Ombré or Balayage? Dip Dye or Babylights?
Hair colour has never been so exciting now that we have so many colour techniques and gorgeous shades to choose from but it can be confusing for some people as they try to work out whether they should have an ombré or balayage, let alone babylights or dip dye!
Let our hair colour experts at HAIR Lab in Basingstoke explain the differences to help you choose the right hair colouring technique for you.
If you are having a new hair colour, please pop in for a quick allergy test at least 48 hours before your appointment.
BALAYAGE – sun-kissed hair colour
If you’re looking for sun-kissed hair colour that is low maintenance and super cool, ask your hair designer about the balayage technique.
Balayage means ‘to sweep’ or ‘to paint’ in French. The idea is to create natural colour towards the ends of your hair, with the finish being very soft with less noticeable regrowth lines. Your hair will have a casual, beachy finish with less symmetrical, random highlights. This looks great on thick hair that sits below the shoulders and it can be worn straight or wavy.
Balayage grows out beautifully and more naturally than other hair colouring techniques, so you don’t get an obvious regrowth line between appointments.
OMBRE – fashion statement
Ombré is very similar to balayage but gives you a more obvious colour difference with darker roots and hair that is lighter at the ends.
More of a fashion statement than the sun-kissed balayage, it looks better on wavy or curly hair.
Usually around half to two thirds of your hair will be coloured and there will be a fairly straight line showing the change in colours from dark to light.
BABYLIGHTS – natural, subtle highlights
Babylights are the finest of highlights which are often added around the face to soften and brighten up your look.
Colour is applied to fine sections of hair to give a multi-dimensional, radiant, natural-looking effect.
This look can work well on all hair colours – it’s all about adding a complimentary lighter colour, usually around the face, in very fine highlights.
DIP DYE – hair for fashionistas
If you want to add a bold colour to your hair without opting for a full head of colour, try a dip-dye hair colour. The colour can be added anywhere in your hair – half way down or towards the tips of your hair.
This is very similar to the ombré but usually only coats the ends of the hair. The intention is to make it look as if your hair has been dipped in paint!
As you can see from the image on the left, this look can be taken to the extreme with dramatic results.
So now you have a better understanding of the various different hair colouring techniques (and let’s not forget the ever popular highlights, low lights and block colours too!), please feel free to book in to HAIR LAB in Basingstoke for a complimentary hair colour consultation.
