Ombré hair is a low maintenance, high on gorgeous look that is top of the hair colour charts from one season to the next. The two-tone blend of every shade and colour is lighting up our lives as well as our heads. Now all you need to know is which is the best ombré hair dye kit to use to dive into the obsession at home?
In Ombré hair | The greatest guide for beginners, we expertly explained everything you need to know about the fast becoming iconic sunkissed look. Now we’re here to tell you the best hair colouring kits you need to create your own sensational shadow hair, at home.
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Contents
- 1 What is ombré hair?
- 2 Can I get the ombré look at home?
- 3 Which is the best ombré hair dye kit to use at home?
- 4 Best ombre hair kits at a glance.
- 5 TOP PICK!
- 6 L’Oréal Colorista Effect Ombré Hair
- 7
- 8 #1 L ‘Oreal Paris Kit Dye Préférence Les Ombrés Tie & Dye
- 9
- 10 #2 L’Oréal Preference Glam Bronde
- 11
- 12 #3 L’Oréal Colorista Effect Ombré Hair
- 13
- 14 #4 Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach Super Blondes Extreme
- 15
- 16 #5 Schwarzkopf Live Intense Lightener
- 17 TOP PICK!
- 18 L’Oréal Colorista Effect Ombré Hair
- 19 Parting words.
What is ombré hair?
Ombré is actually a french word meaning ‘shadow’.
It’s a two-toned dramatic effect, similar to the dipped dye look. To make this hairstyle happen, you lighten the mid-to-lower half of your hair to create a blended, band-like effect.
The effect is darker on top and lighter towards the ends. You won’t have to worry about roots growing out if you keep the top your natural colour!
You can use any complementary combinations of colours to create the look, but it looks the most awesome with natural colours like reds, blondes, browns silver ombre and even black ombre.
Check out the latest looks for ideas and inspiration.
Can I get the ombré look at home?
It is totally possible to get the shadow look at home! And many helpful kits have been invented to help you do just that.
If you’re unsure, talk to your hairdresser about what colours or effects will suit you and your skin tone.
Which is the best ombré hair dye kit to use at home?
There are a few kits you can buy off the shelf that come with special instructions on how to get the look. Essentially, these are all hair lightening kits with special ombré instructions. So you are free to use a normal highlighting kit and follow our instructions in Ombré hair | The greatest guide for beginners, too.
In terms of shade, the rule from our expert colourists is always to go for a colour only one shade lighter than your natural hair to avoid any orange mishaps.
If your natural hair colour has warm tones, it may take a few goes to get the lightened hair look. That’s why we always recommend buying at least two boxes.
Don’t forget to do a strand test before you start!
Best ombre hair kits at a glance.
| Kit | Looks like | Best for | Buy it now |
|---|---|---|---|
| L'Oréal Preference Wild Ombré Hair Dye |   | Lighter hair shades | |
| L'Oréal Preference Glam Bronde |   | Subtle ombre colour. | |
| L'Oréal Colorista Effect Ombre Hair |   | Easy use and great results. | |
| Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach Super Blondes Extreme |   | Lifting darker shades. | |
| Schwarzkopf Live Intense Lightener |   | Warmer tones. |
TOP PICK!
L’Oréal Colorista Effect Ombré Hair
Best for: Easy use and great results.
This is a kit that is specially made for this technique and we love it for that. The results make this the best kit for us. Our mid-brown hair turned into a mix of caramel highlights that looked natural and not streaky.
L’Oreal also suggests doing one of the vivid Colorista Washout colours afterwards to give your hair a temporary turquoise or denim hue – we think that’s a fabulous idea!
#1 L ‘Oreal Paris Kit Dye Préférence Les Ombrés Tie & Dye
They say:
- Wild ombre is the new fashion forward way to lighten your hair.
- Easy to apply and easy to maintain by lightening only the lengths and the tips of your hair, creating a unique dip dye effect.
- Contains lightening cream technology to give luminous hair.
Reviewers say:
“I highly recommend this ombré kit. I’ve used it a few times to give champagne blonde ends to my dark brown hair – i Love it!”
“This was my first time colouring my hair. The instructions were easy to follow. I painted it into my hair, waited for 15 minutes, and viola! Natural looking blonde ends that blend in with my natural hair!”
“I used this today with the help of a friend. It turned out amazing! For those who say it is too orange, use a purple shampoo or toner and it will sort it out. I love my hair!”
We say:
This made our hair feel super soft. It didn’t make our hair feel straw like at all and the conditioner that comes with it smells divine.
It was easy to apply and the instructions were easy to follow. We left it on slightly longer than instructed as it wasn’t looking as light as we wanted after the time. And it worked! The colour was subtle on our light brown hair though it was definitely on the warm side. Darker shades will need something stronger.
BEST FOR: Lighter hair shades.
#2 L’Oréal Preference Glam Bronde
They say:
- Glam Bronde kit combines lightening creme technology with a nourishing conditioner giving optimal lightening and luminous hair.
- Made for dark blonde to light blonde hair.
- Naturally blended, ultra glamorous.
Reviewers say:
“This is a great product that gave my hair subtle lights and was easy to use. My hair didn’t feel dry the conditioner supplied worked a treat and my hair was super soft and shiny.”
“This is an in-between blondybrowny look and I love it! It’s a touch lighter than my natural colour so it blends so well.”
