If you’re looking for a new way to spice up your look while you’re trapped inside this winter, maybe try experimenting with this winter’s hottest look, smoky ombre. It’s a stunning look where pastels and/or silver and gray shades add a smoky effect at the bottom of the lengths. It’s a frosty, ashy look that’s perfect for winter.
If you plan to do this at home, you’ll need to bleach out dark hair so the subtle smoky shades will show. Then you’ll need a smoky pastel dye, a silver dye and/or a gray dye. L’Oreal Feria has some smoky pastel shades, if you’re looking for an easy kit to use. As for gray or silver dye, you might want to hit up your local beauty supply store for this specialty color.
Below are several styles for some starting inspiration, whether you’re merely curious or looking to take the dive into smoky ombre.
Purple and silver
One look is to go for deeper lilac and silver highlights in chunky portions.
Smoky lilac
Like the look above, this has lilac and silver shades, but the highlights are more intermingled. Also, the lilac is more muted into a smoky shade.
Subtle smoky
This is technically a balayage look, but it gives a similar effect. It’s a good subtle look where a medium gray shade is painted lightly into the hair, becoming thicker farther down on the length.
Smoky gray ombre
Another look is to go with a dark shade at the top and a dark grey ombre that gives the appearance of deep smoke at the ends.
Smoky gray tips
This look has dark gray at just the tips, giving a subtle appearance that makes it look like hair fades into smoke at the very ends.
Smoky pink
A pastel, muted and smoky pink is a go-to shade for this look. It looks great intermingled with optional silver highlights.
Smoky blue silver
Another style is to mix pastel blue in with silver locks for a blue smoky look. It looks stunning as a color melt style, too, with blue in the middle of the lengths and silver at the ends.
Smoky silver
Another look is to go for a basic bright silver ombre. It looks stunning against naturally dark hair.
Smoky silver, gray, and blue
Blue, gray and silver highlights in very long hair, all below the shoulder, look amazing. In this look, the gray starts around the top of the ear in subtle highlights and leads into silver and blue lower on the lengths.
Michelle Lovrine Honeyager is a freelance writer living in Southeastern Wisconsin. You can find out more about her at https://www.clippings.me/michellelovrine.