There are very few life struggles that come with being blonde . Stereotypes generally play in our favor —even the one about being dumb apparently just makes people more eager to help us out . In fact, the only issue I’ve ever experienced that’s directly related to being a natural dark blonde—with some not-quite-grown-out highlights—is how hard it is to find a brow pencil that works with my hair color.

The primary issue I run into is that Big Brow seems to have decided that all blondes want to use pencils with very warm undertones. I’ve been let down countless times by a product that looks light brown in the packaging but is straight up orange once I apply it. I’m sure there are some strawberry blondes out there who appreciate this option, but I’m personally looking for a neutral brow shade.

My other primary hurdle in my Goldilocksian quest is if brands have a blonde option it’s often too light for me, and their second lightest shade tends to go straight into brunette territory.…