Ready to Try Eyebrow Tinting? These Are the Best Kits to Buy (2024)

With almost 5,000 reviews, this eyebrow tinting kit is an Amazon favorite for a reason: The color lasts for a full two weeks, and it takes just a few minutes to do all three steps. Pro tip: For this kit (and really any eyebrow tinting kit), a little bit of Vaseline around the edges of your brows will prevent any staining on your skin—just make sure you don’t get it on your actual brow.

• Shades: Four
• Formula: Powder mix

Glowing Customer Review: "This is one of the best products I've used! I got so sick of drawing in my eyebrows every day. This can be easily applied, leave it on for 10 minutes and your eyebrows look great. Best of all this lasts at least 2 weeks, on my first try the color lasted almost a month!"

This brow peel-off from Maybelline earns our number one drugstore pick because you get all the benefits of a traditional eyebrow tint, but it's totally safe because it's specially made to use on your eyebrows and acts more like a makeup stain rather than a traditional tint (despite its name). It's also mess-free because there is no DIY mixing required, and you don't need to rinse the tint off your eyebrows after 20 minutes. Just peel off the top layer of dried gel with your clean fingers and, boom—fully tinted brows for your entire weekend.

• Shades: Four
• Formula: Gel
  

Glowing Customer Review: "So I don’t normally write reviews but… this product changed my life. I’ve always had very thin eyebrows and oily skin. I’ve been told by cosmetic tattooists that I couldn’t get microblading because the ink wouldn’t take to my skin. I had a professional eyebrow tint done for $40 that lasted me less than a day. I was sick of using brow pens and pomades as the oil on my skin would cause them to rub off. So of course I had to try this for $15. The photo is me wearing the stain after a full 9-hour work day AND a 3-mile hike. I am literally in AWE. My brows do not rub off at all and I can finally feel confident throughout my workday that my brows aren’t melting off my face lol."

If you're looking for the crème de la crème of eyebrow tinting kits, may I suggest you check out this one from Brow Code? This was a recent discovery of mine, and although it hurt to bite the $50 price tag, in the end, it ended up saving me lots of moola because my results were just as good as an in-office treatment. This fragrance-free formula is made with the gentlest ingredients to ensure it's safe to use on your thin eyebrow skin, and includes enough product for 12 separate tint sessions...math is mathing here, people.

• Shades: Two
• Formula: Gel/lotion

Glowing Customer Review: "Love how eyebrows turned out! I am blonde and was nervous that the results would be too dark but they were so natural looking. Also it was very easy to apply and didn’t feel intimidating."

Whether you just need a teensy bit more color to define your arches and tail, or you want to go from barely there brows to darker and more defined brows, welcome to your eyebrow tinting kit. Go through the henna-based tinting process one time for a subtle tint, then repeat for more intensely pigmented brows that will last up to a week. Just note: Henna lasts on average from six to 12 days, so keep in mind that if you mess up, it'll last quite a while.

• Shades: Seven
• Formula: Powder mix

Glowing Customer Review: "I have very thin eyebrows that refuse to grow where I need them to, and I got tired of drawing them on every day. I tried a few eyebrow tints which worked but disappeared very quickly. This was my first time trying the henna and I loved it. It was not only not natural looking, but it lasted a few days longer than the tints I've tried."

Ideally, you'd go to a professional to get your eyebrows tinted or pick one of the kits specifically made for your brows on this list. But because I know you've likely seen this Just for Men kit promoted everywhere when searching for the best eyebrow tints, at least proceed with caution if you want to try it for yourself, k? Thankfully, this hair dye kit is indeed ammonia-free (a big no-no ingredient when it comes to any dye near your face) and contains good-for-your-hair ingredients like hydrating aloe, strengthening biotin, and emollient, coconut oil, so while color is setting, it's also preventing dryness. Though it's not designed for brows, it's a popular pick because of its affordable price, wide shade range, and easy application.

• Shades: 12
• Formula: Lotion

Glowing Customer Review: "Just For Men Mustache & Beard in Light-Medium Brown (M-30) is a game-changer for tinting eyebrows. The brush included makes application a breeze, ensuring precise results. Enriched with Biotin, Aloe, and Coconut Oil, it colors and nourishes brow hair, promoting healthy growth. The shade blends seamlessly, giving a natural look that lasts. Perfect for anyone looking to enhance their brows effortlessly and effectively."

Expect this peel-off brow gel—which you might remember from, like, all over social media a few years ago—to feel gooey and sticky as you paint it on your eyebrows and then harden over time. Leave it on from twenty minutes to an hour, depending on how dark you want your brows. The intense color of the tint looks intimidating, but trust me, you’ll be left with gently tinted eyebrows that need no extra brow products for several days (and check out this YouTuber's brow-tint demo if you need a visual).

• Shades: Four
• Formula: Gel

Glowing Customer Review: "Love this stuff! Finally found something that doesn't sweat/wipe off during my 12-hour nursing shift! I use the brown color but am thinking of trying the dark brown on my next purchase. It lasts a long time and will require some type of makeup remover to get it off completely. It's easy to put on with the applicator wand it comes with, but I like to use an angled brush to be more precise... it's a great product and I'm super happy to have found it."

Rain, showers, and sweat cannot compete against this waterproof eyebrow tint, which goes on like a regular eyebrow gel but stays for up to three days. One reviewer says they showered, washed their face, and, at one point, mindlessly rubbed their eyebrows, and the tint still didn't smear, flake, or budge. I mean, that's freaking great waterproof makeup, IMO.

