In the world of hair fashion, complex coloring has grown in popularity, but what does it really mean? Complex coloring, as opposed to conventional single-tone dye jobs, uses a variety of hues and application methods to produce a rich, multidimensional appearance. This method can involve anything from subdued color combinations to striking contrasts that draw attention.
Complex coloring offers countless possibilities, whether you’re going for a dramatic look or a natural sun-kissed look. It lets you add a personalized touch by customizing the colors to fit your skin tone, hair type, and fashion sense. With a depth and vibrancy that are impossible to achieve with conventional coloring techniques, the results are frequently breathtaking.
Complex coloring was probably used if you’ve ever appreciated someone’s hair’s elaborate, layered colors and wondered how it was done. We’ll cover the fundamentals in this post so you can see what goes into creating these gorgeous looks and determine if it’s the best option for you.
| Term | Explanation |
| Complex Coloring | A hair coloring technique that involves using multiple shades and tones to create a natural, multidimensional look. |
| Balayage | A method where color is painted onto the hair in a sweeping motion to achieve a sun-kissed effect. |
| Ombre | A style where the hair gradually transitions from a darker shade at the roots to a lighter shade at the ends. |
| Highlights | Strategically placed lighter strands to add depth and dimension to the hair. |
- What is complex hair coloring?
- Advantages of complex hair coloring
- Disadvantages of complex coloring
- Who is it suitable for?
- Which hair coloring techniques are considered complex?
- Balayage
- Complex highlighting
- Shatush
- Air Touch
- Complex coloring for brunettes
- Complex coloring options for blondes
- Complex coloring for light brown
- Complex coloring for redheads
- 2025 trends: photo ideas for complex hair coloring
- Short hair
- Long hair
- Medium-length hair
- 3 dyes for home coloring
- Garnier Color Sensation and Color Naturals paints
- L’Oréal Paris Préférence Cool Blondes paints
- Paints L’Oréal Paris Préférence "Brightness of color"
- L"Oréal Paris Casting Natural Gloss hair
- Hair care after complex coloring
- L"Oréal Paris Elseve "Color Expert"
- Garnier Fructis "Goji". Long-lasting Color
- L"Oréal Paris Elseve "Color Expert" Purple Mask
- Matrix Oil Wonders Oil for Colored Hair
- Complex coloring: what stylists advise?
- What is important to consider when complexly coloring gray hair, for example when highlighting?
- How often should complex hair coloring be repeated/updated?
- Video on the topic
- #highlighting Comb for highlighting.Helps to quickly and efficiently perform complex coloring
- A client contacted me to do complex coloring.
- Complex coloring quickly #haircoloring #colorist #complexcoloring #shatush #airtouch
What is complex hair coloring?
Using multiple paint shades is a technique known as "complex hair coloring." In this instance, the masters can blend different methods together, like coloring and highlighting. Generally speaking, the colors flow smoothly, making the distinction between shades hardly noticeable.
These coloring techniques call for specialized knowledge and a high degree of mastery.
© Lorealpro | Online communities
Advantages of complex hair coloring
These days, intricate methods have essentially supplanted complete coloring. Why is it that this is so popular? Let’s enumerate the primary benefits.
- Naturality and naturalness, which are achieved through a harmonious play of colors.
- Complex coloring techniques are suitable for hair of any original shade.
- A wide variety of color combinations.
- The result does not require frequent updating, since the coloring has no clear boundaries.
- Complex coloring can not only emphasize the advantages of appearance, but also mask some flaws.
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Disadvantages of complex coloring
It should be remembered that despite all the benefits of complex coloring, there are drawbacks as well. After all, even the sun has spots.
- The technique requires a lot of patience in execution and is very time-consuming. On long hair, the coloring procedure can take up to 8 hours.
- This type of coloring is difficult to do on your own.
Who is it suitable for?
If done correctly, complex coloring always produces a harmonious result. It’s critical to select the appropriate hues so that the new tones complement your skin tone.
On very short hair, some complex coloring techniques are not feasible. However, there are modern methods that look fantastic on short hair.
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It should be noted that coloring weak or damaged hair is not something we advise. Coloring such curls will add to the stress. It is preferable to revisit these plans after the hair has been restored and has received the necessary care. The home care products listed below will help you have better-looking hair.
