Balayage Pronounciation – What is Balayage vs Ombre?
Balayage Pronunciation – Balayage vs Ombre, how to choose between the two, exactly what is the difference, how to pronounce the style correctly and, what are the pros and cons to maintaining these two styles.
Balayage Pronunciation – Balayage vs Ombre
Balayage – “Ball-ee-ajh” – French origin meaning ‘sweeping’.
The balayage technique signifies how the technique is performed by ‘sweeping’ the color brush to create a more blended look that allows the color at the root to melt into the color on the length but there is no harsh line.
Such as the photo below.
Ombre – “Om-bray” not hombre – that’s spanish – “Om-bray” is correct and means ‘shadow’.
As in the photo below, an ombre is when the color has more of a direct line that distinguishes one color at the roots from the other color on the length.
Balayage Pronunciation- It’s so confusing!
- “Baa-luh-yaazh”
- “Bah-leye-ag”
- “Bah-lay-aj”
- “Bah-Lee-Aj”
- “Ball-EE-Azh”
Technically none are incorrect.
It looks impossible to decipher and sound out but when you find one of the above decipherable and able to pronounce, they are all appropriate balayage pronunciations and are correct depending on the area where you are located.
Balayage is more commonly pronounced as “Bah-lay-aj” in the salon by professionals as the hair coloring technique.
Balayage Pronunciation – Balayage vs Ombre Are They the Same Thing?
No, balayage and ombre are not the same. An ombre has more of a harsh line, and a balayage is performed with more of a sweeping brush movement which creates a melting affect.
What is the Meaning of Balayage Hair?
Generally speaking (again, “ball-ee-ajh”), a balayage color is a hand- painted highlighting technique used to add blonde, or another lighter color to the hair without taking it entirely to the roots.
A balayage gives the hair a more natural highlight appearance than foil highlights might.
A balayage is french for “sweeping”, so a well done balayage sweeps and is feathered into the natural color at the roots vertically preventing a harsh horizontal line that the outgrowth of heavy highlights typically have.
The way that the balayage is applied is a huge determining and differentiating factor between the balayage vs ombre.
👉Balayage is more subtle in transition and in tone, ombre is not.👈
What’s an Ombre?
An ombre (“om-bray”) is similar to a balayage in the way that the length and bottom half of the hair is a different color than the roots, but the techniques used to blend it in are a little more horizontal, less feathered. And an ombre usually starts at the chin or lower.
An ombre means ‘shadow’, which means it’s supposed to stand out more than balayaged hair, it’s not meant to be subtle like its opponent.
Who is an Ombre Good For?
Ombres are great for those that want to add a color other than blonde just towards the ends.
Is Balayage vs Ombre the Same Thing?
Figuring out the difference and which one is better ombre or balayage for you can be a challenge but it’s not that hard.
When deciding for yourself I highly recommend looking at photos to take with you to show the hairstylist. Both look at shades and tones, which will help your stylist determine which techniques they’ll be using, but also help you decide which one you would prefer.
Both balayage and ombre can have several colors or just one. This is yet another reason that photos are great to have when showing up to the salon.
What’s a Reverse Balayage?
A reverse balayage still creates a melting effect from one color to another but the reverse part changes the root color (closest to the scalp) and melts into the natural color of the length.
A typical balayage leaves the roots alone and changes the length color, a reverse does the opposite.
Pros and Cons to Balayage vs Ombre
However, until then, we’re going to go over the pros and cons of balayage vs ombre.
Pros and Cons – Upkeep of a Balayage
Here we will talk about the upkeep and the maintenance of a balayage treatment.
Pros of Balayage 👍
- There’s no harsh line at the roots, so outgrowth is easier
- Less upkeep than highlights
- You can still color the roots a different color without making it look like it’s just been slapped on
- Classy – business like
- Balayage can be as subtle or stand out as much as you want
- It can be done on almost any length of hair
Cons of Balayage 👎
- You have to continue getting the blonde or light brown toned
- If not properly maintained a balayage will eventually look like an ombre
- It’s hard to get rid of the blonde once the hair has been bleached, you can only color it darker until the bleached hair has been cut it off
Pros and Cons of Ombre Color Maintenance
Here we will do the same, list in detail the pros and cons of upkeep of an ombre color treatment on hair.
Pros of Ombre 👍
- Excellent for bright / fun colors
- Good for kids that just want that summer splash of color that the school might not allow
- It grows out well without looking shabby and is fairly easy to color over to return to natural shades
- As the fun color fades you can keep applying new fun colors
- An ombre stands out, it is not subtle, a statement of fun
Cons of Ombre 👎
- Younger generations tend to have ombres. It’s less for the classy or business look
- Ombres tend to have a harsher line than balayage
- It is not subtle or easily hidden
- If the hair was bleached to achieve a blank canvas to apply a fun color, there is nothing you can do to to the hair that was bleached but cut it off if it was damaged
- The fun colors can fade quickly so the maintenance of keeping an ombre looking good can take a lot effort
- Ombres can only be done on hair longer than the chin
Which is better balayage or ombre?
It’s not so much which is better overall, because both are color processes that will take a toll on your hair and cause some damage, but what finished look and affect you want on your hair.
Questions you can ask yourself when determining if an ombre or balayage are better for you –
- Do I want the color subtle or to stand out?
