When the clothes won’t fit or you’re running late to put on some makeup, it’s good to know that your hair looks great. Coloring your hair is one of the quickest ways to amp your look. From traditional highlights to ombre, balayage, dip dye, and color melt, there are many ways to color your hair. Read on to find out the latest trends and techniques in hair coloring.
Ombre
Yep, this phenomenal hair coloring technique of 2012 is still in and in so many fun colors! Among the latest ombre color trends are bright blonde (which is perfect for lazy girls as they don’t have to keep on top of the roots), caramel, teal, and cool brunettes with honey-blonde highlights.
This hair coloring technique creates a beautiful effect in which the bottom portion of your hair looks lighter than the top portion. Usually, ombre starts in the middle of the hair strand so you can see the line between the dark and lighter hair color. This technique works with almost any hair color and type, long or short.
NOTE: Ombre is a time-consuming process. Spare at least 3 or 4 hours in the salon. After that, enjoy a low-maintenance look that looks great in every season!
Sombre
Sombre is the softer version of ombre. It’s one of the hottest hair coloring techniques in 2019 with celebrities like Jennifer Lawrence and Mila Kunis flaunting their gorgeous sombres.
This technique creates a subtle color transition from the roots of the hair to the tips (usually one or two shades apart), creating a more seamless and gradual effect but just enough color for a standout look. It is achieved by weaving your natural root color throughout your hair.
NOTE: Your stylist can add different shades and tones similar to your natural hair color for added texture and dimension. It’s a time-consuming process like ombre but requires fewer trips to the salon after.
Balayage
Balayage is a French term which means “to sweep” or “to paint”. It’s a highlighting technique that creates a beautiful effect on the hair. In Balayage, the stylist paints bleach or hair color just on the surface of your hair. Such freehand application results in a soft, natural-looking, sun-kissed highlight that easily blends with your hair. For best results, fully saturate your hair from your desired mid-length line to the tips, working from side to side. Do not place the streaks too close together. Aside from brushing, you can have other variations for color applications, such as smudging and strobing.
NOTE: Like Ombre and Sombre, Balayage is also very low-maintenance. The natural transition from shade to shade makes roots less noticeable as your hair grows longer.
Lowlights
You knew about highlights. What about lowlights? This technique deepens your hair color by adding selected strands of darker shades instead of lighter shades. If you love your natural hair color and simply want to make it shine through by adding depth and dimension, one of the hottest techniques to try is the application of lowlights.
NOTE: Lowlights are perfect for people with a natural base hair color. It works really well with thin or curly hair, as well as fine locks as it creates the illusion of volume.
Ecaille/Tortoise Shell
A dynamic hair color trend that resembles the look of a tortoise shell, Ecaille features golden highlights paired with darker, rich caramel tones. This creates a unique style that adds warmth and texture to your hair. It incorporates shades of honey, golden blonde, amber, and dark brown.
NOTE: For best results, focus on rich shades to create a dimension and gradience of color.
Color Melt
If you love bright and vivid colors, such as pink and purple hair dye, but want to make a flawless gradient transition throughout your hair, you should try the color melt approach. This technique involves no color variations or dimensional coloring. Rather, one color melts right into the next, creating a seamless beautiful spectrum of shades. Think of it as an upgraded version of the classic ombre.
NOTE: Proper application of this technique creates a “melted” effect where you can’t tell where the other color starts and the other ends.
Bronde
This color sits in between blonde and brown. It’s perfect for women with natural brunette hair. This fresh, radiant effect is achieved by applying the hair color in layers. To achieve this look, the hair roots are dyed with deep-brunette hues while the tips are dyed with bright blonde for contrast.
Note: Take this technique to the next level by focusing on more brown all over with dimensional blonde highlights throughout. This look is called “toasted coconut” hair.
Highlights
Perhaps the most popular hair coloring technique of all time – highlights are sections of the hair dyed with a lighter color. There are four basic types of highlights:
- Foil highlights – uses foil to protect or separate strands of hair that will remain in their natural color.
- Hair painting – uses a hair-painting brush to highlight thin-sized strands of hair.
- Frosting – the freehand lightening of the tips of the hair. This process is often used for people with short hair.
- Chunking – this highlight involves larger and thicker strands of hair dyed in a variety of bold natural colors to create more contrast.
NOTE: Highlights add dimension to your hair and can accentuate your curls. So ready your hot rollers. You will definitely have a head-turning hairstyle in no time.
Dip-dyed Hair
This is a classic two-tone coloring technique. Color choices can go extreme and don’t have to be within the same family as ombre. It is quite a statement color as there is no mid-tone or gradient between the two shades.
NOTE:
While you can go overboard, stylists advise sticking within the same tone as your root hair. If you have blonde hair, you can go with four shades lighter than your natural color.
Summary
Coloring your hair is one of the best ways to refresh your look. With these 9 coloring techniques, you are sure to look and feel great as you head out of the salon. Of course, there are some things you need to do to keep your hair beautiful and strong, such as undergoing keratin treatments, using a sulfate-free shampoo, and using leave-on treatments when styling.
