'I bleached my eyebrows with a $23 kit, and I have thoughts.'

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I've always been low-maintenance when it comes to my eyebrows.

I don't go to a professional to shape or pluck them. It's always DIY, and TBH, you can probably tell. This has been partly to save money, partly because… well, I just never put much thought into them.

That was until earlier this year when I fell down a TikTok rabbit hole, which led me to think all night and day about my brows. Not their shape but… their colour and how they weren't… umm… bleached.

Yep, I was influenced by the bleached eyebrow trend. 

WATCH: Do you have eyebrow blindness? Post continues below.

OK, before you picture me pulling a full Kendall Jenner and taking my naturally dark brown Asian brows to platinum blonde (picture below for your reference) — no. Absolutely not.

In no universe would I bleach my brows to oblivion. Nor am I cool enough to pull it off.

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A post shared by GRAZIA India (@graziaindia)

What I'm actually referring to is the Korean-style bleached eyebrow trend. Think soft, subtly lightened brows that still look natural but change the entire vibe of your face.

So, why are people bleaching their eyebrows?

According to the endless TikTok tutorials clogging my feed, bleaching (or even slightly lightening) your brows to just one or two shades lighter than your natural hair colour creates a softer, more youthful look.

It's because dark brows frame the eyes very strongly, which makes features look sharper and more angular. By lightening them, you soften the frame, letting your eye shape — and even your entire eye socket — stand out. In Asian beauty trends, especially, this gives the illusion of bigger, rounder eyes. It also weakens the length of your forehead, which again, makes you appear softer.

The result is airy, gentle and almost "filtered," especially when paired with minimal makeup. It's like the no-makeup makeup trend but baked right into your face. Some TikTokers have even described the result as looking "more girly".

@lyss.mia

i look so much more girly and lighter eyebrows match my hair wayyy better #bleach #kbeauty #kpop #beautyhacks

♬ original sound - Lyss

This look first took off thanks to K-pop idols, runway models and celebrity makeup artists. It's now so mainstream in South Korea that many hair salons offer eyebrow bleaching as a standard add-on.

There's also a surprising versatility to them.

With lighter brows, you can easily flip between minimal, everyday looks and bolder, more experimental styles because your brows no longer compete with the rest of your face. Your eyes, blush, or lips become the main event.

Basically, it's like contouring without makeup. It tweaks your proportions in a way that feels subtle but seriously flattering.

How I bleached my eyebrows.

I'm not going to lie. Even after watching hours of TikTok tutorials, I hesitated. What if I hated it? What if I left the bleach on too long and ended up with actual platinum-blonde Kendall Jenner brows?

After months of umming and ah-ing, I finally decided to bite the bullet. I ordered the Jolen Creme Bleach Kit ($23.95) from Amazon — the number one recommended product in nearly every video I'd seen.

This is the kit I bought from Amazon. Image: Amazon.

Here's how I did it:

Step 1: Patch test.

Even if you're impatient, don't skip this. Apply a tiny amount behind your ear or along your jawline and wait 24 hours to make sure your skin doesn't freak out.

Step 2: Clean brows.

Make sure there's no oil, skincare or makeup hanging around.

Step 3: Mix.

Using the little spatula in the kit, I mixed equal parts cream and powder until it formed a smooth paste.

Step 4: Apply.

I used a cotton bud to coat every hair evenly, being careful not to smudge outside my brows.

Step 5: Wait (and panic a little).

I hovered in front of the mirror, checking every couple of minutes. After five minutes, I wiped a tiny patch to check — not much change yet. I left it on for two minutes more and got the perfect soft lift in colour.

(Tip: leave it for 5–8 minutes for a subtle change, up to 10 if you want something more noticeable. Just make sure to keep an eye on it.)

Step 6: Remove.

I wiped everything off with a damp cotton pad, rinsed with lukewarm water, and then applied a soothing moisturiser to calm any dryness.

The verdict.

I expected this to be a subtle tweak, but I immediately noticed a huge difference in the best way possible. My brows still look natural (most people don't even notice I've done anything), but my face looks softer, less harsh (let's hope it's lessened the severity of my RBF), somehow more balanced, and I'm pretty sure my eyes even look bigger.

Before (left) and after (right). Image: Supplied.

The best part is, I no longer feel like I need to fill my brows at all. I just brush them into place with clear gel, and I'm out the door. It's perfect for that low-effort vibe,  especially since I only wear concealer and blush most days.

There's also plenty of product in the one Jolene pack — you don't need to use an awful lot each time, so I'm pretty I can get through maybe six or seven more bleach sessions before I need to repurchase.

I know professional eyebrow artists are probably shaking their heads at my bleaching decision (sorry!), but honestly, the only regret I have about the whole process is not biting the bullet earlier. 

If you're worried about committing, remember: the colour will gradually fade as your brows grow out, so it's the perfect beauty experiment with little risk. Just don't leave the bleach sitting too long unless you actually want the full platinum look (some TikTokers learned this the hard way).

Or, you can always get it done professionally. That's probably the smarter option.

Feature image: Supplied.

Have you tried bleaching your eyebrows? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.