Shatush: what it is and how to choose the perfect shade for a natural and luminous color!
If you want to lighten your hair and get a color with a natural effect, the shatush is undoubtedly the most suitable technique for you. Unlike streaks and highlights, which involve the entire hair, this hair lightening technique focuses only on ends and lengths, carefully avoiding the roots. This feature is the main reason that makes shatush a completely natural hair bleaching method, as if it were the result of long exposure to the sun. Of course, in order to obtain an impeccable result, it is also necessary to choose the right shade, which goes well with the color of the base, and soon we will see how to easily identify it. In any case, as a rule, the shatush allows you to lighten the hair up to three, maximum four shades compared to your starting color, also taking into account the effect - more or less visible - you want to obtain.
Although it is the blond shatush that arrives in Italy now in 2001 at the hands of Aldo Coppola, an internationally renowned hairstylist who died in 2013, this technique is immediately indicated also for brown hair and, in general, for those who sport dark hair. As anticipated, in fact, just choose the right shade, and every woman will be able to find her perfect shatush, which guarantees a vibrant color and an elegant and anything but artificial result. Remember then, that by acting on the length of the hair, you will be free from the nightmare of regrowth, a detail not just for our hectic and always busy lives.
How to make shatush?
After getting to know this hair beauty trend, ideal for lightening hair in a natural way, now let's see how it is done. Let's say first of all that to obtain an impeccable result, it is good to contact a hairdresser, who masters the shatush technique and can easily indicate the most suitable shades for us.
Not acting uniformly on the entire hair and wanting to obtain a natural color, the first thing the hairdresser will have to do will be to identify the locks to be lightened. At this point, he will proceed by teasing them when dry with the help of a comb and then he will apply the chosen color starting from at least 10 centimeters from the root; backcombing is a fundamental step to avoid creating too sharp a contrast between root and lengths and to guarantee a nuanced effect, the true soul of shatush.
The choice of the nuance and the shutter speed are two other fundamental aspects for a successful treatment. We reiterate that it is advisable not to exceed three or four tones with respect to the color of the base, to avoid an unrefined and uneven result. Although in fact, we proceed with the bleaching of the lengths, we must not forget that everything is done with a technique similar to the nuance, which avoids a too sharp contrast with the darker root but rather gives a sunkissed effect lightening concentrated on ends and lengths. The shutter speed then depends on the intensity of the contrast to be obtained.
But how much do you spend? The cost of the shatush generally varies from hairdresser to hairdresser, but it can be said that it is included in a price range ranging from 60 to 120 euros.
Difference between shatush and balayage
We have seen that the shatush is distinguished from the more classic highlights and streaks, but it should not be confused with balayage either, a certainly similar technique that however has marked differences, both for the final result and, above all, for the method of application.
In both cases, these are hair lightening techniques of some tone that focus on ends and lengths, leaving the root intact, but if in the shatush the strands are backcombed and then bleached in a fairly rigorous way, thus giving a more defined result. and visible, in balayage the so-called star application is used, which will guarantee an even more natural effect; in the latter, in fact, the hair is divided into five large parts - just like the tips of a star - and on the lengths it is past a brush with a spatula that will draw more irregular streaks, which at the end of the treatment will be more homogeneous as a whole.
To better understand the difference, let's compare the photo of a great aficionado of balayage, Sarah Jessica Parker, with Bianca Balti's ash blonde shatush on dark hair.
DIY shatush: is it possible to do it at home?
Given that it is always preferable to rely on the hands of an expert, even a do-it-yourself shatush can give the desired results, as long as you follow some basic tips.
First of all, get the necessary: on the market there are several valid kits for the realization of the shatush, which you can find in perfumery or in specialized shops. The cost should not exceed 20-30 euros. As much as the nuance of the bleaching cream to be applied to the strands lines, the advice is not to exceed more than two or three tones lighter than the starting color. Especially with DIY, it is better to start with a soft intervention.
After this first essential step, here are the other steps to follow.