Which hair coloring techniques are considered complex?
We will outline the techniques that fall under this category so that you can better grasp what complex coloring is.
Balayage
Bright light strokes used in balayage give the curls a shimmering effect. Such highlights appear both organic and sultrily flirtatious. Typically, when using this technique, they play with the "temperature" of the shades: light brown hair will look more subdued with cold tones, while chestnut hair will look harmonious with golden and creamy strands.
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© ShivVey | Social Media
© ShivVey | Social Media
Complex highlighting
When doing complex highlighting, multiple shades are applied simultaneously to a sizable portion of the strands. When it comes to hiding gray hair, this kind of coloring works incredibly well.
Social networks © rosekuaforsalonu_
Social networks © rosekuaforsalonu_
Shatush
It is still relevant to move from dark roots to light tips. Shatush allows you to experiment with a new color without having to completely dye your hair, while also giving your hair more visual volume.
© _raniolo_ | online communities
Social networks © rosekuaforsalonu_
Air Touch
A popular method where the remaining hair is dyed in light shades while the portion held in the hand is blown out with a hairdryer. The end effect is extremely delicate and realistic-looking.
© Instagram | Yulia Makurina
Complex coloring for brunettes
For brunettes, we can suggest warm-toned balayage. Girls with chestnut hair should definitely try this kind of intricate coloring. Women with brown hair can also rely on balayage, as light strands chosen carefully will blend in with the main color of their hair rather than clashing with it.
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Complex Californian highlights will help very dark brunettes by softening the appearance of their base hair color.
© _raniolo_ | online communities
A bolder option for brave and self-assured women is zonal coloring, which involves dying bangs or facial strands in contrasting hues.
© hairby_kayleighremmer| online communities
A natural, multi-dimensional look can be achieved by combining multiple shades or tones in a hair coloring technique called "complex coloring." It entails blending different colors to add depth, texture, and a more customized finish, giving your hair a richer, more vibrant look than single-process coloring.
Complex coloring options for blondes
Blondes are great candidates for coloring; an array of hues on a pale background looks striking.
© Chelsea Hair Cutters | Online social media
Shatush coloring with cool paint shades can produce an interesting and unexpected effect, giving light hair with a warm undertone that gives it an aristocratic cool shine.
© Chelsea Hair Cutters | Online social media
Complex coloring for light brown
If light brown hair color were a blank canvas, you could play around with practically any shade. Light brown curls can be "decorated" with shatush, balayage, or intricate highlighting techniques. All that matters is that you don’t calculate the color incorrectly. Using internet services to try on your favorite shades is now convenient.
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Complex coloring for redheads
Complex coloring produces a simply magnetic effect on fiery-colored hair.
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By using caramel or copper highlighting, a hair color that is already uncommon can become even more distinctive. With such accents, red hair simply draws the eye.
Golden blonde tones work best for shatush or ombre on fiery curls.
© hairstylist_isa | online communities
2025 trends: photo ideas for complex hair coloring
The length of the hair must be considered when selecting a complex coloring technique. Let’s examine some of the picture’s specific examples.
Short hair
To be honest, because of the smooth transitions between shades—exactly what complex coloring is meant to achieve—short haircuts are not the best places to achieve a color play. One solution could be to use accent highlighting or zonal coloring. These methods produce stunning results on asymmetrical haircuts.
© hairstylist_isa | online communities
Copyright 2019 dubovikirina_hairstylist | social media
Long hair
On long hair, the beauty of color stretching and transitions is most evident.
© Chelsea Hair Cutters | Online social media
Any shade variation within the blond palette can be used to create balayage and shatush looks. The most important thing is that they blend in naturally with the base hair color and complement each other.
© ShivVey | Social Media
Medium-length hair
Medium-length hair will work best with frequent highlighting. Additionally, ombre coloring promises a motivating outcome. You can also experiment with techniques like air touch with medium length.
© hairstylist_isa | online communities
© social networks | lorealpro
3 dyes for home coloring
Here is our dye selection for intricate coloring.
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Garnier Color Sensation and Color Naturals paints
The Garnier Color Sensation line includes options for ultra-ash and cool blonde. Paints No. 911, "Smoky Ultra Blonde," and No. 101, "Platinum Blonde," are excellent for using intricate coloring techniques like air touch.
