Let's talk Balayage: Before & After

The greatest part of my job is being able to help women feel beautiful in their own skin. Sometimes we just need a change- a refresh. It doesn't always have to be drastic but you would be amazed at how incredible you feel after just a few hours. 

DO I HAVE TO GET MY HAIR DONE EVERY SIX WEEKS?

But let's talk for a second about color. The first concern most of my potential clients have is: Maintenance and Price. Let's be real- not every guest has the budget or desire to sit in my chair for three hours a day every six weeks. And that is absolutely okay! There is NO rule that says every client has to be treated exactly the same way and there is also no requirement that if you color your hair, it must be one that must be refreshed that frequently. 

My goal is to give each guest a color that fits THEIR lifestyle, not mine. If they want a low-maintenance and natural looking color, that is what I strive to give them. Giving them  color that doesn't fit into their lifestyle only makes them resent me and makes me disappointed in their results. 

When you are consulting with your stylist, 

BE HONEST. Let her know how often you can or want to get your hair colored. I am telling you, she does not care if you only want to get your hair done twice a year. She wont think any less of you and she won't put you further down on her non-existent "favorite clients" list. All of these photos are of guests who came to me wanting a low maintenance color that would grow out naturally and only need to be refreshed at the client's desired pace. And I LOVE when a guest and I can communicate effectively enough to make us both happy with the product!

WHAT IS BALAYAGE?

We have all pinned this on our dream pinterest hair board and heard this term floating around the internet called "balayage".   It is this magic word we associate with perfect pictures of seamlessly transitioned color. Balayage is a word used to describe a color service where the color is painted on in a way to create a graduated, natural-looking effect. 

So how do you get your pinterest dream balayage hair? First of all, pictures are a great way to translate your expectations. You can never over-communicate and so much can easily get lost in the conversation when you are trying to fit all your hopes and dreams into a 5-10 minute consultation. I have an episode up on my IGTV channel talking about this very thing. 

Secondly, you need to understand that not every stylist is going to be adept at this technique. And thirdly, every stylist will have a different method to give you the results you want. TRUST her. Obviously do your homework to know she can give you the results you want, but TRUST her.  I know you have seen videos all over social media of painted hair where they don't use foils and maybe that is what you want. But make sure you are educated in what you are asking for.

Open air balayage, where the hair is painted and then left to process openly, will have a different effect than if the hair is put in foils. This is because color is activated with two things:
1. heat
2. moisture
If you have an open air balayage, you will NOT end up as light as you can possibly go, and you will likely end up with some graduated warmth in your color. These are not necessarily bad things! But the transition to seamlessly blended balayage from open air painting often takes several sessions to create the dimension you desire.

There are many different ways to achieve the same balayage effect- just trust your stylist's judgement. I have seen stylists use foils, saran wrap, strings of cotton- just go with it. There is a method to the madness. I use foils in a "faux balayage" or "foilage" technique for control and maximum lift- it's like underwire. :)

If you have a question you'd like to ask a stylist, hop on instagram and head to my account. 

I have a story highlight available on my feed for you to leave a question.  I am not perfect but I can answer your questions the best I can, and anything I don't know, I am happy to research for you.

IG: @kristidbennett