I’ve been reading about Alex’s at-home ombre hair adventure over at her amazing site, Ego-Friendly, and I so understand the feeling of impulsive hair changes, whether it’s dashing out to Sally Beauty for a bottle of dye because suddenly you MUST change your color, chopping your own bangs on a whim because they’re driving you nuts, or walking into the nearest salon for a haircut you saw on the cover of a magazine (Julia Stiles on the cover of Elle circa 2002.) I’ve done it all.
However, I’m super impressed with people who lighten their hair at home; that’s one thing I haven’t done yet! At home ombre hair would be a good first step, since you’re just lightening the ends–and I guess if you really messed up, you could just dye over it. As you guys know, ombre hair is graduated color from dark to light, which sorta looks like you have really bad roots, but when done right it can look totally cool and modern.
In Alex’s ombre post, she references llymlrs‘ tutorial–well, semi-tutorial! llymlrs actually says it’s not a tutorial and just what works for her. All she does to get her ombre hair is apply highlighting dye to the ends–that’s pretty much it! She uses L’Oreal Perfect Blonde Creme Highlighting Kit, but in the U.S. you can use L’Oreal Excellence Cremelights Highlighting Kit.
DIY Ombre Hair:
- Don’t use blonde hair dye for this process because you need major lift (i.e., bleach). Get a highlighting kit instead.
- To get the ombre affect, you can apply the solution to the ends of you hair, let it process, wash it off, and then apply the solution again–this time focusing on the ends only. This will help you get lighter ends, hence ombre. Keep in mind that you can go as light as you want on the end because this is where you want your hair the blondest.
- Another way to achieve this is to apply the color all at once, but apply the solution on the tips first, applying more solution here. Let it process and then move up toward your chin, applying more solution, but never going above chin level.
- Toward the end of the lightening process, you can also pop in just a few highlights around your face, if you want to break up the color.
- Always note your processing time. The longer the solution is on your hair, the more the color will lift. Begin coloring with a plan in mind.
- If you’re more experienced, you can also use a hair color brush to paint on the solution. Focus on the bottom of your hair using the balayage technique that stylists use to create ombre hair.
- As with any at-home hair color, always read the directions that come with the color!
Check out llymlrs’ video for her ombre hair:
I really want ombre hair, but do you think it looks okay on Asians? Also will the L’Oreal Excellence Cremelights Highlighting Kit work with black hair?
I wanted ombre hair sooo bad after I saw Drew Barrymore on the cover of Harper’s a few months back. I went to my old hairstylist, showed her the mag and explained exactly what I wanted, which she said was no problem. I walked out with red roots, random black ends and an orange circle at the back of my head. I wish it were as easy as the post above but I’m skeptical!
Ty: ugh, seriously? that is a baaaad colorist! terrible!!
women! i just did this to myself the other night because i was bored at home!! look!
http://annaleeandjesse.blogspot.com/2010/12/late-night-balayage-session.html
woman!
i just did this to myself the other night because i was bored at home!!
i applied it with a balayage technique on myself and it was pretty awesome but then again i am a professional <3 🙂
look!
http://annaleeandjesse.blogspot.com/2010/12/late-night-balayage-session.html
anna lee: omg, wow! so awesome. it looks amazing!!
Ah! I love you! i just finished my post w the tips as you asked. ;D
cait–ombre hair can fit anyone! Just pick the color that you think will be most flattering w your skin color. =) i just saw anna lee’s post and that asian is rockin it! haha i am also asian but i have a more reddish ombre. if you look at my christmas pics, you can see that i did a black hair to brown ombre too. whatever floats your boat! but do share if you decide to do it, i want to see!
you can follow my ombre journey starting here:
http://www.egofriendlyme.com/2010/12/little-bit-drake-remix.html
xoxo egofriendly
Alexandra: awesome! I am going to check your tips now… I so love your blog. <3
Cait: I was going to say the same thing that Alexandra said–ombre hair can look great on anyone! And both Alexandra & Anna-Lee happen to be great examples. The only thing I would say in caution, is that when black hair is lightened it hits red first, so it really depends on your color of hair. I don't know much about coloring asian hair, but I found this article with some interesting info: http://www.ehow.com/how_5433336_dye-asian-hair.html
I'd say if you're not too experienced and worried about it looking crazy, you could always just book an appointment with a stylist. If you're in LA, you can go see Anna-Lee! 😉
Okay, I wish I had seen this when I was still at home for Christmas and could have asked my mother (former stylist) to supervise. But… I think I will try anyway. Thanks for all the info and tips (and comments).
