.
This selection process is going to be a little different for everyone since we all have different hair colors. You may have to test out a few shades before you find the perfect match.
Typically, I like to use a matte shadow shade. First, decide whether you want your brows to match the color of your hair or the color of your brows or maybe another color. Or choose a darker shade if you’ve dyed your hair darker.
For example, I dyed my hair black in the past, so I opted for a darker brow shade afterwards. Once you’ve decided on a shade, you’ll want to then choose a warm or cool toned shade within that color. If you can’t decide which better matches your brow hairs.
Try doing one brow with a warm tone and one with a cool tone and go by a window or outside to see which brow you prefer. I would also test different shade matches; maybe you like having dark hair and a lighter brow. The best method to find your favorite is really just try different colors on.
Application
Now that we have chosen a color, we need a brush to apply the eyeshadow to our brows. It’s important to have the right tools. I like using an angled brush or a flat brush. I do think it’s important to use a precise brush, which is a great way to have a more detailed and controlled application. It also makes the whole filling in the eyebrow process a lot easier.
Order of application seems to be a thing of personal preference. Some people like to apply their brows first and some like to after a full face of makeup.
I’m one of those people. I find it easier to apply the foundation around my brows before I fill them in. Before I begin, I like to brush through my brows with the spoolie end of my brush, taming any stray hairs and getting a better idea of where they need to be filled.
Now typically, eyeshadows tend to be a little more pigmented than eyebrow powder, so when you first dip into the eyeshadow, use a lighter hand. I would apply a little bit on the back of your hand to test how pigmented it comes off the brush before you go straight into your eyebrows. Or tap off the excess powder after dipping into the shadow.
Filling in the Tail
When you have a general idea of how much product you need and how it applies. I like to start on the tail of my brow. This is typically where I want my brows to be a little bit darker. I like to hold my brush almost horizontal to the face and have the flat portion of the brush parallel with the brow for a more precise application.
Following the natural shape of the eyebrow as a starting point. Beginning with the tail following the direction of your natural brows hair growth, bringing the bottom to a point in the outer corner.
Filling in the Middle
Once I use what’s on the brush for the tail. I’ll dip back into the eyeshadow to fill in the brow bone area eyebrow hairs, arching the shape. Using a light hand to gently fill in areas that are a little bit thinner than the rest of the brow for a uniform look.
You can follow the natural shape of your brows using little strokes. Or alter the shape a little bit by making them more arched or straighter; it’s up to you. I personally like to fill in the sparse areas within the middle of the brows and then focus on the shape afterwards. Once we’re at the middle of the brows, use what’s left on the brush for the front of your brow.
Filling in the Front
Using a light hand and keeping this the lightest area, like a gradient. The front portion being the lightest and outer corner the darkest. Keep the application light and delicate, blend as needed with little sweeping motions.
If you have a super thin brush, you could draw in some faux hair strokes in the front, for this I used the E06 brush from Sigma Beauty .
Now that we have the majority of our brows filled in, I’m going to use the spoolie brush to lightly brush through to blend everything out, being careful to not smudge. Once you brush through, add any light touch-ups where needed. I like to slowly build the product up as needed for the best results.
Cleaning them up
Now, this next step is optional, but I love the freshly waxed look on the bottom of the brow. I like to take a little bit of concealer and the ELF small smudger brush to lightly trace the bottom edge, cleaning it up following a straight line on the bottom before the arch.
You can further shape them this way or make them look more arched. I like to use a concealer that is similar to the shade of my foundation or I’ll use my actual foundation shade to do this.
Lock them in
Once the brows are complete, I like to go in with a little bit of eyebrow gel, hairspray, or even hair gel to hold them in place. In today’s tutorial I used the Jones Road The brow gel in shade brunette* This also tames down the unruly hairs for a more groomed look. I like brushing my eyebrow hair upwards then combing across the top.
Filling in the brows with eyeshadow is a really creative way to use the makeup you already have. It’s also super convenient when traveling. You’ll only have to bring one product which is less to pack.
There’s also a wider variety of shades to choose from with eyeshadow. Typically, a lot of brow color products are either one size fits all sometimes or they only have a smaller shade range. So, say you have dyed your hair pink and you need to fill in your brows with a pink shade. You have a ton of pink eyeshadow colors to choose from to do so.
Stay Power
If you’re worried about the staying power of your brows after going in with eyeshadow, you could always apply a little bit of eyeshadow primer. Blend it in with a spoolie lightly. Or use a setting spray on your whole face and that should help them stay put.
However, I don’t think you’ll have the same staying power as say an eyebrow pomade like the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow. If you’re looking for water-resistant or long-wearing brows, I would definitely opt for a more heavy-duty product like the pomade. I’ll have to share a video of my brow routine with pomade next.
That it!
There are so many different ways to go about filling in the brows. Everything is personal preference, but can you use eyeshadow to fill in your eyebrows? yes. Eyeshadow really allows you a huge variety of shades to choose from when filling them in.
I think eyeshadow is a lot softer when it comes to eyebrow products, giving more of a natural look when filling brows in. I hope you enjoyed this post and that you found it helpful. Looking for more content to check out, you might enjoy this post about prepping your eyes for eyeshadow.
