I'm going to my hairdresser Monica soon and dye my hair with balayage technique! Or foilayage technology we will probably do this time. Foilayage / foliage / foliyage, do not know the correct spelling haha. I get a lot of questions about my balayage loops and ombre when I have been to the hairdresser. So now I thought I would go through the difference and show before and after pictures, as well as describe step by step how to do it.
There are very different expressions to keep track of: Balayage, foilayage, ombre, sombre & brombre. After this post, you will understand what all these words mean! :)
The balayage technique can be done in all colors, the most common being blonde balayage loops. If you are looking for someone who is really cruel at balayage in the Stockholm or Uppsala area, you must go to Monica Werner at Color and the Shape!
What is Balayage? – What is Ombre?
Here you see my hair the last time Monica bleached me. A sombre made with foilayage technique! What that means you will have learned after this post! :)
What is balayage & ombre?
The post is divided into balayage & ombre, I explain partly the difference but also what the two variants are for something. And shows lots of pictures and gives good tips! I also explain a bit quickly sombre & brombre and how the styles differ as well as foil loops and foilayage.
Click on the links below to jump to the section you want to read more about or scroll further down to read the entire post :)
- All about Balayage
- All about Ombre
- Difference between sombre & brombre?
- What are foil loops and foilayage?
- Summary Balayage vs Ombre, Sombre & Brombre
All about Balayage:
Contents Balayage:
- What is balayage?
- How to do balayage?
- How long does balayage last?
- Can you dye balayage at home?
- How long does balayage take?
- How much does it cost to dye balayage?
- Can you dye balayage on short hair?
- Balayage step by step
Here you see a balayage coloring that Monica did on me in redder tones!
What is Balayage?
Balayage comes from the French word "balayer" which means "sweep". The Balayage technique got its name from the long, sweeping movements used to apply color to the hair.
So balayage is one paint technology to dye hair. The color is applied vertically with a sweeping motion, which means that the straws are colored differently and the transitions between dark and light become almost impossible to distinguish. You can say that you brush your hair freely instead of e.g. work with foil and loops. The result is a very natural hair color and is often used to get a sun-kissed look with e.g. light or blonde loops. Usually with the customer's own natural hair color at the bottom.
This technique is mainly used to color styles such as. ombre, sombre & brombre. So you can not get the "color balayage" because balayage is the technology itself you do the coloring with :)
How to do Balayage?
The Balayage technique is a loop technique that is done freehand by brushing loops vertically with a sweeping motion in different tones.
There are several different balayage techniques and variations.
How long does Balayage last?
In addition to giving a more vivid, natural result and depth in the coloring, I also love it because it lasts a very long time! At least if you do as I do and save my natural hair color at the bottom.
I usually go to the hairdresser twice a year and it still looks nice even at the next hairdresser's visit.
Because you dye fine transitions between dark and light in a natural way, balayage does not need as much maintenance as a regular dyeing. You do not have to go to the hairdresser and dye the growth every month, because you do not have to dye all the way down to the scalp :)
Here are pictures from my last hairdresser visit. On the model I have grown in 8 months and still it looks good! My outgrowth blends nicely with the lighter lengths.
I have been going to Monica Werner since 2014 and before that I always used to completely bleach the growth of another hairdresser. You saw my outgrowth in the picture above after 8 months, check this outgrowth after only 2-3 months:
If you bleach / dye the whole hair, the growth will be like a straight line. I therefore felt satisfied only for 3-4 weeks, because then I had a clear stripe at the bottom.
Many blog pictures from this time are cropped in the middle of the forehead, then you know that I had a clear outgrowth that I wanted to cut away from the picture :)
I also had a period with a little darker base color and then loops instead. But even that gives a sharp outgrowth because my natural hair color still differs significantly. The result is then three different ribbons with colors 1. min outgrown 2. the base color with a few loops and 3. the fully bleached lengths.
Like this:
In the left picture you see these "three bands" of different colors.
It's so nice nowadays that I always save a piece of my own hair color at the bottom and color it in a nice way. In this way, I never have a clear outgrowth, the only thing that happens is that the transition ends up further and further down the lengths as the hair grows.
Can you dye Balayage at home?
You can dye balayage at home, but it is difficult, especially on its own so you will probably still need help.
I bleached my friend's hair with home bleaching and balayage technique, it turned out nice overall but in some areas it became a bit uneven if you lifted the hair and looked closely. Then I am still quite experienced and thorough, it is simply difficult if you are not a hairdresser and have practiced a lot!