Also – LOVING Alex’s blog.
I have had the WORST luck getting my Ombre professionally done!!! I had dyed dark brown hair (professionally done) and went to get my hair Ombre-ed. The stylist said she had done it before and I felt like she knew what she was doing. I brought in all these pics of Ombre’s I like- I’m more into really natural looking tone on tone- not anything too dramatic or unnatural looking. After several hours, I walked out with yellow- blonde from about my ears down- progressing to white blonde, with dark brown roots. SO fake looking and not at all what I wanted!! So I went to another stylist to darken the ends and blend it better- and he moved the darkness down my hair to about jawline, but left the tips super blonde, PLUS darkened the top part more, so now I have deep brown to blonde Ombre. STILL super fake looking. I was hoping for some highlights to at least break it up a bit and add some continuity into my hair, but apparently stylists only know the chunky version- nothing like the pics posted on here.
I have another appointment to get just straight up highlights and lowlights now- to hopefully make my hair more natural looking. I am so tormented from this whole Ombre experience! I wish I had just done it myself at home. I feel like I would be in a better spot- and not out over $400 with super damaged hair! 🙁
Lisa: ugh, that is awful… One thought is that you could just tone the super blonde parts with a demi permanent hair color yourself… ? Sally has Ion Demi and you could just tone the super blonde parts with an ash blonde… like Ion Demi 7Na. Just a thought. I don’t want to make the situation worse though!!
Double bleaching your is going to damage the hell out of your hair. To get the perfect fade:
1. Select a permanent color that is the closest to your natural color. Apply that color from the root, to the middle of your hair.
2. Using a coloring brush, apply the highlighting color up from the ends of your hair to the middle, blending into the permanent color.
That’s how the salon I go to does ombre hair.
Thanks for the tips, Highlighter.
I cannot WAIT For my hair to grow long so I can do this! I have been wondering if this Ombre look would work on straight hair since most photos I’ve seen have wavy locks, but the photos of Llymlrs’ confirm that it looks great! =)
Im a TOTAL ammature, i did this and it looks amazing, i get complimented all the time
Amy: that’s awesome! Good job. 🙂
so im totally trying this! but im confused…should i use the loreal powder blue bleach or cremehighlights? i have brown hair right now..medium brown…also do we use the ion stuff too?
Thanks for this tutorial! It was really helpful when I did my DIY ombre hair. 🙂
http://iambourgeois.com/hair/my-diy-ombre-hair/
I agree with it looking like you have bad roots when done incorrectly. A friend recommended to do it the same way you would ombre a fabric. Do it by sections to get that graduated effect.
i do have ombre hair, it’s natural, i don’t like it, because my hair is healthy, but i totally looks like split ends..
It’s really a cool and useful piece of information. I’m glad that you just shared this helpful information with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing.
Ok seriously ladies…This i honestly sooo easy. I have dark brown colored hair and just went to Sally’s and bought a powder bleach and a 40 volume developer mix it 1:1 or according to package directions. Part hair as if doing pigtails and gather in the front of head then secure with an elastic right under your chin and paint below the rubber band beginning at the ends and working up. I didn’t want it to be too different, just a lighter brown so I left in on 10-15 min. then washed and deep conditioned. Seriously VERY easy just make sure you monitor it until you get to desired color and deep condition after. It’s such a waste of money to pay hair dressers to do this because they usually can’t create that look but you can DIY it for about $8
Hey there this tutorial was really great! It helped me to achieve my ombre hair which I have posted about on my blog if you care to take a look!! thanks again xx
http://thebeardedladyvintage.blogspot.com/2011/12/diy-balayage-ombre-hair.html
The thing is, I have extremely light blonde hair from using white toners and purple shampoos. My actual roots are a bit darker, maybe a strawberry blonde as opposed to the white blonde I have now. I want ombre hair with my natural colour but my hair is very long and it will take ages to grow out. How do I dye it with a similar box dye to my natural colour and not have it go all patchy and funny-looking? Has anyone done this? Advice please? xxx
i was wondering if this looks good on short to medium hair?
Abby: I cut my hair short (to my shoulders!) in January and kept my ombre. You can see how it looks on my blog!
http://www.egofriendlyme.com/2012/04/blue.html
I HAVE STRAIGHT SHOULDER LENGTH HAIR AND LIGHT SKIN .. HOW LIGHT CAN I GO?? MY HAIR IS NATURALLY DARK BROWN BUT IM WILLING TO TRY THIS I LOVE IT I JUST WISH MY HAIR WAS LONGER .. WILL IT LOOK NICE YOU THINK??