In the early days, they were calling it urban ombré, but the style royalty in Paris dubbed it with a new name, and it seems that it's going to stick.
Say hello to écaille (pronounced "e-kay"), meaning "tortoiseshell" in French. It's the successor to ombré, and believe us when we say the name is sticking because if it weren't I would avoid calling it that at all costs. It's a pain every time I need to type that é on my English keyboard. Don't believe me? Just search #ecaille on Instagram and feast your eyes.
So what is this beautiful new trend, sweeping the globe? The general concept is not entirely different from ombré. In fact, to the untrained eye, écaille would seem like a particular type of ombré, however the technique to create the style is entirely different. This isn't the dip-dyeing method of the ombré of yesteryear, but an actual hair-painting technique not dissimilar from balayage.
The result, is a look that adds both shine, and a multi-dimensional depth to your hair. Check out this brunette who has just undergone the treatment.
The result is color that lightens throughout the length of the hair, as opposed to closer to the tips. Some report écaille is more of a color theme than a technique, however that hasn't stopped eager hair enthusiasts from making the method completely their own.
Take a look at one early urban ombré adopter embracing a more colorful take on the hair-painting method.
Or another enthusiast with a primordial version that began with the balayage technique.
But while urban ombré and balayage set the foundation for écaille, nothing beats the real thing.
What do you think, is écaille the hair coloring technique for you?
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