Paints from the Garnier Color Naturals line will give hair subtle wheat notes. In addition to giving your hair a gorgeous color, Paint No. 8 "Wheat" also contains a care balm that will aid in hair restoration.
Paint No. 6.45 "Amber Dark Red" from Garnier Color Sensation will give you sensual strands of copper shades.
L’Oréal Paris Préférence Cool Blondes paints
Those who want their hair to have a frosty shine will be delighted by the Préférence palette, which consists of shining cool blonde shades.
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Shades No. 8.12 "Alaska" and No. 9.12 "Siberia" will add rich, unadulterated blonde to your hair. A unique color protection formula ensures that the result stays bright for a very long time. A mask using purple pigments will help with undesired yellowness.
Paints L’Oréal Paris Préférence "Brightness of color"
The L’Oréal Paris Préférence line of persistent paint can be used to create a bold red ombre or a chic purple highlight on "Brightness of color."
L"Oréal Paris Casting Natural Gloss hair
The delicate effect is achieved with hair color that is not ammonia-based. There are ten shades in the ruler, ranging from light vanilla to coffee, all of which appear as natural as possible. The outcome will be extremely natural if you combine them into a single image within the context of intricate coloring.
Hair care after complex coloring
Following complex coloring, the hair requires extra attention. Products designed specifically for colored hair will help keep the color vibrant longer and aid in the healing process following coloring or lightening, which is frequently done for intricate coloring. We will advise you on the appropriate additions to your at-home beauty supply collection.
L"Oréal Paris Elseve "Color Expert"
Elseve "Color Expert," a line of color-treated hair products from L’Oréal Paris, embraces a holistic approach by combining four products at once. Laminating shampoo and conditioner, mask, and express conditioner: you can revitalize your hair throughout the day by applying this potent serum as needed.
Garnier Fructis "Goji". Long-lasting Color
This line of shampoos and conditioners strengthens hair and adds shine while also helping to maintain color and give the appearance of thicker hair over time. Curls are nourished by the vitamin-rich formula with fruit extracts.
L"Oréal Paris Elseve "Color Expert" Purple Mask
In addition to not being the best for bleached hair, hot styling, hard tap water, and other environmental factors can cause yellowing of the hair over time.
L’Oréal Paris’s "Expert Color" Elseve purple mask will assist in "cleansing" the color and balancing out any overt yellowness. The unpleasant yellowness will fade away if you use it once a week.
Matrix Oil Wonders Oil for Colored Hair
Bleaching or lightening is nearly always required for complex coloring. Split ends and dry hair can result from these treatments. An unique oil containing an extract from the fruits of the Indian amla tree nourishes hair, keeps it looking well-groomed, and doesn’t need to be rinsed out.
Complex coloring: what stylists advise?
What is important to consider when complexly coloring gray hair, for example when highlighting?
Expert from L’Oréal Paris, Roman Moiseenko: "In gray hair, the strands you plan to dye need to be appropriately concealed." You can work on less hair in the back of the head, and there should be more highlighted strands in the temples and bangs. Permanent ammonia paint is my first choice for coloring because it completely covers gray hair. Products from the Excellence and Préférence lines, for instance, work well.
How often should complex hair coloring be repeated/updated?
The primary benefit of all complex coloring techniques is that the distinction between colored and uncolored hair is perceived as being blurred, and the hair grows back without sacrificing appearance. But you can tone every few months to keep your shade lovely.
You can create distinctive and customized hair colors with the help of the flexible technique of complex coloring. You can achieve depth, dimension, and a strikingly natural look by blending different shades.
Complex coloring provides countless options for creating bold or subtle transformations. It’s a popular option for people who want to update their appearance because it can be customized to fit your unique style and preferences.
Getting the best results requires working with a professional because they can tailor the color blend to your skin tone and hair type. Complex coloring can keep your hair looking bright and new for weeks with the correct upkeep and care.
Video on the topic
#highlighting Comb for highlighting.Helps to quickly and efficiently perform complex coloring
A client contacted me to do complex coloring.
Complex coloring quickly #haircoloring #colorist #complexcoloring #shatush #airtouch