It is not really as simple as curling your hair at home with a comb or brush. Getting a really nice balayage requires years of experience and interest in hair & color. But if you have a sense of color & shape and are a little creative, everything works! If you want to color balayage at home, I recommend starting with natural colors. It is much easier to work with different shades of blonde and brown than to jump directly to purple or green.
Then I also recommend a hairdresser for the sake of hair quality, bleaching wears out the hair so much and not everyone's hair is used for home bleaching. Many home bleaches result in yellow and worn hair only :)
Here is actually a coloring I did on my niece at home! I have no picture before the bleaching, it was done a few days before. But you see her natural hair color at the bottom. Then we put on light pink afterwards. No hairdressing results directly, but perfectly ok anyway :)
How long does Balayage take?
The time required varies depending on the hair quality and length, but you should at least count on at least 3 hours to dye the balayage.
How fast it is possible to brush the color depends on your hair, then the effect time is also different depending on your hair quality and how much you want to lighten the hair.
For my hair, it takes even longer, like 6 hours in total. I do not have that long but quite thick and a lot of hair. Then the effect time is quite long, both on the bleaching but then also a neutralizing toning to get a cooler tone on the hair.
And so Monica usually styles her hair and takes pictures and so on. And a lot of talk :) So the total time is longer than what the dyeing itself takes.
Here you see the result of balayage technology! More natural than the foilayage technology (the pictures at the beginning of the post) which fades much brighter thanks to foil.
How much does it cost to dye Balayage?
The price for balayage coloring is from SEK 2,000 - SEK 8,000 and depends on the quality and length of the hair and which hairdresser you choose.
Monica (who I go to) on Color and the Shape in Uppsala has an hourly price of SEK 890 and after consultation she can give an approximate price picture of the time she thinks it will take. You often get what you pay for, so I do not recommend choosing a hairdresser by price. Rather choose a hairdresser based on recommendations and photos on social media.
Also keep in mind that if you get a good result with balayage dyeing, it is not so expensive in the long run, because you do not have to book a new appointment for a very long time. I would manage a whole year without dyeing and at my old hairdresser I paid 700 SEK every other month to fix the growth = 4200 SEK per year. This corresponds to a treatment of over 4.5 hours at Monica.
Check out Monica's instagram, how cruel changes she does not make:
A clip from Monica's instagram ⤴
And if you want to do balayage in Stockholm, I recommend that you take the train to Uppsala and do with Monica instead :) It is definitely worth it!
Can you dye Balayage on short hair?
Balayage technique can be dyed on short hair as well, however, it depends on how you define short hair.
The length of the hair must still be long enough to work with! The biggest difference between coloring short hair instead of long hair is that with short hair it goes faster and becomes cheaper :)
Balayage step by step at home or at the salon
You can dye balayage at home or at the hairdresser, I wish I could have shown step by step on balayage technology that Monica did. I only have this picture but I also posted a film further down where you can clearly see how it goes. :)
But as you can see in the picture, you make many thin but wide passes. Monica brushes higher up closer to the face and saves more base color on the back of the head.
- I usually do deep cleaning at home before and wash off all silicone products. So that the bleaching will hurt evenly and effectively!
- Monica mixes bleaching and Olaplex
- .. which she then brushes in her hair with these sweeping movements
- The hair is plasticized during the pain period
- In the shampooing, she puts in a neutralizing toning. All bleached hair becomes a little banana yellow in tone before neutralizing.
Then it's ready!
Movie on balayage step by step at home:
There are probably many other youtube videos that show step by step on both balayage and foliayage that you can watch as well! :)
All about Ombre:
Contents Ombre:
- What is ombre?
- How to dye ombre?
- How long does ombre last?
- Can you dye ombre at home?
- How long does it take to dye ombre?
- How much does ombre cost?
- Can you dye ombre on short hair?
What is Ombre?
As you can see in the picture above, ombre is a different base color than the lengths.
Like balayage, ombre also comes from the French and means "shadow". The ombre technology got its name from "shading" the colors in each other from light to dark or an inverted ombre from dark to light.
Unlike balayage, ombre is more of a style to dye your hair.
You make a hair color that goes horizontally over the entire hair and blends in naturally with the base color. Ombre usually goes all the way down to the tops as well.
Ombre can be dyed on dark & light hair, you usually see blonde or brown shades of ombre but there are all sorts such as. purple & gray curls in blonde hair. :)
How to dye Ombre?
Ombre can be done with several different techniques, the most common is balayage but foliage, foil loops or other freehand brushing also works.
How long does Ombre last?
