You may know that red and yellow makes orange, but do you know how to speak in colour? Last week we shared 10 steps to being fluent in “hairdresser” and this week we’re taking it that one step further! No one wants to go to a salon in search of natural babylights and leave with a full head of balayage. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but being able to talk to your colourist ensures that you leave the salon with exactly what brought you there in the first place. bhave babes listen up! It’s time to learn about colour.
colour techniques:
No two colourists’ minds are the same, but one thing they all have in common is an understanding of colour techniques. Normally we’d suggest googling or searching social media (Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest pages as a great start ) to gain a better understanding of the type of style you’re trying to achieve, however at the end of the day if you want to leave the salon with the hair you’ve been dreaming about, then we suggest that you learn the difference between:
ombre vs sombre vs balayage
Ombre – we like to think a good planned root is the answer to every woman’s regrowth problems and that’s why the colour Gods gifted us the term ombre! Being a graduated colour that is typically lighter at the ends and gradually darker as you move up, an ombre look is the go-to colour for celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Chrissy Teigen, and bhave babe Vanessa Hudgens and looks best when applied to brunettes. Ladies, forget getting your roots done every other month and remember to OMBRE!
Sombre – After an easy upkeep colour that is a touch more on the chic side? Forget the drastic contrast of dark roots and light ends that ombre is so infamous for and let us introduce you to sombre! Ombre’s softer, cuter, slightly more high maintenance alter-ego. Unlike ombre that works best for brunettes, sombre works for everyone, being an especially great way for dark blondes to go lighter without touching their natural colour.
TIP– Sombre looks best on high-shine hair, so make sure to treat your hair right by offering it a little top up in between your main colour appointments with our clear 180 BOOST to help enhance and redeem that beautiful shine.
Balayage – Every bhave babe should know what balayage is but just in case, here’s a reminder! Balayage is a technique of freehand dyeing, often coined as hair contouring. Aiming to create a sun-kissed look where hair is lighter around the face and ends, balayage is a simply stunning way of upping your hair game, imitating the suns natural lightening effect on your hair in Summer.
highlights vs babylights vs
lowlights
Highlights – Are a colourists go-to method to brighten up any colour. Coming in all sizes and thicknesses, highlights are suitable for all hair types and can often naturally occur through sun exposure. Basically recreating the hair colour you had when you were a child, (if only we could keep that hair forever) highlights can help create a multidimensional style that will have onlookers green with envy!
Babylights – Designed to create delicate, multi-tonal variation in your hair, babylights are the newest highlighting technique creating super-fine highlights achieved by creating smaller areas of separation between foils. Babylights can be used on any hair type/colour and are low maintenance so you don’t need to worry about noticeable regrowth which means less trips to the salon and more moula in your pocket!
Lowlights – Creating depth and dimension, lowlights are applied in deeper shades to your existing colour taking your natural hair from light and bright to deep and moody. This technique works best on lighter to medium shades creating the illusion of thicker and fuller hair when placed strategically - pounce fine-haired bhave babes, this is the style for you!
permanent vs semi-permanent
Permanent – WARNING: Tints are permanent hair colours meaning they won’t wash out, so make sure you know what you’re in for before approaching your colourist. This type of colour technique is a godsend to cover up grey hairs and an effective way for you to transform your hair into a lighter/darker shade. Sounds like heaven right? Keep in mind, tinting requires up keep and you’ll need to touch up your roots regularly to keep your colour looking on point!
Semi-permanent – Washing out over a period of time, semi-permanent colours are great for achieving glossy, vibrant colours temporarily without the added commitment of a tint, being the perfect choice if you want a darker or brighter hair colour, or just want an update. Semi-permanent colours do no guarantee grey coverage and can’t lighten your hair, meaning that dark haired bhave babes wanting to go light and bright will have to opt for a permanent colour.
No matter what colour style you decide, remember to talk it through with your colourist first to make sure it suits you, because it’s your hair, your life and your rules!
