Category: Ombre

4/10/2025

‘Recession hair’ has returned as this season’s beauty trend

This theory emerged in the early 2000s. Following the 2008 financial crash, "recession hair" became another economic indicator, as many forwent regular salon visits.

Recession hair is really for those who want to continue to color their hair but don’t want to save by trying at-home dye kits. It involves having your hair colored in a way that allows you to extend the time between trips to the salon, allowing you to go less frequently and save money.

Whether it be “recession blonde” or “recession brunette” — depending on your real hues — women are styling darker colors as part of a trend being driven by economic necessity and resulting in effortless elegance.

According to GlossGenius, a salon and spa software company, “lived-in color,” referring to partial, versus full, highlights or balayage, was the favorite hair color among stylists last year.

Here are links to 3 articles on "Recession Hair" from the last couple weeks:

The article from The Independent is reposted below.

What is recession blonde and why is it trending?
Fewer trips to the hairdresser is leading to a new colour trend

The state of the economy has long been reflected in beauty trends.

The Lipstick Index, coined by Leonard Lauder, son of Estée Lauder, posits that sales of "affordable luxury" items like lipstick rise when consumers sense a recession looming.

This theory emerged in the early 2000s. Following the 2008 financial crash, "recession hair" became another economic indicator, as many forwent regular salon visits.

Now, in 2025, TikTok has identified a new iteration of this trend: "recession blonde."

“Also known as ‘recession roots,’ the trend revolves around turning grown-out roots into a choice instead of a sign that a salon visit is in order,” explains hair expert Nicole Petty of Milk & Blush.

“With the cost of living and salon prices increasing, many of us are looking for ways to cut back on our spending, and pricey hair maintenance is often one of the first luxuries on the chopping block.”

What is recession blonde?

Recession blonde is similar to the better known ‘old money blonde’, but with a slightly less appealing name.

It’s a darker, duller shade of blonde interspliced with bright strands that occur when people let their golden dye grow out.

“The trend embraces a more low-maintenance approach to blonde, which allows natural roots to grow out and results in softer and more dimensional highlights that blend seamlessly,” explains stylist Adem Oygur, founder of Adem London.

“Compared to the ‘old money blonde’ trend, which is polished, warm, and meticulously maintained, ‘recession blonde’ leans into a more effortless and grown-out look, whilst also being perfect for those looking to stretch the time between salon visits without sacrificing their style,” says Oygur.

Of course, this newly coined term is a look many have been mastering for years, from Sarah Jessica Parker to Hailey Bieber.

Cost-effective colour options

While simply growing out your blonde may be the best cost-saving exercise; there are other cheaper options when colouring your hair.

“Techniques like balayage, root smudging and glossing are fantastic options that are lighter on your bank balance,” says Oygur.

“These methods create a more natural fade-out effect, meaning fewer touch-ups while keeping the colour looking fresh and really allow for that ‘worn in’ style that we see on so many celebrities.”

Oygur also says if your colour is on the warmer side, then soft face framing with caramel highlights can add depth without relying on an overall colour top-up.

Some celebrities have tried out recession blonde by blending it with growing out grey, such as Emma Thompson.

“If you have grey hair, using a quasi-permanent colour rather than a full permanent dye is a great option as it blends with the greys rather than fully covering them, so you don’t get a stark regrowth line,” says celebrity hairstylist Aaron Carlo.

“These quasi-permanent shades deposit colour without lifting the natural pigment, making regrowth much softer. Similarly, highlights placed under the parting, rather than bold, high-contrast streaks, help maintain a natural, blended look as the hair grows.”

Low-maintenance options

Recession blonde is certainly low maintenance, but if you’re looking for other ways of colouring your hair that doesn’t require six-week salon appointments, experts recommend balayage and ‘bronde’.

“Balayage is a great alternative to a full head of highlights, as this colour service requires minimal maintenance with gorgeous results,” says Tina Farey, colour expert and editorial director of RUSH salons.

“This means less frequent trips to the salon and no harsh regrowth line – all whilst being less damaging to your hair.

Balayage is a technique that hand paints the dye onto the hair as opposed to using foils. This creates are more dimensional colour and makes the hair appear more natural and lived in.

“If you do want to continue getting highlights, then I’d recommend getting a few lowlights blended throughout to eliminate the harsh regrowth and add more dimension,” says Farey.

Alternatively, ombré’s are also a popular option coming back this season, as a result of people growing out old colour.

“Soft ombré and natural reds are also fantastic choices because they fade gracefully and don’t require frequent root touch ups,” says Oygur.

“They work well if you know you won’t be attending the salon regularly and maintaining it every six weeks.”

Colour trends for spring and summer 2025

While this more muted hue suggests a move away from bright blondes – Millie Bobby Brown’s recent transformation would suggest otherwise. So, what are the anticipated colour trends for 2025?

“Millie [Bobby Brown] is definitely going against the grain and doing her own thing – it’s less about following a trend and more about making a statement,” says Carlo.

