Summer is here and you might be feeling a little dull and thinking about highlights. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the different choices to determine what kind of highlights you want. Not only do you have to decide what service to choose, but also placement, and color tone, just to name a few. Yes, your stylist can help you make these choices, but if you don’t have a clear vision of what you want, it will be difficult for your stylist to give you what your looking for. When you’re sitting in the salon chair with a stylist talking about things like ash vs. honey blonde and placement, it's hard to determine what you truly desire. To prevent the worst from happening and get the best head-turning highlights ever, let's talk about what would work for you. Although color choice is a matter of preference, we all know that colors react differently with different skin tones. So what shade is going to going to compliment you best?
Dark
If you are blessed with a darker skin tone and darker hair color, it would be wise to keep the color on the deeper and richer side. It is often quite tricky to achieve a lighter and cooler color on darker hair colors, as they tend to pull red when lightened. If your skin-tone is deep but warmer, go for a neutral or milk chocolate shade. Just remember when lightning darker hair it will require some ongoing maintenance after the service, over time the underlying warm pigments will eventually break through. For those with beautiful olive complexions with dark hair and eyes, a warmer coffee hue is best. If you’re a dare devil, red and coppery red can be an amazing life-changing option.
Medium
Neutral medium complexions usually have the most versatility as they sit in the middle of the spectrum and encompass the most shade diversity. Eye color and complexion play a key role in determining the perfect pairing. For women with a warmer skin tone, hazel or green eyes and deeper hair color, lighter warm tones like, honey, and caramel tones work well with their complexion and make their eyes appear brighter. Medium complexions on the cooler side do well with beige blondes, taupes, and sandy blondes.
Light
Delicate fair or lighter warm skin tones and lighter natural hair color, even with a tan, look great in golden flaxen beachy shades and peachy or apricot blonde. A cooler light complexion with blue or light eyes can really pull off icy shades of blonde like platinum and vanilla that are often difficult to achieve with warmer skin and eye color. While honeys and cognacs could work, for those with an inclination to go a little red, lean towards violet bases colors like a cranberry to offset your cooler skin tone. Hopefully this gave you some insight on picking the right shade to ensure amazing hair, always talk to your stylist. A good stylist will always take the time to discuss the shade suitability and maintenance with every client to ensure the desired color fits your lifestyle. Remember some shades especially red or lighter shades on darker hair, require more salon visits and more frequent maintenance. The right color choice can make your complexion brighter and more youthful. Now let’s talk about placement.
Lets Talk Technique
Whether you’re a newbie or a total pro, looks and techniques come and go. How do you know which one’s right for you? No matter what color your hair is there is a technique or type of highlights for you, from traditional, sombré to babylights, foilayage, and more.
Types of hair highlights run the spectrum between style and technique. So, first dream up the look you want, and then pick your type of highlights.
Balayage
This French named technique is wildly popular. It’s a freehand brush application of blond highlights directly onto your hair for a very blended sun-kissed look. Great for long hair and low-maintenance effects keeping your hair looking natural as it grows out.
Foilayage
Sometimes spelled ‘foilyage’, this technique takes balayage highlights to a whole new level. Sections of hair are brushed with blond highlights like a balayage but then wrapped in foil to make them even lighter and brighter. The process is a little more involved, but easier to control and the results are truly striking. Great for mid-length as well as long hair types. You can see why a lot of stylist prefer a foilyage over a balayage.
Ombré / Melt/ Sombré
Ombré highlights or a Melt, are all about blending horizontally from one color to another from the ends upward. Sombré is exactly want it sounds like, a more subtle version of an Ombré. Like all these types of hair highlights, it works on any hair color and you can mix and match all the shades you want, from natural to bright.
Babylights
What are babylights, you ask? This is when you highlight much thinner sections of hair in foil. Babylights are used to achieve more natural-looking highlights. Think of little kids hair in the summer. For dark hair or brown hair, this is a way to go slightly lighter while keeping your original color.
Lowlights
If highlights go lighter and babylights go smaller, what are lowlights? They give lighter locks noticeable depth and body by applying a darker shade to certain sections.
Dimensional Highlights
While not service you can request, it's something to ask your stylist about. This technique can be added to any highlight, it's just a matter of placement. As with any highlight a good mix of light and dark can really increase the dimensions within the hairstyle. Yes, you can have too many highlights! This is why placement is important to your overall look. Your Stylist/Artist must use their eye to make sure the contrasting colors work with your hair as well as the overall look. For a dimensional highlight a dark panel is placed directly behind a highlighted section that is much lighter to really make the highlights pop. While all highlights add some sort of depth, dimensional highlights do it best and are a good option for making your mane look fuller.
Peek-a-boo highlights
This technique is all about placement. Unlike other techniques, these highlights or panels are hidden in the under-layers. As long as your hair is down, no one’s the wiser. These highlights usually only show when the hair is moving. It’a perfect for having the best of both.
Summer Color Trends 2023
The summer hair color trends this season focus on personalized color expression and low-maintenance upkeep. Similar to the styles we’re looking forward to like fluffy curls and undone texture, summer color trends are all about being playful with your style.
We’ll see everything from blush tones to burgundy. Copper and golden hues are back. In terms of placement, 90’s-inspired highlights with a bold face frame will gain popularity. The peekaboo highlight become tool to express yourself.
The overall trend seems to be about finding unique, personalized ways to show your personality and style through your hair.
Now you have all the information you need to find a perfect look for you this summer. Follow the link below and let’s get started.
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