Do’s and Don’ts of Ombre Color
The Ombre hair coloring technique has taken the hair color world by storm. Be it major celebrities, Victoria’s Secret models or the girl next door, everyone’s getting in on the action of this awesome hair coloring trend. This is the #1 service being talked about and asked for in the salon right now.
One of the many reasons I love this technique so much is that it looks good on almost anyone. Ombre is a great technique for your low maintenance clients or those just trying out hair color for the first time. It can be a bit more time consuming as a service, but the results are worth the wait!!
Do’s and Don’ts of Ombre Color:
DO play with layers. If you look at anyone who’s done this color right, it’s because the contrasting colors play games with the layers and curls around their ends. The length of the lighter color varies, but the blending always happens when the layers are exposed in the last three or four inches of your hair, where bounce and swing occurs. If it’s been a while since your last cut, the effect might go largely unnoticed, or at least lack oomph.
DO steal a gorgeous color from someone who’s done it right. It’s always best to steal what works rather than reinventing the wheel. One who’s been successfully rocking ombre for a while is Drew Barrymore. I also think Rachel Bilson has it down pat. As with camping in bear country or showings of Magic Mike, you should never go solo on your hair color
DON’T go the DIY route. It can be hard to lighten those tips gradually instead of just bleaching the last few inches. Achieving the right blend of shades on your own is tricky, and if you don’t believe me, type ‘Bad Ombre into Google’…not cute and NOT what you want! It’s best to seek out a skilled stylist’s assistance in striking the right dark-to-light shades along the length of your locks.
DO match your hair color to your skin-tone. This is, of course, the number one concern for choosing any hair color, but it’s particularly important to strike the right balance with a blending of colors like ombre style. You should be planning to tone things down, no matter what shade, during the darker winter months, and switching to brighter color as spring rolls around. The darker your skin, the better able your tone is to support deep reds, bright caramel and shades of ash. Mid-toned girls see successful looks with brown, muted blonde and gold. Fair-skinned lovelies will do best to stick with lighter (though not eye-popping) blondes, ash tones and softened gold hues to offset the rosiness beneath the skin and avoid looking pale and washed out.
If you’re a hair color virgin, or are nervous about trying something new, DON’T go more than 2 or (maximum) 3 levels lighter than your natural shade, or the shade you currently rock. The ombre effect is meant to fake a natural, low-key, and subtle look, with some pop depending on the way it’s done. You don’t want black roots and blonde ends…consider how dramatic you want it to be and remember that the lighter you go, the more of a beating your hair takes!
Stylists, how many ombre services do you perform in a month? Share some of your pics with us!