Soft blended highlights | Abingdon | Didcot | Wantage | Oxfordshire

Take a sample of 100 clients with highlights and most will be different. The first rule of colour is that no colour is created equally, meaning the starting conditions are always different. Stylists can be inspired to create something based upon an image, however what might work for one client may not necessarily work for you!

The key to soft, blended highlights lies in the choice of colours, the thickness of the sections, and the application technique. For reference, these elements are broken down below:

Colour choice: The secret to a natural-looking blends is in the choice of colours that are compatible with your based colour (your existing hair colour) and skin colour. For example:

• Contrast: The best colour choices are those which are within reach of your current hair colour. For example, if your hair is black, white blonde won’t offer a soft finish (even with great foil placement). Whereas caramel on brunette hair or honey on blonde hair, create a more cohesive look than stark contrasts.
• Multi-Tonal Approach: Using more than one shade helps mimic the natural variation of tones in your hair, making the highlights appear softer and more seamless.

Smaller sections: Thick, chunky highlights often create a bold and high-contrast appearance, which can look less natural, whereas smaller and delicate sections offer a much softer result:

• Babylights: These are fine and much more delicate highlighted sections of hair. You will find increasingly that babylights are much more commonplace than more traditional ‘chunkier’ highlights.
• Spacing: When highlighting hair, your Stylist will foil sections of hair. The space between each foil determines the blend to avoid visible gaps, ensuring a smooth transition between the highlighted sections and your base colour. For an overall whiter look utilising smaller sections, here’s how you can achieve a white blonde.