• Shades: Six
• Formula: Gel

Glowing Customer Review: "Where the hell has this been my whole life? Love this product! It is so easy to use, long-lasting, and buildable. I use the brush to apply product on a straight line on the underside of my brow then the spoolie to feather and distribute it out. At the front and top of my brows I use the brush to create hair-like lines then the spoolie again to blend. I would 100000% recommend this product!"

Looking for both tint and shape without the commitment? Pick up this waxed-based formula with a spoolie, and comb it through your brows to give your lil hairs the structure and hold they need to not only stay in place but look darker and fuller too. (And even though you’re here for ~the tint~, it also comes in clear, FWIW).

• Shades: Clear, tint
• Formula: Wax

Glowing Customer Review: "Love this product! Does not feel heavy, has the perfect amount of tint, and creates results that are really easy to get after you watch him use the product the way he designed it to be used."

On clean, oil-free brows (so skip your face oil this time), paint this eyebrow tint carefully over your brow hairs. If you only need a little bit of color, you can leave this on for just 30 minutes. For a more intense pigmented result, leave it on overnight and wash it off in the morning for fully darkened brows—which, FYI, is not directed on the label, but is my personal hack for a long-lasting tint.

• Shades: Four
• Formula: Liquid

Glowing Customer Review: "Love this product. It dyes brows nicely and doesn't dye the skin—didn't cause any irritation"

If dyeing your eyebrows sounds too intimidating, a tinted brow gel is the next best thing. And even though it’s not semi-permanent like actual eyebrow tinting, it’s still less maintenance than filling in your brows with an eyebrow pencil (although, for bold, va-va-voom brows, start by filling in sparse spots with a pencil and follow up with the gel), and safer than some of the DIY kits.

• Shades: 10
• Formula: Gel

Glowing Customer Review: "Unfortunately, 4 weeks post lamination, my brows are soooo dry (even after moisturizing daily) and breaking off to where there are noticeable sparse spots! Of course, after freaking out I got recommended this. Makes my brows look like they are full and like they never left! Amazing plus for castor oil in it too!"

Not into the stiff, crunchy brows that some gels give you? Opt for this cream-based formula that coats your brow hairs in pigment while lifting and sculpting them into your desired shape. For a light layer of color, brush the spoolie through your brow hairs in the direction of the hair growth. And for ultra-fluffy brows, brush the spoolie against the grain of your brows first—wait, hear me out—and then go back in the direction of hair growth with the spoolie. Trust me, it’s one of the eyebrow tricks I live by.

• Shades: Five
• Formula: Cream

Glowing Customer Review: "Been using this eyebrow cream for a couple of years now - have used taupe, espresso, and now soft ebony. It holds hair in place without being stiff/crunchy staying flexible, the perfect amount of product each application, and so many things I love about this!"

Let's first start with what these kits actually are—eyebrow tinting kits semi-permanently dye your eyebrows for up to a few days or a few weeks, depending on the kit, so you can skip the brow pencils and gels every day. You'll need to follow the instructions that come with your kit very carefully (since every kit is a little bit different), but generally, you'll paint the dye across your clean, dry eyebrow in the direction of your hair growth, covering any area you would normally cover with a brow gel or pencil.

Then, after letting the dye sit for anywhere from 20 minutes to overnight, depending on the instructions and how dark you want your brows, you'll either rinse your brows or peel off the hardened dye coating. My advice? Start with letting the dye sit for the shortest amount of time, as advised on your kit, and see how dark they get. You can always apply it again for more color, but you can't exactly hit the rewind button once that dye is set.

Ensure it's safe for your eye area

When it comes to using any kind of dye, you want to make sure you’re getting the safest formula with the longest-lasting results—a tall order when every kit on Google claims to be the very best. First things first: Make sure the kit is actually made for eyebrows. As in, don't think you can just sub in your at-home box dye because "hair is hair." Nope. As Malynda Vigliotti of Boom Boom Brow Bar in New York City has told Cosmopolitan, hair dye contains ammonia, which is dangerous for your eyes and the sensitive skin around them. Instead, eyebrow tinting kits tend to be made with natural, vegetable-based formulas.

And a reminder, despite all the eyebrow tinting kits claiming to be safe for your eye area, there is no DIY kit that the FDA deems safe as of 2024 due to potential risks such as eye damage, skin discoloration, and more seriously, blindness. If you'd rather go with a safer alternative, consider opting for a gel peel-off tint like the Maybelline Tinta Sopracciglia Tattoo Brow Peel-Off or a tinted brow gel like Kosas Air Brow Tinted Clean Volumizing Eyebrow Gel.

The fewer steps, the better

Instead of experimenting with a 12-piece tinting kit that makes you feel like a mad scientist, go for the low-stress kits that come with just a dye, an activator, and a few tools for application, or try the peel-off formulas that just require painting over your brows, letting them dry, and then gently peeling off the coating. Or, if you just want to test out some temporary one-day tints, go for a wash-off brow gel or colored brow wax.

Siena Gagliano is the associate editor at Cosmopolitan who writes beauty and has four years of experience writing about beauty, fashion, and lifestyle news. She’s an expert at researching and writing beauty stories, like the top lip masks and the best tubing mascaras. She’s an authority in all makeup categories, but an expert when it comes to eyebrow tinting kits. She regularly tests and analyzes them on herself for efficacy, while working with the industry’s top makeup artists to assess new formulas and brands.

Sami Roberts was previously the beauty assistant at Cosmopolitan with four years of experience researching, writing, and editing health, social media, and beauty-related stories, including facial-hair removal and cream eyeshadows.