Hair color techniques have come a long way from the basic ombre looks that first came on the scene a few years back. Since then, we have been introduced to sombre, balayage, flamboyage, and color melting. Some people say ombre is going out of style, but all of the new techniques that have been coming out are just different variations of Ombre. There are a few minor differences, but the main point is that people love low maintenance color. They love keeping their deeper roots and having lighter ends (the best of both worlds).
Balayage
Balayage is a freehand painting technique used to add soft dimension to the hair instead of traditional foils. Balayage tends to have a bit more subtle results than foiling, often giving a natural sun-kissed appearance to the hair. It provides the beautiful rich dimensional color, without any harsh regrowth. |
Flamboyage
Flamboyage is a new, modern, low-maintenance hair color technique from France, where the stylist sticks strands of hair to clear adhesive paper. The stylist has a lot of control because you can watch the color process through the transparent strip. It looks best on solid hair color. |
Ombre
Another freehand technique, ombre has been an extremely popular color trend over the past few years and it seems it is here to stay. It simply means shaded or graduated in tone and it is when hair is darker at the top and lighter at the ends. |
Sombre
Sombre is a fairly new term, used as a way to describe ombre’s more subtle cousin. This freehand technique is a great way to combine the best of balayage with the trend of ombre, in a subtle and beautiful way! It looks great with every color from dark to light. |
Color Melting
Color melting is similar to an ombre or sombre, but is usually done with 3 or more colors, melting them together very gradually. It doesn’t necessarily have to go only from dark to light, but can be any combination of colors melting together. |
Foils
Finally we’ve come to traditional foils. Foil highlights are still the most popular way to add dimension to the hair, and foils are definitely here to stay! There are so many options with foils from the most subtle of highlights to the super bold, anything is possible! |
We hope this answers your questions about the differences between all of these amazing hair coloring techniques! They are all quite beautiful and look great on any client whether brunette, blonde, red, or even purple! And don’t forget- consultations are always free. You can stop in any time or schedule a consultation even if you just want to chat and get ideas for your next color!