Is DIY Ombre Hair The Right Choice for You?

The look started with the enviously chic celebrity rebels, who confidently rocked their grown out roots like it was the latest Gucci handbag. But now, grown out roots have evolved to the super trendy and sought after ombre look. It may sound surprising, but the sexiest ombre looks are achieved with a little more finesse than just ditching the salon for a few touch ups.

But, with Féria Wild Ombré At-Home Hair Color Treatment, L’Oréal Paris promises that you can achieve a natural ombre look, without the fuss of a salon. The kit comes with a lightening agent and comb, for creating a DIY ombre hair look.

L’Oréal’s consulting hair colorist, French hair stylist Christopher Robin, offers some tips to help you achieve the best results.”Do a mask to condition and prepare hair a week before to mend the ends,” he advises.”Also turning the brush horizontally might look too defined but if turned vertical, you will get a more natural look.”

These are important tips, but are there other things to consider before jumping on the DIY wagon? Yes! You’ve got the box, you’ve gained the confidence, but before you take the plunge, consider a couple important insights from a hairstylist (yours truly) who has seen every hair color mistake in the book!

1. Don’t color all your hair at once, instead, take half inch sections at a time. Only color every other section.

2. Back comb the section, and run the comb over the remaining hair to create a more diffused look.

3. Avoid over-lightening the ends to keep a natural contrast between your natural color and the pieces you are coloring. Pay close attention to the suggested processing times on the box.

4. If the highlighted hair appears too warm (with an orange undertone), it’s not the end of the world! You can visit a beauty supply for a toner to soften the color and achieve a more desirable tone. Don’t put more lightener on the colored hair!

5. Remember, you can always go back and add more highlights, so don’t overdo it the first time around.

DIY ombre hair color is totally possible, but, it does take a little more thought than just buying a box. If you’ve never  done at home hair color, then you might want to leave this one to the pros.  But, if you’re confident with color and understand that the process takes a little more time and planning than ordering take out Chinese, then maybe Féria Wild Ombré At-Home Hair Color Treatment is a solution for a DIY ombre hair look. Fingers crossed!

For more great ombre hair color pics checkout our Hair Coloring Ideas Pinterest board.

Contributing author Lindsay Hausch has provided clients with professional cutting edge color and cutting techniques at exclusive Paul Mitchell and Bumble and Bumble Signature Salons for the past seven years. She co-founded Sedona Beauty Team, which represents a team of artists that offer luxury, on-location beauty services. She enjoys writing articles that share her expertise. You can follow Lindsay on Twitter and FaceBook.

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

• Do it yourself hair coloring
• Hair Lowlights – What is it? Can I do it at home?
• Highlight Hair at Home?
• Hair Chalking Tutorial
• Clairol Hair Color Campaign
• Lighten Hair Color That is Too Dark
• Can I get my natural hair color back?

Hair Chalking 101, The DIY How To Secrets 

No, hair chalking isn’t new, but this season it really seems to be catching on! The beauty of hair chalking  is that it lets you play around with color to suit your mood, your outfit, or your style vibe without the commitment that regular dyes or full-on ombre hair colors require. While there are several companies that manufacture “Hair Chalk”, a simple box of non-oil based chalk pastels available at any art supply store, will give you the same colorful, temporary boost that more expensive products offer. Another plus about hair chalking is that it factors low on the coordination scale, so you don’t need to be really good with hair “stuff” to use it.

If you have blonde or light colored hair use hair chalk in it’s dry form. Applying hair chalk to light hair when it is wet will give you a darker, longer lasting dose of color pigment, but it can be difficult to remove, especially from damaged or bleached hair. If your hair is darker however, you’ll need to dampen the strands you want to chalk for the color to be bold and bright.

What you’ll need:

• Hair chalk
• Gloves
• Old sheet or throw for the floor
• Old shirt
• Spray bottle
• Flat iron/curling iron
• Hair spray

 Step by Step How To:

1.  Once you have selected the chalk colors you want, prep your 1st section of hair using a spray bottle. It’s best to dampen as you go. Take a few strands – less than you would use in a curling iron, but more than just a few wisps, and twist them  into a tight band.

2.  Apply the chalk using downward strokes so you don’t damage the cuticle. You can control how much pigment you add by keeping the hair damp and applying more layers of color.

3.  Allow the chalked, twisted sections of hair to dry. You can use a blow dryer but keep the setting on low and keep the nozzle far enough away from the hair so you don’t blow off the chalk.

