As much as we love our brunette hair and its warm tones, not being able to switch pastel highlights as effortlessly as people with blond locks has always been a bummer. Even most semi-permanent dyes only work after you have completely stripped your hair of its naturally dark pigments.
But Instagram has once again solved our hair coloring dilemma. Now, dark-haired women can have their own version of mermaid hair thanks to the latest trend: oil slick hair. The name itself should be pretty self-explanatory. It’s named after the multihued effect you see after oil spills on hot pavement. But this oil slick is less environmental disaster, more rainbow balayage.
London-based colorist Josh Wood was one of the first people to experiment with this multihued effect on darker bases. There’s no set color palette so you can use the oil slick technique to go for a combination that flatters your skin tone or makes your hair look fuller.
Oil Slick Hair
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So Many Colors
A perfect oil slick can feature as many colors as you want. This cool twisting technique is the way to go for festival-worthy hair.
Image: @sonyadove
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A Darker Take
A deeper, less striking version of oil slick hair is still cool.
Image: @niclynnhair
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As You Like It
We love how we can moderate the intensity of our oil slick by choosing thinner highlights, placed far apart.
Image: @katinas_hair
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Just So You Know...
If you have shoulder-length hair and are over basic messy updos, let us introduce you to the oil slick version, which is literally a rainbow explosion.
Image: @cassidyghost
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Go Deep
Oil slick hair doesn't just work with pastels or rainbow highlights. Deep violet and fuchsia highlights work amazingly well on a dark brown base.
Image: @hairnmusic
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Wear the Rainbow
This version of a balayage-style slick is pretty amazing. Pro tip: Healthy and well-nourished hair will give your oil slick a dramatic lift.
Image: @mrjasonhogan
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Something Different
You can also go for something a little more playful by embracing uneven colors.
Image: @ayleise_in_wonderland
