The Shade Match Guide

No pressure, but our tints and stains last for up to 6 weeks, so choosing the right one is kind of a big deal.

But no pressure...

😳

We get it. With so many different shades to choose from, then considering the client’s skin tone, hair tone, undertone, personal preference, colour theory AND that Fitzpatrick guy’s thing (more on him later), deciding on a brow shade is stressful AF.

But fear not, dearest gentle readers. We’re back with another blog that is going to put your mind at ease and transform your shakey shade matching skills into decisions you can assert with confidence and accuracy.

With our shade match guide, your clients will be leaving your salon with their heads held high and a newfound love for their beautiful brows...

Skin tone refers to the surface layer of the skin, whereas undertone refers to the colour underneath the surface. The four main skin tones are fair, light, medium and dark. In 1975, Thomas Fitzpatrick identified a skin tone classification chart. You can use this chart to help identify what kind of skin your client has.

The three main undertones are cool, neutral and warm.

If veins are blue or purple, your client has cool undertones. If veins are greenish, they have warm undertones. An unobvious bias indicates neutral undertones. Another way to determine the undertone is by asking them which jewellery looks most flattering on their skin. Silver looks best with cool undertones, and gold complements warm tones. If your client suits both (you guessed it), they have neutral undertones.

Okay, so you've identified their skin tone and undertone.

Now which brow tint should you choose?

Well, the goal is to select a shade which harmonises with the skin rather than clashes against it. Cool undertones are complemented by cooler shades like our Brown Cream Tint and Ash Blonde Hybrid Stain, whereas warm undertones are complemented with honey hues like those in our Mid Brown Cream Tint and Chestnut Brown Hybrid Stain. Clients with neutral undertones (yep, you guessed it) suit both cool and warm shades.

In general, natural brunettes suit browns like our Brown Cream Tint, and natural blondes suit lighter colours like our Light Blonde Hybrid Stain and Natural Cream Tint. Choosing a shade similar to the hair colour gives a more natural appearance. Another tip for creating a more natural appearance is to use an ombre tinting technique.

Our Mid Brown Cream Tint and Reddish Brown Hybrid Stain are perfect for red haired clients. For grey and silver haired clients, our Ash Blonde Hybrid Stain is stunning. Bear in mind that red and grey hair is more resistant to tint, so slightly longer processing times are needed to develop the colour. In contrast, blonde hair takes to tint quickly, so be watchful of how the colour develops.

All of our 9 Hybrid Stains can be mixed to create infinite new shades. This means that you can tailor shades to each client by adding cooler or warmer pigments until the perfect colour is born. The stains are true to colour with no undertones (unlike our Cream Tints, which have cool undertones), and you do not need to mix Hybrid Stains if you don't want to.

If you are trying to add warmth, add a few drops of Chestnut Brown or Reddish Brown to any base colour. If you’re trying to cool down a shade, try adding Ash Blonde.

You can experiment endlessly. A good idea is to try a few combinations in your spare time, dabbing them onto your arm before you using them on a client. You could make a list of which colour combos you like, or which would best suit what features. This makes it easy for when your client is in the salon bed.

Sometimes, a client may want to reshape the mould and stand out with brows that don't conform to the skin and hair tone "rules."

If your client wants a certain look, then you should give them what they desire (regardless of what you think will suit them best) - they are paying for what they want!

Maybe they have dark skin but want blonde tint, or maybe they have ginger hair but want black brows. You can warn them that a shade may be too light or dark for them, but if they have their heart set on a certain look, then you should oblige.

Go lighter.

Usually, it is best to have a shade that is too light than too dark. If brows turn out too dark for a client's features, it can wash them out and overpower the face, but if brows turn out too light, it is fixable.

It is possible to apply more stain/tint to make a darker colour, whereas it's harder trying to remove colour that has already been applied. This is why going lighter is safer when in doubt!

See below for a colour chat of our 9 Hybrid Stain shades...

You can read more about our Hybrid Stains here.

See the below reference sheet for our 5 Cream Tints shades...

Understanding complementary colours is essential for correcting unwanted undertones. But remember, when it comes to brow tinting, a "one rule fits all" approach is impossible. You must pay attention to individual exceptions.

Hopefully, our Shade Match Guide has allowed you to feel more confident in selecting tints for different clients! If not, comment below and we'll help you figure it out.

Yeah, we're nice like that 😇