There are so many different highlighting and lowlighting techniques out there at the moment (Ombre, Balyage, Dip dye to name but a few) it’s no wonder anyone in their right mind would be confused about how to experiment with colour when new trends are being introduced so regularly.
To help you decide whether any of these looks are right for you and on trend for long enough to warrant the change (!) Marbella Rocks has teamed up with top Marbella hair & beauty salon Reflections to give you the lowdown on whether you should experiment with these hair trends this summer.
OMBRE HAIR
In 2010 the Ombre made its debut and spurned the likes of celebrities including
Jessica Alba, Ashlee Simpson and Drew Barrymore to sport the dark-to-light
tresses overnight.
Fast forward four years and the Ombre is still a popular choice for many. To
recap, Ombre is when blonde dye (either bleach or high lift tint) is painted on the hair, usually from the ear or jawline to give you a grown out, root heavy look. This used to be considered a hair faux pas a few years ago but not anymore. Nowadays Ombre is all about giving the impression that you don’t care about trips to the hairdressers every 6-8 weeks to do your roots. It’s cool, effortless and
rock chick. Reflections colour director and creative stylist, Daniel Boardman, says this look is best for modern fashionable women aged 17-45. “This is a great look when done well. It’s also good look for people who want to handle their colour without losing their natural tones. Plus there’s no shelf life on this style.”
VERDICT: IN
BEST CELEB OMBRE: Jessica Alba
ROCKS RATING: ****
BALYAGE HAIR
Pronounced Bal-lay-age, (meaning sweep in French) this trend involves painting (or sweeping!) select strands of hair an inch or two away from the root for a very natural sun-kissed look in the places where sun would normally lighten hair. Normally highlights are from root-to-tip in foils, whereas this process doesn’t require foils.
The ends of your style are usually left blonde, although as with Ombre this can be done in various colour schemes. Brown to red and dark to light brown are popular choices.
“In my opinion this method has overtaken highlighting as it is less damaging for hair as natural heat is used to process the dye” Daniel says. “It suits everyone that wants to give tone to lighter or darker hair as it can be as bright or dark as desired.”
This hair technique can suit everyone aged 18-70. Celebrities that are rocking this current look of the moment are Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Alba and Jessica Biel
VERDICT: IN
BEST CELEB BALAYAGE: Jennifer Lopez
ROCKS RATING: *****
THE BOMBRE
New hair trend alert for Summer 2014. A mix between Ombre and Balyage by putting equal parts of each trend into one blended hairstyle.
The effect is a more subtle graduation of colour with streaks of highlights at the root and more of the block colour of Ombre below the jawline. You still get a great natural look with this trend.
“This look is definitely in,” Dan says, “It suits women that enjoy their regular trips to the salon as you need to maintain the roots. It’s also perfect for blondes that don’t like the Ombre. As this look involves highlights and ends everyone can have it.”
The best celebrity example of the Bombre is Jennifer Aniston in summer although Sarah Jessica Parker and model Lilly Aldridge have also been rocking this look recently.
VERDICT: IN
BEST CELEB BOMBRE: Lily Aldridge
ROCKS RATING: *****
DIP DYE
Dip Dye was the first of the colour hair trends to burst on the scene back in 2009 with Katy Perry, Jessie J and singer Keisha getting in on the action.
Still popular for the younger set, the blonde Dip Dye has definitely seen its last days as Ombre, Balyage and the new Bombre have taken over.
“This only really suits 16-21 year olds looking for a bit of fun. Sometimes popular mainly in the school holidays! It’s good because it’s on the ends and you can always cut a bit more off before school. We keep it on the shelf unless it’s asked for.” Dan says.
The only time Dip Dye could be considered fashionable is with a festival or party look. Even then we wouldn’t recommend using bleach or tints as this look can easily be achieved with the wealth of colour chalks and paint on the market that can be washed out after an event.
VERDICT: OUT (EXCEPT FOR FESTIVALS)
BEST CELEB DIP DYE: Katy Perry
ROCKS RATING: ***
In Summary
Any of the above trends are great for summer in Spain. The last thing you want to be doing in 30 degree heat is spend your time topping up your roots once a month. Balyage, Ombre and the rest require minimal upkeep that could last all summer.
To determine which look is right for you, ask yourself these 3 questions:
Am I okay with the “grown out roots” look?
Do I want something low maintenance?
Am I okay with bleach being used on my hair?
If your answer is YES to all of the above, then colour experimentation could be good for you.
