When you create individual hair strokes, the color must look as natural as possible. However, quite often the color can turn reddish. This is why many people prefer to use neutral or cool tones. What is often misunderstood with this logic, is that this may result in some of those cool tone selections turning grayish.
For individual hair strokes you should select shades that mimic the natural color of the hair by following some of the recommendations listed here:
- For people with skin type 1 (redhead) use warm palette tones;
- For people with skin type 2 (blonde) use neutral shades like Bashful Blonde or Hazelnut if you want the brows light. Use Fawn or Cappuccino if you want a medium blonde tone;
- For people with skin type 3 (dark blond or light brown hair) I recommend using a 9:1 blend of Café Vienna and Brown Sugar. Mix it well and you will get a beautiful natural tone;
- For people with skin type 4 (dark brown hair), Earth alone, a blend of 9:1 Expresso and Brown Sugar, or 9:1 of Expresso and Chocolate Eclair are ideal choices;
- For people with skin types 5 or 6 (dark brown or black hair), if the client does not have much brow hair, you can choose between German Chocolate and Café Olé. If enough brow hair is present, Earth, or even Mahogany are nice choices. I rarely use Mahogany to do eyebrows, but this is one instance in which this color would look very good, provided you make very fine and well-defined hair strokes.
The tones above are just some examples of colors that can be used with correct skin type assessment. They are an illustration of the alternatives available to achieve optimal results and avoid discoloration.
To clearly understand and picture the combination of these colors,
view this video.
I realize there is currently a deluge of new products and product lines on the market and, with artists wanting the best for clients, this can cause tremendous confusion. I recommend that no matter what brand you use, familiarize yourself with it. Study it. Test it. Draw your own conclusions. To illustrate, consider these suggestions: