Smoke SIGNALS
ELLE INVITES TWO AWARD-WINNING COLOURISTS ON SET TO GIVE US A PREVIEW OF 2O21’S HOTTEST TREND: SMOKY HAIR
THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT A SMOKY EYE is a timeless beauty staple. Now, taking inspiration from the technique, the smoky look is coming to our hair – and it’s set to be the most coveted trend for 2O21.
Tapping into the ombré obsession, this colour treatment nails that balayage vibe but gives it a fresh twist. It recreates the effect that smoky make-up has on your eyes, adding depth to make your hair ‘pop’.
However, this isn’t a look that you can get straight from the bottle; this is an intricate professional process. So we invited two of last year’s winners of the L’Oréal Colour Trophy Awards – an annual competition that champions the UK’s best hairstylists and colourists – to demonstrate on set how they’ve perfected the style in their salons.
Sinéad Kelly, one half of the awardwinning duo, explains how she achieved the look. ‘It’s about replicating the combination of shades that you see in smoky eye make-up, so the colouring technique involves adding darker panels behind cooler, iridescent tones,’ she says. ‘We work with the natural lightness that’s already in the hair, so the overall effect is one of diffused softness.’
Even better, the trend allows for a subtle blend of colour and gentle fade that’s very low-maintenance – Kelly recommends just using silver shampoo weekly to maintain the reflective tones on the lengths. And with a palette of possibilities, the look works for all hues of hair, whether your base shade is fair, medium or dark.
‘The technique allows you to achieve the bespoke, tailor-made colour that you want,’ says colourist Giuseppe Stelitano. ‘It gives a rich, deep result that looks very close to your natural shade.’ When blended seamlessly at the salon, the result is multi-dimensional and universally flattering, with the smouldering finish adding a contemporary edge.
Effortless colour with a hot new spin? Consider us sold.
To discover more about the smoky hair trend and find your nearest L’Oréal Professionnel salon, visit lorealprofessionnel.co.uk