Ask your colorist to use this genius hack for the perfect ombré

And to think, all this time the secret to a Kim K-level ombré might have been hiding amongst our everyday styling tools. In early March, Istanbul-based hair colorist Ozden Kurtur started updating his Instagram with videos of his ombré process, which forsakes traditional ombré tools for a paddle brush — you know, the kind you can buy in a drug store for like, $5.

The results definitely speak for themselves. Obviously Kurtur adheres to what his clients want in terms of how distinctive an ombré he creates, but as you can see from his Instagram feed, he’s mastered the art of the super-subtle fade.

We have to say we’re pretty impressed, and we’re not the only ones. Colorist Dana Ionato of New York City salon Sally Hershberger Downtown told Cosmopolitan it’s a pretty legit method of creating ombré locks.

“Using a brush eliminates the possibility of your hand pressing down too hard on the strands of hair when applying the highlights,” says Ionato. “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.”

Works for us! While it might seem tempting to try this at home, it’s probably best to leave it to the professionals. Next time you make an appointment to get your ombré touched up, make sure to tell your colorist you want to try this. Based on Kurtur’s Instagram feed, we’re sure you’ll be happy with the results.