How To Rock The Bleached Brow Trend Without The Bleach

In the '80s, people were applying Jheri curls in their bathroom sink. Now, we're bleaching our eyebrows. Whether or not this is a fad that we regret looking at in 20 years' time, there's no denying it's definitely the "it-girl" aesthetic of the year. Even though your boyfriend may not approve of it, according to Julia Fox who happily proclaimed the brow trend a "man repellant" on TikTok, there's an undeniable allure to the bleach stylings. With Y2K and futuristic grunge still reigning supreme in fashion, the blonde brows have become the new beauty accessory, with supermodels Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner also joining the club. 

Mixing together bleach powder and developer can feel like jumping into a long-term relationship, but luckily there are ways to test the waters first. If you've graduated from soap brows to boy brows, to laminated brows, and think you're ready for the next step but don't want to go full commitment, we might have a solution for you. 

Before you reach for the bleach and purple shampoo, you may want to look in your makeup drawer first. The key to faux blonde brows lies in a good concealer. Beauty content creators and MUAs on Tiktok are reaching in their makeup bags to recreate the bleached trend simply by using their own concealer. If your concealer is a shade or two lighter than your natural skin tone, which is typically the correct shade for highlighting, it may be the perfect color to test out. However, if you're looking for a more platinum or cooler-toned blond, test out an even lighter concealer shade you wouldn't normally use in your regular routine. 

Once you've chosen your concealer shade that will act as the blonde faux dye, you first want to prep the brows. Part of the bleached brow trend is also the boy brow styling so you'll want to treat them with a gel and brush them into your desired shape before going in with concealer. Rather than splurging on an aesthetic beauty gel designed for brows, many influencers swear by hair brand Got2b's Ultra Glued styling gel. Apply a small amount on a spoolie, and brush generously into the brows without overdoing the application. Too much gel could result in excess residue or flakiness. The idea is to shape the brows into a fluffy yet sleek shape. 

Once you've gelled and styled your brows, be sure to clean your spoolie, or grab a new one before moving on. You're now ready to coat your eyebrows in their new color. Generously apply the concealer onto the spoolie, and coat the hairs evenly working upwards and out to the edges. When using a concealer to cover the brows, it's best to work with a liquid full-coverage formula that can conceal dark hairs. Addison Rae's ITEM Air Hug Concealer is both lightweight and has full coverage to create a smooth finish that's not clunky or heavy.

If you're more of a matte-finish type of girl and have brows that are already in the light to dark-brown shade group, there's one more option you can try. Rather than using a liquid concealer, you can opt for a concealer pencil to shade over the entire brow. Anastasia Beverly Hills' Pro Pencil comes in three natural finishes that perfectly mimic bleached hairs. Use the jumbo pencil to coat the entire brow, leaving a blonde matte finish. To clean up the area, use a blonde brow pencil like Benefit Cosmetic's Gimme Brow + Volumizing Brow Pencil for added definition. 

Life imitates art as the saying goes, and in today's world that applies to both digital and augmented reality. If you're hesitant to take the blonde plunge, you can first try the bleached brows on virtually. TikTokkers are trying on the look by first wearing the filter before committing. It's important to note that the filter not only sleeks your brows back but also gives you a slight brow lift and pouted lips. So, before falling in love with your new digital mirror, keep in mind it's also enhancing other areas of your face to make you feel like Bella Hadid. Regardless, it's a great preview of what could be.