Like many millennials, I’ve experienced brow trend whiplash, when the pendulum rapidly swung from skinny ’90s arches to thick, fluffy and full shapes like the ones we’re still familiar with today. I’m not sure I’ll ever move past having dark, bushy brows (honestly, pass me the Revitabrow), but for those looking for something a little more minimalist, you’re in luck: bleached brows are back once again—and they may be a little more stubborn this time, appearing to hold favour with Gen Z’ers.
In line with the trend of ‘barely there’ brows, it seems bleaching has come right back around and TikTok is awash with ultra-blonde arches that somehow manage to look bold and striking but still relatively… normal?
@pilot.rachel bleached
This all came to a head after Miley Cyrus made her red carpet appearances during awards season this year. The singer, who usually has dark brown brows, was sporting noticeably fairer hair, likely down to bleaching. Somehow, though, she managed to pull it off with a level of subtlety. You see, Miley’s brows were certainly blonde, but they still suited her face and weren’t ultra-white-blonde.
Perhaps proving bleached brows are about to become more widely accepted within the mainstream, her style is in contrast to others who have tried the look in recent years, including Maisie Williams and Nicola Peltz-Beckham, who took more of a full-on bleach, high fashion approach with theirs.
That said, bleaching your brows (particularly if you have darker hair) is a beautiful yet bold move that will set you apart in the coolest of ways. “It’s certainly a speedy route to looking much more editorial and fashion-y,” says Madeleine Spencer, beauty editor and make-up artist. “It’s a look that isn’t about suiting a certain face or features, but rather attitude; you have to be confident with this, and happy to court more looks than usual (that was certainly my experience when mine were bleached blonde).”
So should you give it a go? That’s down to you; take into account your hair colour, your personal style and most importantly, whether you can commit to doing it safely and following necessary aftercare.
I’d recommend going to a professional at a salon to bleach your brows to ensure safety for your skin and hair. However, Madeleine says you can, in theory, do it yourself if you feel confident in doing so. In fact, she’s tried it herself. “I did mine with a standard face bleach,” she begins, before explaining that “it’s important to protect the surrounding skin well (I did this with Vaseline) and to do it in stages.”
“You might need to apply the bleach and remove it a few times to get the desired colour (to take mine from dark brown to blonde, I did it slowly using around four lots of bleach).”
Again, because of this, visiting a professional may be safer and easier.
If you do bleach your brows, make sure you take great care afterwards to maintain your hair’s condition. As we know, bleach can be harsh and drying on hair on the head, so it’s worth investing in a nourishing oil or cream (I like a Pawpaw balm, for example) to slather onto brows that are bleached.
Also, remember that if you change your mind, you’ll need to wait for your natural hair to grow back, which could take around 6-8 weeks.
In short, this is a trend that looks cool but requires confidence and commitment, so give it plenty of thought before booking that appointment or reaching for that bleach!