The Ombre, with its smooth transition between colors, is a coveted color effect, and one perfectly suited for custom coloring extensions. You don’t need to stick to blondes, browns and burgundys if you don’t want to though, as myriad fashion options exist for the style. Follow along with our tutorial on creating a Fashion Ombre and be sure to reference our video, featuring stylist Ashley Rocks, for closer reference!
As a crash course in Ombre history: It’s a french word which literally means “shaded” in English and is used to refer to the blending of one color into another. Its origins date back to 1840 where it was used to refer to color transition effects in the textile industry, namely furniture and drapery. Many fashion theorists believe the style was popularized in 2000 by pop singer and icon Aaliyah (RIP) and has stayed in the cultural consciousness well into the post 2010 era by numerous celebrities sporting the style, like Beyonce. With new variations and combinations constantly popping up on the ombre spectrum (The Sombre for example), it’s a style we’re sure to see more and more over the coming years.
Some of the major appeals of the Ombre style are its low upkeep construction. When the roots are kept their natural color, and the color transition effect is done within two shades of the original, it’s a look that needn’t be updated every few months and can be grown out to continue the transitional effect if the client likes. Also, since it’s a style that focuses on color transition on the tips of the hair (and not all over), it’s perfect for clients who are hesitant to put a lot of product in their hair. Permanent colors dehydrate the hair, and weaken it all around, so by using less product for an Ombre (and sticking only to Semi- and Demi-Permanent color products) the client’s hair receives less wear and tear in the long run. Hooray for hair health and color-conscious clients!
Since the Ombre works just as well with naturally occurring hair colors, bold fashion colors, or a combination of the two, it’s a style that works for numerous different types of clients with various hair textures, lengths and creative visions and can often be the trendy style that takes those squeamish about coloring their hair directly into the chair for full-on transformation!
In recent times, Ombre effects have spread into other facets of beauty and commerce. Nail salons advertise Ombre nail effects while specialty bakeries trundle coveted Ombre layer cakes into shop windows. It’s only a matter of time before bodyshops offer Ombre-centric paint jobs for automobiles. It’s a color effect that’s kind of magical, intoxicating in its transition, and one that’s popular everywhere.
Whether clients want a slight color-centric update on their naturally occurring shade, or seek a multi-colored transformation into the realm of fashion colors, ombre transitions provide the ideal creative springboard for strong color style! Be sure to pay attention to the Donna Bella Color Takeover Portal for more hair tips and tricks like this one!