One of the things that you may have wondered about is why some people’s colours look like those of a high end magazine spread and some others don’t look that way even if their colours are similarly priced? It’s not always the salon’s price that’s the secret. It will depend on the specific technique, tone and method being used for that special type of hair dye.
The difference between having color on your hair and having super luscious, dimensional, and expensive-looking color on your hair is quite noticeable. This sought-after, high-end look isn’t just a luxury for celebrities who spend jillions of dollars at their local salon, it can be achieved for any other hair color enthusiast as well. But with the proper approach, that can be accomplished no matter your budget.
In this article we’ll go through 6 hair dye ideas that are known for that very coveted high-end hair color. Whether you’re making a next appointment for your colors or just looking for ideas, you will find real-world answers and practical tips to get salon-color results here.
Let’s dive in.
What’s The Secret To Making Hair Color Look Expensive?
It’s important to first understand some of the reasons why hair color can appear expensive-looking or completely flat/artificial.
It is probably the most significant element: Dimension. Hair color that has more than one single, uniform tone to it, and is blended well, will obviously reflect light in a dynamic 3-dimensional manner. It’s this subtle complexity that can make a luxurious looking color seem luxurious or simple and basic.
The health and beauty of the shine are as important as its colour. Even the best hair color application will not look as good if there are dry and damaged hair. Any hair color that is expensive looking will have a lot of pigment and will have beautiful light reflecting on really healthy, well conditioned hair.
Last but not least, seamless blending of regrowth has a significant effect on the overall polished, high-end look. Soft, naturalistic blends between roots and color are much more polished and purposeful than sharp, distinct and noticeable lines between the two.
Detail of different hair dyes are following
1. Sun-Kissed Balayage
There are not many techniques as synonymous with luxurious-looking hair as balayage. This hand-painted highlighting technique provides natural dimension and color with a more subtle and natural effect, as opposed to the more even, foil based process of traditional highlights.
This is a hair dye method that is ideal because it doesn’t leave harsh regrowth lines at all, rather it ensures that your natural locks are able to mix in with the lighter strands across the entire length of your hair. This helps to achieve the low maintenance luxury hair that is loved by many.
Styling hint: Have your colorist focus lighter colors on your face and around the ends to give them that sun-kissed effect that looks best when lighter colors are at the ends and face.
2. Brunette, rich and glossy chocolate
The most costly of the hair dye options isn’t necessarily for a dramatic change in color, but rather for an amazingly rich, glossy final color. The shades of chocolate browns, with a hint of warm browns, are truly ravishing and look great in all lighting situations.
This particular colour is very attractive, as the depth and richness of chocolate brunette colours harmonize with light in a natural and intentional way. This is a shade many high-end colorists endorse especially for those who desire a luxurious but low maintenance look without sacrificing the look of an expensive color.
- Perfectly complements warm and neutral skin tones well
- Able to regrow naturally, requires little touch up
- Complements warm toned make-up and gold jewelry.
3. Money Piece Highlighting
This method is typically referred to as “face-framing highlights” and features darker, more natural highlights around the face contrasted with the rest of the hair, which is a bit darker. This gives a luminous effect to your most visible parts of your body.
This hair coloring method is gaining traction especially because it will give the maximum visual effect with relatively less overall lightening which makes it a cost effective as well as expensive looking hair dye. The strategic placement focuses on the face, and provides flattering, naturally brightening effect.
Practical tip: Talk to your colorist in advance about what color is the best choice for you, where it will go, and what color it will be to ensure it matches your skin tone.
What makes this technique so popular?
This particular method continues to be in use due to the fact that it can provide a strategic method that provides maximum visual impact with the lowest cost and maintenance.
4. Cool-Toned Ash Blonde
If you’re looking for a more sophisticated option than blonde, cool-toned ash blonde is the perfect choice over warmer, more golden blonde choices. This shade is slightly gray, sometimes beige, for a subtle, elegant look that has grown to be more synonymous with premium, pricey-looking hair color.
This shade is excellent on people with cool or neutral colored skin tones, especially on lighter skin tones. So Ash blonde is now the preferred choice of those wishing to get rid of the warmer and sometimes brassy blonde shades and opt for a cooler, more modern and definitely more refined look.
Recommendation: Use a hair colour shampoo which is purple toned to avoid unwanted warm or brassy shades between salon visits.
5. Dimensional Root Melt
The root melt process fades your hair color, rather than giving a hard cut between your natural hair color and the color you want, to allow for a gradual mix between your natural color and your chosen color. This has become an attribute of costly looking hair in particular due to the absence of harsh lines.
This method is perfect for anyone who would like to keep their hair looking sleek and on purpose between salon visits. The gradual blending technique produces a naturally grown out look which never looks neglected, even after several weeks of growth.
This technique is a perfect complement to almost all lighter overall tones – blonde to lighter brown – and is one of the most versatile expensive-looking hair colors on the market, no matter your end goal is.
6. Glazed, Glossy Finish
There’s one thing that is very important, and often overlooked, to get right with expensive-looking hair color and flat-looking hair color and that is a good glossing treatment. This is a special service that gives your current hair colour a translucent shine and some color adjustment, providing you with that coveted glass-like reflective effect.