Hair treatments as opposed to damaging dye jobs certainly seem to be on the rise.

“With prioritising hair health trending on social media, we have noticed clients taking a step away from their full head of highlights,” says Farey.

“2025 is the year of the ‘timeless blonde’ – a soft, golden blonde with lots of contrasting lowlights for a more natural, almost ‘scandi-blonde’ effect.

“This look exudes warmth and luxury yet has an edgy feel, thanks to the interplay of light and dark shades.”

from The Independent

10/12/2018

Balayage vs. Ombré: What’s The Difference and Which is Best For You?

Sometimes it seems like your hair stylist is speaking a foreign language. Balayage. Ombré. Sombré. Foilayage. Translation please! Here’s how to understand the difference between ombré, balayage and everything in-between, and how to figure out the best hair color solution for you!

Ombré: The Striking Hair Color Solution

What is ombré?

In French, ombré means “shade” or “shadow.” In the hair color world, ombré is a dramatic, two-toned hair color effect that is typically darker at the top and lighter on the bottom. Often the dark, top section is your natural hair color shade and the bottom section is lightened with hair lightener. An ombré hairstyle can also be any color combination—natural blonde, brown or red, or something unconventional like pink, blue, green or purple. It’s versatile, customizable and suitable for most long and medium hair lengths. A big plus with ombré hair color is that it’s easy on the budget. You don’t have to touch it up very often since the top section remains dark. The overall look of ombré hair color can change as your hair grows out, which many clients enjoy!

The different types of ombré:

A subtler version of ombré is called sombré. In a sombré hairstyle, the contrast between the two tones is softer. Another variation is called color melting. In color melting, two or three hair color shades may be used on each strand, and each shade is blended with the side of the hair color brush so that they appear to melt into each other. Like ombré, color melting can be done with natural-looking hair color shades or with any of the fun colors of the rainbow!

Is ombré for you?

If you like to make a statement with your hair, if you’re creative and adventurous with your personal style, go for it! Just be sure your hair is healthy to begin with, otherwise your hair color will look dull and will fade quickly. If necessary, spend some time using healthy, healing conditioning treatments and hair masks to improve the condition of your hair before heading to the salon for your ombré hair color!

Balayage: The Subtle Hair Color Solution

What is balayage?

In French, balayage means “sweeping.” In the hair color world, balayage highlights are hand-painted or swept along the surface of the hair. The application begins away from the roots and gradually becomes heavier as it travels along the section, culminating in the heaviest application of lightener or hair color at the ends. Because the hair color or lightener is concentrated on the surface of each section, the underside remains darker, which gives the hair a very natural, dimensional effect. The resulting subtle balayage hairstyle mimics a natural, sun-kissed effect that has been in high demand from celebrities, models and high profile “it” girls for some time now. Balayage can be done on any hair color, from blonde hair to red hair to brown hair, although it’s typically not the first choice for super dark brunettes. It’s beautiful on long hair and on medium-length hair. Like ombré, balayage highlights are cost-effective because they don’t require frequent touchups, since the hair at the top is kept darker.

The different types of balayage:

Because balayage is a hand-painting technique, the artistry of your hair stylist comes into play and allows for many variations and beautiful color compositions. Hair color artists might combine several shades, for example, for a shimmering, dimensional result. If your hair is dark, they may opt for a foilayage technique. In foilayage, instead of allowing the balayage highlights to process in the air after they’re applied, they’re wrapped in foil, which provides more heat, and therefore amplifies the lightening process. Balayage may also be combined with conventional highlights placed closer to the face, or with fine, baby-lights placed around the face and hairline for a complexion-boosting glow.

Is balayage for you?

If you love sexy, natural-looking hair color (and who doesn’t?) balayage is a beautiful choice! Balayage hair color will bring nearly every hairstyle to life!

How to Care for Your Ombré or Balayage Hair Color

1. Embrace the “bond” difference.

Whether you’re going for a subtle glow or a major hair color transformation with your ombré or balayage hair color, new bonding technology can make all the difference between hair that emerges damaged and hair that stays healthy, shiny and lustrous. It starts in the salon, with professional hair bond repair additives that protect the structural bonds of your hair during the highlighting process, and prevent additional damage from occurring. It continues at home with a revolutionary, three-step Re-Bonding system that continues to reconstruct damaged hair at the deepest level—fortifying, strengthening and smoothing your colored or lightened locks.

2. Keep up your good work.

Once the Re-Bonding system has repaired your hair, maintain your hair color investment with hair-color-friendly, sulfate-free, natural-origin hair care products that gently bathe the hair, leaving your hair color shiny; extending color vibrancy and resulting in hair that’s supple, conditioned and soft to the touch. It’s also a good idea to protect your hair from too much exposure to UV light, from chlorine or saltwater and from frequent, direct contact with hot tools—all of which can alter your hue or cause premature fading.

This article first appeared on Matrix

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‘Recession hair’ has returned as this season’s beauty trend

Balayage vs. Ombré: What’s The Difference and Which is Best For You?

Hair by Brian

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