THE NEW OMBRE HAIR

Ombre hair was all the rage circa 2011, sprucing up the tresses of many a Hollywood starlet, from Jessica Biel to Rachel Bilson. But fashion and beauty pundits agree that the hair color trend is now in steady decline. Or is it?

Marie Robinson Salon celebrity colorist Nikki Ferrara shares that one of the most popular hair color requests she’s received this season is a look that she calls “shaded highlights”—a reformed, more sophisticated version of ombre that’s making big waves this fall.

“The base of the highlights start deeper and then fade out into a lighter shade, making less of a harsh contrast between the natural base and highlight color,” explains Nikki. One can achieve it by having a deeper gloss color applied at the root, while the ends of the hair are left out.

So why are so many women drawn to this look? The answer is simple: easy maintenance. “It gives women the appearance of a lighter base color without the commitment of doing a single process every 4-5 weeks. It’ll just seem like the highlights are grown out, while still maintaining a natural look.”

Nikki believes this look works best on women with hair ranging from medium to dark brunette. “It gives a dimensional, richer brown through the root and fading into a deep amber to medium hone tone through the ends.” And who is her favorite celebrity currently sporting this new ombre look? None other than her client Olivia Wilde, of course!