The technique is perfect for finishing off an almost every color, you’ve just faded your hair, darkened your hair, or you’re just trying to freshen up your existing hair color between complete color treatments. The luster alone can rejuvenate dull-looking locks to a more luxurious and healthy appearance.
This may be the quickest and most obvious change in one’s look with the least amount of time and expense involved of the methods mentioned in this article.
How to Choose the Right Hair Dye Shade for Your Skin Tone
Given the multitude of pretty colors that’re available, which specific color of hair dye will really enhance your particular complexion and give you that high-end look for the lowest price? It is crucial to know your skin’s undertone to help you make this choice.
- Warm colors: Golden balayage, warm chocolate brunette and honey-toned highlights are typically good washes for warm chocolate brown hair.
- Cool undertones: These tend to look best with ash blonde, cool-toned brunette and dark shades with blue undertones, which will work well with cooler skin tones.
- Neutral undertones: Lucky to pull off nearly any look – whether it be warm balayage or cool ash tones.
In addition to skin tone, also think about your natural hair texture and the colour of your eyes; some hair dye processes and colours look different and photograph differently on various types of hair.
The Role of Hair Health in Achieving an Expensive Look
Even the most masterfully done look of hair color will not be considered a true luxury if it is applied to damaged and brittle hair. Taking a holistic approach to hair health still is a critical starting point for that go-to and high-price looking hair.
Deep conditionings are useful in maintaining moisture and elasticity in hair, which are essential for them to look beautiful in the light, especially if they have been lightened and the hair is more porous and dry.
Minimize heat styling, or use a good heat protectant when heat tools are used, to maintain the strength and overall integrity of your hair over time as well as keep your dye vibrant.
Even if you’re growing out your length, regular trims will help to remove split ends and damaged areas that can detract from a beautifully colored hairdo.
Lastly, sulfate-free, colour-safe shampoos and conditioners, designed specifically for dyed hair will help maintain the color as well as keeping your hair healthy, thereby ensuring that your investment in a quality hair dye lasts as long as possible.
These are a few tips for long lasting colour which will look expensive
After achieving your dream hair dye color, it is crucial to take care of your hair to maintain its luxurious look from salon to salon.
Get regular gloss every 4-6 weeks, even after you get full colour treatments, to keep the colour looking bright and shiny and in the same way as it would look if you took it to a salon for an expensive looking colour.
When possible, wash less often to maintain the color of your hair and to not strip your scalp of its natural oils which help to give it vibrancy and healthy look.
Note that washing color-treated hair with hot water can cause the color to fade much quicker, and can also remove the desired shine and color from the hair, so only cool or lukewarm water should be used.
Go for a good pillowcase made of silk or satin; this may seem like a no-brainer, but it is much easier to sleep on a silk or satin pillowcase without frictions or breakage, which will keep hair healthy and look great.
The most common hair dyeing mistakes to avoid are:
Despite careful research and planning, people make inadvertent mistakes along the way when they are trying to achieve that coveted-expensive looking hair color change.
A common error is trying to do too many dramatic color changes at home on their own without the professional assistance needed, such as balayage or root melting. Most of those methods have to be applied by professionals to get truly shiny and natural looking.
One of the most frequent mistakes is assuming that if one uses colour-safe products, after-care is not necessary, or that it is not of the same importance as colour-safe products.
Last but not least, many people don’t realize the importance of healthy, well-maintained hair with their color choice and only pay attention to the color.
Final Thoughts
The high price of a salon doesn’t guarantee that you will get the beautiful, expensive hair color that you desire. Throughout this article, we’ve discussed various technique tips, color care advice, and a bit about healthy hair that help create some of the most luxurious-looking color results.
Keep in mind, that when it comes to that coveted ultra-glamorous look, dimension, seamless blending and healthy shine are all more important than any given shade. Regardless of what you opt for, whether it’s sun-kissed balayage or rich, glossy chocolate brunette, the following tips will help you to get truly luxurious results.
Regardless of your preferred hair dye product, it’s important to remember that regular hair maintenance and care is just as crucial as the coloring process itself. The best changes can be achieved through careful technique combined with consistent, long-term treatment.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about hair dye
Q1. Which technique for coloring hair seems the most expensive?
Balayage and root melting always seem to be among the more costly looks because the techniques work well to create seamless look of dimension, and they do not have any harsh regrowth lines.
Q2. How much does it cost to clean an expensive hair color?
This is dependent upon the color technique, but generally speaking, a balayage or root melt will need touch-ups every 8-12 weeks while a more traditional, uniform color will need touch-ups every 4-6 weeks.
Q3. Is it possible to get a high quality and high-end dye at home?
Though basic, color changes to the entire scalp, such as balayage or root melting, are more likely to be successfully achieved at the salon.
Q4. Does a healthy hair impact the amount of expensive my hair color will appear?
Yes, significantly. Beautifully applied dye will look less luxurious when applied to damaged, dry hair, and will add more luster to any color choice when applied to healthy, natural hair.
Q5. What is the difference between 50 % hair dye and a gloss treatment?
Gloss treatment is used to provide shine and slight color correction, and does not take your hair color to the extreme; full hair dye applications are used to make more of a color change to the hair.
