This Surprising $8 Beauty Hack Will Tint Your Brows in 3 Minutes Flat

Tiktok is no longer just a Zen G platform, but rather a place for everyone and their mothers (seriously!) to share dance challenges, hilarious pranks, cute pet videos, and beauty hacks—because what else is there to do during quarantine? The latest video to surface in my FYP ("For You Page") was a crazy affordable hack for tinting eyebrows at home, and needless to say, I was intrigued. (

Beauty blogger Hannah Cases, aka @hannahwiththelipstick, posted a tutorial on how to give light or sparse brows a boost without having to annoyingly pencil or fill them in every day—and her trick makes for a great fix for when you don't have the time or cash to hit up the salon, or just want to touch up your brows between appointments. Cases' secret to her luscious, bold brows happens to be Just for Men Brush-In Color Gel for Mustache & Beard (Buy It, $8, walgreens.com)—yes, her go-to eyebrow tint kit is a product advertised as "just for men."

"I get a lot of questions about my eyebrows," Cases begins her TikTok video. "I actually tint them at home for $7 using this kit. And I'm going to show you exactly what I do." Her video has garnered more than 25,000 "loves" and over 4,500 shares on TikTok alone, so there must be something there, right?

Cases reveals that she uses Just for Men Brush-In Color Gel for Mustache & Beard in the medium brown shade. While the kit comes with a bunch of "pointless things" like a brush and instructions, she notes that you can simply toss those in the garbage. "We don't need it. Throw it away," she tells fellow TikTokers. All you need is the two tubes (the base and developer), the clear tray that comes in the box, and a pointed makeup brush to apply the gel. (Don't have a pointed brush on hand? Grab this spoolie/brow brush combo at Walgreens, too.)

To prep your brows, first use a spoolie to fluff them and to remove any makeup or product that may have been lingering behind. Also, don't forget to tweeze any stray hairs to get your desired shape. Next, squeeze equal parts developer and color into the plastic tray and mix them together. You'll then use your pointed brush to paint the mixture onto your brow hairs. "Try to stay in the lines. That's why this pointy brush really comes in handy," says Cases. And if you're finding out that you're not the most skilled when it comes to painting, don't fret. If things start to get a little crazy, just use a baby wipe or face wipe to clean up your mess, she notes. (Add this packet of Neutrogena wipes to your shopping cart, while you're at it.)

Once your brows are fully coated in the gel, grab your phone or timer. "You're going to let this sit on your eyebrows for three minutes. Literally no more than three minutes. Promise?" she says to the camera. Noted. As you wait for the gel to work its magic, try not to freak out. "Whatever you do, remain calm. This is completely normal. They turn really dark, but they are not always going to be like this," explains Cases. Once the three minutes is up, wipe off the gel with a wet wipe—and voilà! You'll have fuller brows that look as though you had them professionally tinted... all for a cool eight bucks. (

It can certainly be a little jarring if you're not used to seeing your brows so full and dark, so if you prefer a more natural look, she recommends opting for a lighter shade. "I prefer my eyebrows to be darker but if you want a more subtle look get a lighter shade," Cases captions the end of her video. (

Buy It: Just for Men Brush-In Color Gel for Mustache & Beard, $8, walgreens.com

Believe it or not, the beauty blogger isn't the only lady who's discovered Just for Men. Multiple reviewers on the Walgreens site swear by the product as an eyebrow tinting hack, too.

One reviewer wrote: "Been using for many years and wouldn't use anything else to tint my eyebrows."

"I have been using the Mustache and Beard product for about 8 years," wrote another. "It is about the best on the market. You pretty much have to watch the shade coloring when it gets close to the 5 minute time mark. If you want it darker you just wait a little longer before washing it out. This product not only changes the color of your eyebrows but it also makes them softer. I do my eyebrows about every 4 week."

"Believe it or not, I am a woman who uses this product. I use it to cover my roots between hair dying as well as to color my eyebrows! This is the best and easiest product to use as far as I am concerned!" raved a customer.

And you have to love the sweet satisfaction of using a men's product to get the job done for way cheaper than a marked-up women's product. Other eyebrow tint products marketed toward women will run you $15-30. Take that, pink tax! (FWIW, another Shape editor uses a super cheap men's hair product on her long curly hair, too.)

While you might have abandoned your foundation and bronzer during quarantine, a bold, sharp brow can help to give you a no-makeup makeup look—perfect for those Zoom calls and at-home workout selfies. So, if your eyebrows could use a little TLC, check out Cases' tutorial and snap up a box of Just for Men Brush-In Color Gel for Mustache & Beard from your local drugstore.