Have you been doing Color-All-Over or Weaves for a long time? Have you wanted to try something new and fresh? Potentially something more cost effective? Well maybe you should try an Ombre or a Balayage. I want to share some of the secrets of these and why I enjoy making my clients gorgeous with them!
Ombré and Balayage are extremely popular these days and I believe they will remain a popular style for a long-time to come. In beauty and fashion, one thing is for sure, “style never goes out of style”. I often wonder how well understood the Ombré and Balayage names really are though,
because there are some differences and I want to share them with you and let you know about important maintenance considerations.
Check out this amazingly beautiful Ombre effect we just created on one of our clients this week!
It is important to understand that Ombré is a “style” and Balayage is a “technique”. Let’s look at each one.
What is Ombré? In French, Ombré means shade or shadow, giving some explanation to its use in the terminology here in hair styling. The “shade” or “shadow” style of Ombré is a dramatic two-toned hair color effect typically dark on top with your natural hair color and the bottom is lightened. Ombré can be done with any color combination and I have done pink, blue, green and you will see lots of ladies rockin’ purple lately. Ombré has a real plus in that it’s a bit easier on your budget than a Color-All-Over because you don’t have to touch up the top very often when you keep it at your dark natural color. Your overall look of your Ombré will change as your hair grows out and many of my clients love that!
These are pictures of Ombre’s I have done at Ritual Hair Salon in Hillsboro, Oregon. Notice the color effect shading as it reaches the ends of the hair. Also, look at the red heads where I did a color all over, then applied the Ombre for a really dramatic effect.
It is important to make sure your hair is healthy before we begin this style, otherwise you risk your hair looking dull or fading quickly. We can help you select and use some healthy conditioning treatments or hair masks. Just call or come on by and ask me. I will give you a free consultation and suggest the right products.
Are you ready to try your own Ombre now?
What is Balayage? It is sexy, gorgeous and here to stay! Balayage means sweeping in French, and in this technique, I will hand 
paint the highlights along the surface of your hair. This application starts away from the roots, becoming heavier as it approaches the ends of the hair. The underside remains darker while the surface strands are lighter and this gives a very natural looking effect – almost like your hair is “sun kissed”! This is very popular with celebrities and models as it is beautiful with medium to long length hair. This versatile technique can be used on any hair color and looks great. The nice feature of Balayage is, like Ombre, it is cost effective as it doesn’t require the frequent touchups since your hair at the top is natural. I love this technique because it allows me to be the Artist that I am, combining several shades of color. These next photos demonstrate the Balayage “hand painting” on the surface of the hair from the roots on top. Balayage is a dramatic and sexy look. Again, like Ombre, the color possibilities are amazing! Are you ready for a Balayage?
So for a new sexy look, go for it and let me help you achieve the new look you want! But as with any color job, you are making an investment and you need to maintain this investment correctly to avoid dry tips, split ends or even brassy tones – the horror! I won’t go into the chemistry of why this happens but there are some tricks that can help you maintain your color investment.
Use warm water instead of hot in the shower. Hot water causes the color to fade because it is causing the hair cuticle to blow open and get softer – color loss! Try warm water, almost to room temperature if you can.
Get the right shampoo! You are spending your bucks on coloring your hair, then saving money on the grocery store shampoo – yuck! Shampoos that cause a lather contain detergent – that’s bad ladies! It alters your color. Instead, please, please, please let me show you the shampoos, conditioners and Luster Lock products that we have in Ritual Hair Design Salon. I have a line of Joico K-Pak Color Therapy shampoos and conditioners that are designed for your hair color job and reasonably priced….certainly well worth it to maintain your color investment. I carry the Joico products because I have found them to be top of class! I also recommend leave-in conditioner and treatment oil on the ends. Keep reading for my special offer!
Special: Since you have read this far, you get a deal! Bring a printout of this blog when you do a Balayage or Ombre service at Ritual Hair Design, and I will give you a 10% discount on the 10.1 oz K-Pak Color Therapy Shampoo and Conditioner set to get you started on proper color maintenance.
I am your Master Stylist to help you make the choice for something new, make it happen, make you beautiful, and then make sure you use the right products! Make an appointment at Ritual Hair Design for a free consultation and let’s strategize together, then you leave it to me to get it done!
Lyn, Master Stylist at Ritual Hair Design
Copyright Ritual Hair Design 2018
I’ve had some wild colors in my hair over the past few years now and I get a lot of people commenting and complimenting me on my color. One of the most common things I hear from people is, “Oh wow! That looks so pretty!” followed by a sad and wistful, “But I’m too old/scared/plain/shy to do that. I just love it though!”
Check out some people that decided to take the plunge and brought a bit brightness in their life. Come on in to Ritual Hair Design Salon in Hillsboro, Oregon and let Jen and Lyn help you make the fashion color plunge!
This first stunning style is what I like to call “Wings of Toilet Paper”. Straight from the Glamour Magazine webpage, it is clear and apparent that the new spring look is bits of paper pined to either side of the head. I really do love this look; it not only shows the Avant Garde and inspirational imagery of goddess like wings but the versatility of toilet paper. We can see simply by the smile on this young models face that this particular style has filled her with self-confidence and reassurance with a professional yet elegant look.
This second look is even more breathtaking than the first. Not only the hair accessory, which is worn in this case around the neck, but the cut and style itself. Nothing says “I cut my own hair” like the hack job that is those bangs. The bold and slightly understated choice to fashion the model’s own hair into a makeshift head scarf is genius! I call this look the Hair Hijab. If we look closely we can see that the accessory that pulls this whole look together is nothing more than a black and yellow zip tie, no doubt purchased at the local hardware store.