4.  Set the color using a flat iron or curling iron, and apply a spritz of hairspray to lock in the look. 

5.  Want to get funky with it? Create beautiful braids using a variety of vibrant colored streaks blended together. You can create dramatic ombre hair color, or a cool rainbow effect using multiple colors. Remember on dark hair to start with a base of white chalk and build the color on top of that for a more dramatic effect.

Chalked hair may come off on your pillow case and will generally last until you shampoo it out. If you have blond hair you may need to use a clarifying shampoo to wash out the pigment, just be sure to follow with a good conditioning.

Insider Tip: Use different gloves for your warm and cool color applications to keep the colors true. And, avoid using styling products such as creams, waxes or shine products that can make a slippery mess. Also, don’t mix a day of hair chalking with a trip to the beach, or a day in the rain, for obvious reasons.

For more great hair chalking pictures check out our Hair Color Ideas Pinterest board. 

Barb Quinn on Google+  

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

• Fishtail Side Braid Tutorial
• Learn How to Create This Sleek Ponytail
• Twisted Hair Knot Tutorial
• The Half Up Wedding Hairstyle Tutorial
• Paris Hilton Hair Do for Prom?
• Our Guide to Spring 2013 Hottest Hair Trends
• Hair Color Trends: Knockout Dip Dye Hair Colors

How to Style Your Hair Smooth Without Using a Flat Iron

The flat iron may be the most popular hairstyling tool for achieving smooth hair. It is a quick, simple way to get that flat finish, but the direct heat from the iron often creates more damaging effects on the hair than a blow dryer.

Here is an easy way to achieve virtually the same smooth look using a blow dryer and a few brushes that you probably already have in your drawer.

What you will need:

• Use a heat protector, smoothing serum or styling gel on wet hair before you begin drying.

• Make use of the directional nozzle that came with your blow dryer. The directional nozzle is an important tool in your styling arsenal as it helps keep the flow of air right where you want it, instead of blowing all the hair around, causing frizz.

• Finish the hair with argan oil or another shine product. It will seal the cuticle, taming fly-away’s and adding that final touch of glam.

Start with a Paddle Brush

Do the majority of the drying with a paddle bush; a wide brush with lots of bristles close together. (Don’t even think of using a vent brush.) A paddle brush will grab the hair tighter for a smoother result. Brush hair from the base of  the neck upward and forward, following the brush with the blow dryer as you work your way through the hair. It may be easiest to turn your head upside down while blow drying to get the back of your head.

Blow dry the hair in the opposite direction of the way you want it to end up, drawing it smooth from roots to ends with the paddle brush.

It is at this stage that your hair may become fairly frizzy and you will think you must be doing it wrong. But don’t stop! At this point you’re halfway there!

Next, use a Round Brush

Don’t let the round brush scare you. I have tangled a round brush in my hair before, but trust me, once you learn the trick to using a round brush, you will love it!

Once the hair is 75% dry or more using the paddle brush, use a round brush to finish the drying process. Waiting until this point in the drying process to use the round brush will save you time and save your wrists from getting tired from the turning.

The size of the round brush you choose will be determined by the length of your hair and the amount of fullness or bend you want on the ends of the hair. The larger the brush, the smoother your finished hair will be. A brush with a metal center will  help expedite the drying and smoothing process.

Be aggressive, but don’t abuse your hair. Stretch the remaining wave out of the hair as you blow dry finish your style with the round brush. The trick to keep from tangling your hair in the brush is to NEVER wind the hair on the brush from the ends all the way to the roots. You can use the round brush from the roots to the ends in order to get the hair completely smooth, but  don’t wind the hair on the brush until your brush reaches the ends of the hair. Dry the hair until it is bone-dry. If you leave any moisture in the hair, it will revert.

That’s it!  By now your hair will be smooth and shiny in a healthier way!

Got a question, war story or comment about this topic? Click on the "Leave Your Comments" link at the very bottom of this article. Some of my best ideas for future articles come from reading reader comments. I'd love to hear from you!

• Chi Ceramic Flat Iron Counterfeits on Ebay
• Combo Flat Iron, Curling Iron
• Curl Your Hair With a Flat-Iron
• Sedu, flat irons, ceramic, T3 Tourmaline Flat Iron, curling irons are we confused yet?
• Hair Styling Tools You Need for Travel!
• How Can I Get Curly Hair With My Flat Iron?
• Flat Iron – Choosing The Right One