Balayage/Ombré struggle!

[Tiffany Kingdon]

When I do an ombré, I find that it doesn't matter how I do it I get slight lines and not a seamless, natural blend! Have watched video after video and it's not a perfect blend. Maybe I'm being too fussy. My clients are always happy but it bugs me! Any tips? Already tried combing with cutting comb to blend!

Thanks!

 

[cassies97]

What technique are you using to apply?

Please don't come with a cutting comb or you will get lines.

 

[Tiffany Kingdon]

I'm painting on highlights and blending through. Toni and Guy use cutting comb to get a good blend. The first time I used a comb was today but I've had suttle lines before! Is my bleach swelling?

 

[cassies97]

I'm painting on highlights and blending through. Toni and Guy use cutting comb to get a good blend. The first time I used a comb was today but I've had suttle lines before! Is my bleach swelling?

Painting on highlights and blending through? Don't think i'm following.

Are you doing freehand?

 

[Tiffany Kingdon]

Yes freehand. Holding a piece and painting a highlight each side then blending to the end like a V shape.

 

[Tiffany Kingdon]

The lines are horizontal by the way not vertical!

 

[cassies97]

Yes freehand. Holding a piece and painting a highlight each side then blending to the end like a V shape.

Right so you are actually balayaging.

Are you apply even saturation? This is the main cause of having lines and blotches appear. Do you lift the section to check the section underneath? So many people skip this and thats where awful balayages come from sometimes.

Your tension is also really important; the hair mustn't move when you feather the product onto it.

Are you doing a variation to each section? Having some become lighter higher than others?

 

[Tiffany Kingdon]

Even saturation yes. I probably could use more tension! But there isn't variation in the colour.

 

[cassies97]

When you say lines, do you mean it looks like a blocky straight line ombre or you have strange lines throughout the head in places?

 

[Steven Robertson]

I find with stylists at our salon that are working with hairpainting and balayaging, that they forget a little factor that helps diffuse lines, because this factor happens at the top of the head. I'm curious. When you take a section say from the top of their head, on their part line, where do you hold that section before you begin balayage? Do you pull it directly towards you, so it's parallel with the floor? Or do you elevate the section upwards, similar to how you would when cutting a layer through the top?

 

[Tiffany Kingdon]

When you say lines, do you mean it looks like a blocky straight line ombre or you have strange lines throughout the head in places?

It's not on the top layer normally,just throughout the underneath layers! It's like a shuttle horizontal line, no blotches! It's so strange. But it's not a block line.

 

[Tiffany Kingdon]

I find with stylists at our salon that are working with hairpainting and balayaging, that they forget a little factor that helps diffuse lines, because this factor happens at the top of the head. I'm curious. When you take a section say from the top of their head, on their part line, where do you hold that section before you begin balayage? Do you pull it directly towards you, so it's parallel with the floor? Or do you elevate the section upwards, similar to how you would when cutting a layer through the top?

I hold it down towards the floor with my hand as that's the direction it's going to fall right? But maybe on the top layer I'm directing it towards me more!

 

[Tiffany Kingdon]

These are ombré's I've done...

 

[adamlea87]

@Tiffany Kingdon Excuse my crude drawing, but it sounds like you are dropping the balayage into full saturation without enough surface colouring in-between the ends and the highlights towards the scalp. Does this sound possible?

 

[cassies97]

@Tiffany Kingdon Excuse my crude drawing, but it sounds like you are dropping the balayage into full saturation without enough surface colouring in-between the ends and the highlights towards the scalp. Does this sound possible?

[emoji173]️ this drawing

 

[adamlea87]

showing my artistic side eh @cams97

 

[Claire Olsen]

Use a blur brush works amazing!

 

[Steven Robertson]

I hold it down towards the floor with my hand as that's the direction it's going to fall right? But maybe on the top layer I'm directing it towards me more!

@Tiffany Kingdon Excuse my crude drawing, but it sounds like you are dropping the balayage into full saturation without enough surface colouring in-between the ends and the highlights towards the scalp. Does this sound possible?

Elevate your sections, similar to how this diagram shows, so that if you were to look at it from a side view the surface where you are painting isn't pressing down in towards the center. You're getting heavy lines from either 2 things: too much product sitting in your v-point peaks that continues to lighten too bright, or when you're pressing the bleach on to the surface in the middle and at the v-point the product is saturating through instead of just being on the top surface, causing a "bleeding" effect essentially! Pardon my terribly diagram I'm about to post for how to hold the sections on the top. I ended up getting carried away, but here you go. Hope this helps explain the elevation. Will help a great deal with your blending!!

 

[Tiffany Kingdon]

Thanks everyone!!! Xx

 

[Kreativehair]

Do u leave a fine slice out like when u would normally when adding a foil? And how thick should the section to be painted be?