- What condition is my hair already in?
- Can I handle the maintenance of an ombre fading or a balayage tone needing refreshed?
- Is it practical for me?
- Will it bring me joy and make me feel pretty?
Is balayage more damaging than ombre?
No, balayage and ombre both are both going to require the use of some bleach, which will lift and crack the cuticle just a little bit.
The big factor is how the hair is cared for after the service.
If you have a regular hair health routine with silicone-free and sulfate-free shampoos, regular masks, and use a leave-in conditioner to protect the hair, the damage will stay at bay and you don’t have to worry!
Is Silicone-Free Shampoo Good?
How to Make a Balayage or Ombre Last
If you love your hair and the balayage or ombre look, of course you want it to last as long as possible! Here are a few tips on how to make a balayage and ombre last.
- Don’t over-wash the hair, this will fade the color faster and dry the hair and scalp.
- Use the right products, avoid silicone and sulfates in your products.
- Consider lifestyle factors such as minerals in your water or excess chlorine.
- Avoid tension and tight ties in the hair. Hair is elastic, when the hair is wet or when the cuticle is damaged (after a color treatment such as a balayage or ombre) the elasticity is compromised. Be kind to your hair and gentle when it comes to ties and tension.
- Avoid heat such as daily blow-drys, flat iron, or curling irons used on the hair.
- Remove product buildup by using clarifying shampoo once a month when you have balayage or ombre. Except if you have fun, bright colors, avoid clarifying shampoo.
- Deep condition regularly! When the hair is hydrated the cuticle will stay down, allowing the color to last longer and there to be less frizz.
- Get regular maintenance haircuts. I recommend a haircut every season (Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn) to maintain the length, prevent further damage, and to remove the split ends that will travel up the hair strand if kept unchecked.
FAQs Balayage Pronunciation – Balayage vs Ombre
Can you have both a balayage AND ombre?
No, you can’t have both a balayage and an ombre. UNLESS a balayage has grown out so much that it looks like it has created a line instead of a gradual melting of the root color and length colors.
Is ombre considered balayage?
A balayage and ombre and so similar that yes, one can be considered the other. But they still aren’t the same.
If you go into a salon asking for one or the other be sure to bring a photo to show your stylist so that there is no confusion on exactly what you want your end result to look like.
But properly, a balayage is more subtle and closer to the roots but can grow out to become an ombre. An ombre does not become a balayage.
Again, a balayage is a subtle, sweeping transition to the next color. An ombre is a more abrupt and shadow-y.
What’s a sombre?
Sombre is a subtle or softer ombre.
Almost like a balayage technique was used to subtly paint the color or lightener on the hair. But also a toner was used to make the ombre similar in color -but just different enough- to the natural color.
How long does balayage take?
How long does it take to get balayage?
The process in a salon usually takes 3-4 hours or so. But it can be done at home and may take a little longer.
Most salons charge color services per hour, so be prepared, and the exact amount of time spent on your color service will depend on who your stylist is, the length of your hair, and how dense (thick) your hair is.
The entire service should include-
- Color consultation, when you look at photos and color swatches -15 minutes or less
- The application of the product – 1 to 2 hours
- Allowing the color product to process – 20 minutes to 1 hour
- Toning – 20 minutes, but can be included in color processing above
- Haircut and Blow dry – 1 hour
Why is Balayage so expensive?
The price of balayage hair coloring treatment varies per salon. Most salons charge per hour for color services, and balayage techniques take time to get the perfect results you want.
To be able to perform a beautiful balayage by hand that doesn’t accidentally become an ombre takes a couple of specific techniques that take practice and specialty.
Balayage hair is expensive because of the time and specialty it takes to be able to perform it.
Can I Do Balayage at Home?
Of course there are always kits that allow you to try your hand at achieving a color at home, but for a good balayage technique, I highly recommend going to a salon and having someone else do it for you.
Especially because the technique for balayage is supposed to be feathered and subtle, it’s very difficult to do on yourself.
And color corrections are too expensive and the damage that the product can do to your hair isn’t worth the risk of attempting a balayage at home.
Is balayage pronunciation “Bah-Lee-Aj” or “Ball-EE-Azh”?
“Baa-luh-yaazh” or”Bah-leye-ag” or “Bah-lay-aj”? Technically none are incorrect.
It looks impossible to decipher but either are appropriate balayage pronunciations and both are correct depending on the area where you are located.
Balayage is more commonly pronounced as “Bah-lay-aj” in the salon by professionals as the hair coloring technique.
What is the difference between highlighting and balayage?
Highlighting is performed by weaving some parts of a hair section to be painted blonde from the roots down to create either subtle or unmistakable stripes in the hair.
Balayage paints the length and ends of the hair lighter without changing the root color of the hair so that it can grow out without any mark of demarcation. The balayage also gives a melting affect from the root color to the end length’s color.
What is the difference between a balayage and a foil balayage?
A balayage is hand painted onto the hair and left to process in the open air.
A foil balayage is when foils are used to separate or protect the hair underneath from the color product or bleach bleeding into sections it shouldn’t.
Some foil balayage techniques make the end result more bold in contrast, like an ombre. Then again, it completely depends on how the stylist uses the foils as part of their technique.
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