Do you find that you confuse ombre with balayage? You’re not the first. Let’s get the definition of what it means to opt for ombre clear so that you’re equipped to decide whether you want it – and so you know exactly what to ask for in the salon next time you go in.

The word balayage describes a technique: it means to sweep, so colour is hand-painted onto lengths of hair. It relies heavily on skill on the part of the colourist to decide where portions of colour should go. Often, balayage is used to subtly lift the colour on portions of hair around the face, mimicking the effect sunshine would have on hair.

Ombre can be applied with a balayage technique, but the word itself means ‘shadow’, so it is more about creating a difference in hair colour than about the application or end colour.

If you took to google to look for examples of ombre hair, you’d be likely to find a panoply of images of two-toned hair – either light at the top and dark at the bottom, or the reverse. Equally, it might mean a bright colour pop applied to the ends of hair. This version is often referred to as a ‘dip dye.’ There are, however, other kinds of ombre to consider – it can be more subtle and less about a stark colour on the ends, or you can slide colour between sections of hair, revealing a different hue when hair parts.

The benefits of ombre? It’s a great way to make a statement but is completely customisable, so it doesn’t have to be bold if you don’t want it to be. Also, if you have colour applied to the ends, you can have all the benefits of highlights without having to worry about frequent salon visits to touch up roots.