Ombre lasts a very long time if you save your natural base color. Then you do not have to go every month and color the growth. Thanks to that, not so many hairdresser visits are required because ombre grows naturally and there are no sharp lines that look unnatural.
If you make ombre with a completely different base color than your own, then you will outgrow it after 1-2 months. The hair grows about 1 centimeter a month.
Can you dye Ombre at home?
It is possible to dye ombre at home and there are several different techniques to achieve an ombre dyeing at home.
My tip is to use a technology you are most comfortable with, e.g. balayage is a bit more difficult and requires more practice. The simplest is probably to apply the paint / bleach on the entire tops / lengths, and then make loops up to the bottom paint. To avoid a clear edge between dark and light, you can let some loops and parts go further up than others and so on.
This method is used, among other things, when dyeing loops at home without a hood. There are several good guides to coloring ombre at home step by step, you will not find in Swedish so try searching in English and you will be guaranteed!
I myself prefer to dye ombre at the hairdresser :) Especially important because I bleach, it becomes much more gentle at the hairdresser.
How long does it take to dye Ombre?
Dyeing ombre should be counted on at least 3 hours, however, this can vary greatly depending on the length of the hair, hair quality and the hairdresser who performs the job.
How much does Ombre cost?
How much does it cost to dye your hair ombre? The price is anything from SEK 1,000 - SEK 8,000 and depends on the quality and length of the hair and which hairdresser you choose. As well as what technology the hairdresser uses, making ombré with balayage technology takes longer = more expensive.
Can you dye ombre on short hair?
It is possible to dye ombre on short hair, the difference if you do it on short hair is that it is cheaper and does not take as long. :)
Difference between Sombre & Brombre?
What is sombre?
Sombre or "soft ombre" as it is also called, is a variant of ombre.
Sombre is a little smoother than an ombre and the contrast between light and dark is not as sharp. The transitions between the shades are very soft and all the tones blend more into each other. You can do sombre both at home and at the hairdresser.
Here you see the difference between ombre and sombre. Both have a darker base color and lighter lengths. In the left picture, the transition is clearer = ombre. In the right picture it is softer and impossible to see where the border goes = sombre.
What is brombre?
Brombre or "brown ombre" as it is also called, is as it sounds a brown ombre.
The tones in blackberry are usually very dark bottom color that turns brown and ends with light brown in the tops. You can make brombre both at home and at the hairdresser.
Prices for sombre & brombre are at the same level as for an ombre.
What are Foil Loops & Foilayage?
What is meant by foil loops?
Foil loops are a technique where you use foil to package the hair color and loops. The foil package is then allowed to work for the desired time. The foil partly means that the color does not smudge in the rest of the hair, but also makes the bleaching ache more effectively, which gives an even lighter result.
The technique for foil loops can vary greatly and is a useful loop technique that most hairdressers use.
If you do not want to use a hood, you can make foil loops at home as well. If you intend to do it on your own, it can be good to have someone who can help.
What is Foilayage?
Foilayage is balayage, but instead of working with freehand and sweeping on the hair color, you use foil to package the hair color.
The difference is that with foil loops, the result is lighter, this is because the foil packages generate heat and make the bleaching take more on the hair.
Summary Balayage vs Ombre, Sombre & Brombre
In short, ombre, sombre & brombre styles are different from balayage, foliage and foil loops which are techniques. You can use balayage technology to make ombre, sombre & brombre, but you can also make ombre, sombre & brombre using foil and loops.
Monica has done different techniques on me, sometimes she has done regular balayage but also foliayage sometimes. She has attended (and continues to attend) trainings for all different color techniques so she is really good!
I love balayage and foliyage and think it works so well for me as it requires minimal entertainment! If you go to a good hairdresser, it costs a lot, but it is definitely worth it if you do not have to visit the hairdresser as often.
How do you know which one to wear?
Tell the hairdresser what you want for results, e.g. pictures are a good way to show. Then the hairdresser chooses which technique is suitable for that particular result and your conditions depending on how your hair color looks, etc. :)
If you want to do balayage in Uppsala, I highly recommend contacting Monica Werner at Color and the Shape, she's so good! To book an appointment with her, you must either call, visit the salon or do an online consultation. If you want to do balayage in Stockholm, I still recommend Monica Werner! You can simply go to Uppsala! :)
Hope you got wiser by my post about balayage, foliayage, ombre, sombre & brombre! If you have any questions or concerns, just leave a comment below!
Also read:
- Blond balayage (naturlig blond hårfärg)
- Permanent hair before & after - How does it work?
- Green hair? Best tips for green shifts in the hair
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