- Divide the hair into four parts: two side, one central and one at the nape, securing them with an elastic.
- Now you can backcomb: hold the locks with one hand towards the other and pass the comb from top to bottom, without reaching the roots, but stopping a little earlier. Do it rather quickly and repeat the movement about 5-6 times per strand. The operation will be easier if you have long hair, for those who wear medium or short hair, the situation will require a little more attention and precision.
- Now apply the bleaching cream, which you will have previously placed in a small bowl to make the operation easier. Help yourself with a fan brush and spread it on the cottoned strands without coloring them entirely; rather use a quick touch and not too accurate so as to avoid to dye all the hair, but give a more natural result.
- Leave on for about 15 minutes, but take care to check every 5 minutes to see how the lightening is proceeding and possibly remove everything before time. Since you have applied a treatment, to prevent the lengths from being excessively stressed or drying out, we recommend that you use a shampoo and conditioner with emollient power to properly nourish the ends for the washing of colored hair products.
How to choose shatush
Having established that the shatush can be successfully achieved both on blonde hair and on brown and dark hair, let's now see which shades to choose based on your starting color. For this, we can also be inspired by other details, such as the color and undertone of the complexion - cold or warm - and the color of the eyes.
Shatush blond
The blond shatush is ideal for both blond and light brown hair.
The blond shades available are many and range from the coldest shades of light blond, ash blond, butter and platinum to the warmer shades of honey and golden.
Generally, for a more elegant result, we proceed by assonance and not by contrast: a cold or ash-colored base and a fair complexion will be better enhanced by lighter and less warm blondes, on the contrary more intense blondes and brighter browns will find in honey and gold shades their best option, especially in combination with a complexion with a warm undertone.
In reality, even the blond shatush for dark brown hair is an increasingly popular trend, especially for those who want a more decisive effect with a glam soul, like Melissa Satta, now a true lover.
Brown shatush
As we said, the brown base, especially if light, lends itself well to the various shades of blond shatush, but if it is darker, it is better to stay on a decidedly perfect pink shade for a brown shatush that gives brightness and harmony to the entire hair. with class and without too many upsets: from caramel to toffee color, to hazelnut, toffee and intense chocolate shades. Also in this case, let yourself be guided by the cold or warm soul of your base, by the undertone of your skin and the color of your eyes . The warmer and golden colors go better with the not too dark bases, the faces with a warm undertone and green or catsano-green eyes, the more decisive ones instead, are ideal for darker and colder browns, diaphanous faces and eyes with intense colors, very light or black.
Shatus for dark hair
The most suitable shatush for dark hair is undoubtedly the one that fishes from the coldest nuances, in shades of mocha and tobacco up to copper.
The copper shatush is in fact one of the most popular choices for those who sport brown hair and, more generally, dark hair, as it is able to give brightness with refinement and a touch of super glam allure. The more intense copper, close to the shades of red, is more suitable for diaphanous skin, while the golden copper is ideal for giving character to warm brown hair and complexion with yellow undertones.
Long, medium or short? The ideal cut for shatush
As anticipated, the shatush is ideal on long and medium hair, as it allows you to easily guarantee a gravedole nuanced effect avoiding a sharp contrast. In particular, the hairstyle that best enhances this technique is a scaled cut with wavy styling, which allows you to further enhance the shades thanks to the different layers of the hair and the natural and sinuous play of the waves. After all, the stars from all over the world teach us, who have made this hairstyle a real must to show off on the most elegant red carpets as well as in everyday life. From the VIPs of our house like Belen Rodriguez, Elisabetta Cannalis and Kasia Smutniak, to celebrities from overseas, first of all Jessica Alba, the supermodel Gisele Bündchen and the undisputed queen of haircare, Jennifer Aniston.
But beware, even the shatush on short hair is an easily achievable option, especially if it is combined with extra small hairstyles with a boyish look and a jaunty soul, such as pixie cuts, or bobs and bobs with dynamic styling.
