What is the correct way to perform an eyebrow PMU procedure on a client with a hair color that is different from their eyebrow color?
Let’s look at some celebrity faces for inspiration.
Katy Perry is naturally blonde but has dyed her hair color very dark and very light at various times in her career. How would a PMU artist color match for eyebrows with this type of client?
Look at the client’s roots.
If your client has an ombré hairstyle, babylights, highlights, or roots that are growing out, the best color matching strategy will be to use the color of their natural hair.
It is much more flattering for brows to match the color of the client’s roots than the dyed hair. The visible roots will instantly balance with the color of the brows, and the client’s custom PMU color should follow accordingly.
Ask your client what their style is and how ften they like to change their style.
Some clients will tell you that they’ve had the same dyed hair color for years with no plans to switch things up. Some clients have commitment issues with color palettes. Some clients don’t know what their personal style is. Your client could even be a pop star who’s hair color is decided by their agency.
It is important to find out what the client’s expectations are, how they envision their PMU in a year’s time, and if they plan to change their hair color in the near future.
A client’s personality and style are also huge factors in determining the look of their PMU brows. If a client has dyed red hair and enjoys a warm toned color palette, it is safe to proceed with a warmer shade of PMU with the understanding that they will not be dying their hair blue tones in the near future.
Adjust warm and cool pigment tones to suit the color of the client’s skin.
Though your client’s preferences may shift from time to time, an important feature to observe is the client’s skintone. Some clients are naturally warm or cool toned. The client’s PMU, that will sit right under their skin, will need to pair with the tones of their skin. RealTint® PMU pigments range from warm to neutral to cool, with plenty of tones to mix a custom shade for every client.
When mixing a color, consider shifting the tones slightly warmer or cooler to pair with the client’s natural skintones. Ask your client if their current skintone is the tone they maintain for most of the year.
If a cool toned client plans to tan all summer and is preparing to dye their hair warmer for a sunkissed look, it would be beneficial to shift the PMU color to match the look they are preparing to keep for the majority of the year, rather than adjusting it cooler to match their skin pre-tan.
Adjust the shade of the client’s brows to suit their features and skintone, balancing with the current shade of their hair.
Clients with darker skin, dark lashes, and large features will prefer a dark and bold brow to a lighter one that matches their dyed hair. Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande, and Kylie Jenner are great examples of why it is beneficial to keep the brows close to their natural dark hue and shade even as the color of the hair shifts lighter. Clients that look like Bella Hadid, with thinner brows and smaller facial features, will look more balanced a lighter shade of brows rather than matching their darker haircolor. The key is to blend color theory and eyebrow design to create balance within each client’s unique face.
Some rules will be broken for clients that have hair colors that heavily contrast with the color and tones of their natural hair and skin. Though the typical rule of thumb is to shift the shade of the brows 2-3 shades above the client’s hair color, this rule might not work on some clients with dyed hair.
Reimagine fantasy colors as neutral tones to create realistic looking brows.
Fantasy colors are typically not maintained for a full year. They will fade quickly, and clients with loud hair colors may find themselves stuck with muted versions of their dyed hair colors in the time between trips to the salon. This is one of the main reasons why eyebrow PMU is rarely matched to a fantasy hair color. Clients that are fans of bold wig colors may own several warm and cool toned wigs that will frequently transform the color palette of their look from day to day. Neutral brow colors are recommended for clients that prefer bright or multicolored hair.
A good way to ensure that your client’s PMU brows will pair and not clash with their dyed hair color is to picture their hair color as a neutral shade. Reds will be the easiest to work with, and your client’s PMU brows will be adjusted to be warmer toned.
If a client’s hair is naturally dark but they prefer to keep their hair dyed a bright color, it is recommended to use a lighter color for their PMU brows. Bright hair reads as lighter in shade, and picturing the colored hair as a neutral hair will be the best way to ensure that the client’s PMU brows will be balanced with their dyed hair color.
Clients with dyed hair can be confusing to color match for at first, but after practicing these tried-and-true methods, every artist at Hyper Real Academy is fully prepared.
If you are struggling with color matching, feel free to take our class on color theory. Your clients will thank you!
