Sombre, it’s the new ombre

There’s a new hair colouring technique in town...

Ombre is something of a hair colour phenomena and its signature darker roots and lighter ends are still loved by more than a handful of stylish celebs from Drew Barrymore and Blake Lively to Emily Blunt.

We’re pretty confident that Ombre will be around for the foreseeable but the key to a trend's longevity lies in adapting and transforming. (As demonstrated by the Queens of reinvention Madonna and Lady Gaga). So, it onwards-and-upwards for ombre as we welcome its new incarnation; Sombre.

Remember the harsh contrast sometimes created with the Ombre look? Yeah, there was a slight gradient going on, but there was still a stark shade difference visible between the ends of the hair and the roots. The Sombre trend is here to change that. Forget having a ‘do’ that looks like you’ve tried to have a go at the colour blocking trend of last summer, and embrace a softer, subtler gradient from one shade into another.

'The Sombre look is all about a softer version of Ombre – the appearance of dark roots is less harsh than before and colour is seamlessly melted together', says Bruno Elorrioroz, colour expert for Aveda. Sombre goes beyond balayage, it works by the hairdresser taking a darker hue found at the roots of your hair, and subtly weaving that through to create less of an abrupt colour contrast from the roots to the ends.

Aveda are predicting a demand for this subtle hair contouring over the coming months and say that the trend can work for any-and-all hair types so long as the root area is kept on the natural side. 'We use tones that are just a few shades lighter and a few shades darker than the natural colour base for the most natural and complimentary result,’ says Elorrioroz. Aveda’s Full Spectrum colour system has a 96% naturally-derived formula which they further customise so you can be confident that the colour you’ll leave the salon with will be incredible.

Sombre, 2016’s top hair trend, has already been flaunted by stars such as Kylie Jenner and Pretty Little Liars actress Lucy Hale, proving that this look can work for both short and long locks.

Not only does Sombre look seriously cool, it also provides an optical illusion that your tresses are just that little bit thicker. With the dark shade starting at the roots, and very gradually changing to a lighter shade, the mid lengths and ends are left looking full and fabulous – it’s like an Instagram filter for you hair and there’ll definitely be #nofilter required on your post-salon selfie.