This Ombré Secret Is So Simple It's Genius

(Image credit: Design by Dana Tepper)

published 5 April 16

The ombré look has been obsessed over for years at this point. But when it comes to the approach, there's practically a new innovation everyday. From classic foils to balayage to hand-pressed-on-glass color, things just keep getting more conceptual.

So when we learned that Istanbul-based colorist Ozden Kurtur had been creating ombrés with a *paddle brush*, we were fascinated. Is it possible that the tool for the perfect gradient color had been right under our noses—sorting out our most menacing tangles—this entire time?

If the videos Kurtur has uploaded to Instagram are any indication, it just might've.

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"Using a brush eliminates the possibility of your hand pressing down too hard on the strands of hair when applying the highlights," NYC colorist Dana Ionato explained to Allure." A brush will give a faster, more natural-looking ombré instead of a hard and heavily saturated look. I've seen this done in Sweden, and I often apply ombré highlights with a comb for more even distribution."

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Considering that paddle brushes are pretty much everywhere, it might be tempting to try and take matters into our own hands for a little DIY ombré action at home. But any expert will tell you: There's more than meets the glide (of the brush). What may be a hack for a professionals could be a downright beauty disaster for us norms. Leave the lightening to the pros!

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Lauren Valenti

I’m the associate web editor at Marie Claire. I love to while away the hours at coffee shops, hunt for vintage clothes, and bask in the rough-and-tumble beauty of NYC. I firmly believe that solitude can be a luxury if you’ve got the right soundtrack—that being the Rolling Stones, of course.