Mixing Brow Tint Colors Using Color Theory

If you're a brow technician, you probably know that matching tint color to a client's hair color can be a difficult task. Most pre-made brow tint colors come in a small range of shades, but what happens if your client has a unique hair color? While there are only five natural colors of human hair—black, brown, blond, white, and red—there are countless shades and variations of those colors, and that's not even counting those who dye their hair unique colors such as pink or blue. So, what can you do to create a customized brow tint color for your clients? Color theory can help you mix the tints you have on hand to match any hair color. Here's how. Understanding Color Theory According to the traditional RYB (red, yellow, blue) color wheel, there are three primary colors: red, yellow, and blue. You can create all other colors by mixing these three together. For example, red mixed with yellow creates orange, blue mixed with yellow makes green, and so on. You create secondary colors by mixing equal parts of two primary colors. Tertiary colors come from mixing a primary color with a secondary color. In the traditional RYB color wheel, the tertiary colors include yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, red-violet, red-orange, and yellow-orange. Mixing Tints Using Color Theory To mix brow tints, you can use the same principles as color theory. Let's say your client has a unique hair color that falls somewhere between brown and red. What brow tint color should you use  on this client? Your tube of brown tint might be too dark, while your red tint might be too bright. Instead of trying to find an exact match in a pre-made tint, you can create the right hue yourself by mixing equal parts of brown and red tints. But what if you don't have those exact shades on hand? That's where tertiary colors come into play. Remember how we mentioned earlier that you can create tertiary colors by mixing a primary color with a secondary color? In this case, you can mix blue (a primary color) with orange (a secondary color made from red and yellow) to create a shade of brown. Then, mix that with red (a primary color) to achieve the desired reddish-brown tint. Using Tint Modifier Colors In addition to the primary, secondary, and tertiary colors used in color theory, there are also tint modifier colors. These include white and black tints, which you can use to lighten or darken a tint shade. If your client has very light hair, you may want to add a touch of white tint to your mixture to create a lighter tint shade. If your client has dark hair with cool undertones, adding a hint of black tint can help neutralize any warmth in the brown or red tints you're using. Don't just rely on the pre-made brow tint colors available to you. With a basic understanding of color theory and some mixing techniques, you can create customized shades for your clients that look natural and complement their unique hair colors.