“Really shiny and glossy, not dry at all – you’d never tell I did it at home!”
We say:
This is a Bronde kit that can be used for painting freehand highlights on your hair. Bronde is a mix of brunette and blonde so we gave this a go with mid-brown to dark hair.
The kit comes with a little ‘bronding brush’ that it made it easy to control how much solution is going on your hair. With this, you need to concentrate the dye on the ends to create the ombré effect, ignore the box instructions.
The colour is lovely with one application which was enough to lift our previously dyed colour subtly. This did come out a little more golden than we would’ve liked. But after a few washes with purple toning shampoo, we’re happy with how it looks. If you’re looking for a warmer shade, this is for you.
BEST FOR: Subtle ombré colour.
#3 L’Oréal Colorista Effect Ombré Hair
They say:
- DIY lightening kit to create hair highlights effects in a stroke.
- Create the perfect base to follow with Colorista washout colour.
- The gentle formula lightens all hair colours.
- The after-care conditioning formula nourishes hair.
Reviewers say:
“Overall I loved the effect of the ombré kit. A great toned lightened colour that blended naturally into my hair. This product can create beautiful results.”
“I used this on my medium brown hair that I’ve never dyed before in my life! I was nervous but the outcome is amazing! I left it on for longer than the box says as my hair is so dark. But after 45 mins, it definitely worked great for me.”
“This kit worked better than I expected! The brush makes it easy to use but it was a little tricky doing the back of my head myself! I have medium to light brown hair and the bits I ombré’d came out a lovely golden colour.”
We say:
We love this kit from L’Oreal Colorista. The instructions are easy to follow and the formula is thick so it applied well to our hair.
The brush in our hair dyeing kit is better than the one provided as it wasn’t so flimsy. We painted it on freestyle working from the mid section of our mid brown hair to the ends.
The results make this the best kit for us to ombré your hair. Our hair turned into a mix of caramel highlights that looked natural and not streaky. We applied tin foil on some of the ends to give it a really lighter effect. The overall look is lush!
BEST FOR: Easy use and great results.
#4 Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach Super Blondes Extreme
They say:
- With Olia, colouring your hair is easy and pleasant.
- Instantly mix the developer and colourant cream in the applicator bottle and apply the mix.
- Use the multi-application conditioner to keep your hair feeling soft and looking shiny.
- After application apply Garnier Olia Super Shine Hair Oil for exceptional everyday shine.
Reviewers say:
“My favourite kit to bleach my hair with is the Olia one in the palest colour. It comes out a pale creamy blonde, not at all brassy, and I like the brush application.”
“ I have dark brown hair naturally, but wanted to try ombre ends. I am amazed how this product lifted my ends and no horrible orange tones in it.”
We say:
This is a strong hair lightener from Garnier that we wanted to try to lift our hair from mid-brown. The formula is quite generous in the box so you could get away with just one box here if your hair is not too long or thick.
After the first process of painting on the ombré colour, our hair was lightened more than we expected and only a slight orange tone to it. We put more on the ends with foils and let that develop longer and these were not brassy at all. The overall effect was a warm look.
The nourishing conditioner smells divine and left our hair very soft. A purple shampoo did the job of combating the orange. This is strong stuff for darker shades.
BEST FOR: Lifting darker shades.
#5 Schwarzkopf Live Intense Lightener
They say:
- An intense lightener and permanent colour with an oil booster that lightens your hair up to 9 shades.
- Guarantees less brassiness by neutralising unwanted yellow undertones.
- Leaves hair touchably soft with a glossy shine.
- With a brightening Oil Booster for up to 9 levels of lift.
Reviewers say:
“This definitely worked but the results were not the colour on the box! I have dark brown hair and have coloured it in the past- you’ll have to do it twice if you want the colour on the box.”
“Better than other hair dyes at lifting my dyed brown colour. I’ve tried a lot of the other brands and this is the one I would recommend the most.”
“First time I’ve used this and can honestly say it works a treat! My hair was already quite blonde and I just wanted to add a few ombré highlights. This worked great.”
We say:
We tried this in Blonde Highlights | How to nail the lighter look at home, and knew it would be fabulous for achieving a caramel blonde effect in our Ash brown hair.
It does lighten with a slight yellow tint, but after a couple of days, the colour becomes a creamy, caramel blonde that blends perfectly with mid to light browns. If you’re after warmer colours, this is for you but keep it to one shade above your natural colour or risk being orange.
BEST FOR: Warmer tones.
TOP PICK!
L’Oréal Colorista Effect Ombré Hair
Best kit for: Easy use and great results.
This is a kit that is specially made for ombré hair and we love it for that. The results make this the best kit for us to ombré your hair. Our mid-brown hair turned into a mix of caramel highlights that looked natural and not streaky.
L’Oreal also suggests doing one of the vivid Colorista Washout colours afterwards to give your hair a temporary turquoise or denim hue – we think that’s a fabulous idea!
Parting words.
The perfect ombré hair dye kits are easy to use, when you know how!
Whether you’re looking for a change, want to try something new or are just in the mood for some fun, there’s an ombré kit out there that will suit your needs and budget.
We hope this blog post helps make your decision easier when choosing which product best suits your hair type and style goals. So what’s stopping you from giving yourself a fresh start with our favourites? Get going!