Know the Difference: Ombre vs. Balayage

It can be increasingly difficult to keep up with all the various beauty trends, and even when you know the names of the trends, it can be hard to understand exactly what they mean.  A good example of this type of confusion is the hair style trends of balayage and ombre.  You may not know what the difference between the two is or which one you should ask for when you come into Bombesque for your appointment.  Have no fear!  This article will set that record straight once and for all.

What is an Ombre?

Ombre is actually a French word, and it means “shadow”.  In reference to the hair trend, ombre is the actual style.  It is the way that people want their hair to look.  Basically, it is the hair transitioning from a darker shade to a lighter shade.

The best ombre looks are generally achieved on brunettes because there is a lot of color transition, whereas on a blonde the transition is much more subtle.  It can be a daring style when the transition shifts from a natural hair color to something vibrant like blue or purple.  The transition is complete meaning that there are no dark strands left at the bottom of your hair.

An ombre hairstyle that is bold or dramatic will require a lot of maintenance.  The color blocking needs to be maintained to keep your hair from looking drab, and it is always recommended that you give us a call if this is the look you are after.  It is very difficult or downright impossible to achieve this look with a box of drugstore dye.

What is a Balayage?

Balayage is also a French word, and it means “to sweep”.  While ombre refers to the style that you are asking for, balayage is actually a word for a technique.  The sweeping motion that is used to achieve the effect is actually what you are referring to when you use the word balayage.

The two hairstyles are very similar, and they both use a dark to light color-blocking style. However, in balayage, there are darker pieces left at the bottom. Leaving the darker stands gives the hair more dimension, which in turn, gives it a more natural look. While ombre never really looks natural (nor do you really want it to), subtle balayage can look like sun-kissed hair. It can look like you just returned from a lengthy beach vacation.

Similar Hair Styles

There are a few other hair styles that are similar to ombre and balayage that are also trending.  All five of these fall into the same category.

• Hair Painting: Those that tend to be the artsy types are growing the hair painting trend.  Hair painting is a free-form technique in adding color to the hair.  The stylist literally paints on color using a paintbrush and an artist’s palette.  There is no specific pattern or technique that is used, and it requires the stylist to have a very trained eye.  The plus sides for the technique is that hair generally looks more natural (if it is done well), and it is a much faster process than dealing with all the foils.
• Babylights: This is a style that combines the techniques of highlighting and balayage.  It is an attempt to mimic the very sun-kissed and subtle natural highlights found in children’s hair.  The stylist uses very small amounts of hair in the foils to create delicate highlighted strands.  This is an excellent style for blondes because it gives so much dimension to the color.
• Foilyage: This is one of the newest techniques, and it combines the painting technique used in balayage with the vibrancy of color that is achieved using foils.  It is sometimes considered an upgrade to a balayage, and it really packs a great color punch.  Dark hair looks really great with this technique because there is more lift when using the foils.

Now that you know the difference between all of these hair styles, give us a call today at 480.225.9549 to make an appointment!