Welcome to Week 5!
This week is the basic overview of how to work color into your balayages!
Video one is a root touch up with balayage while adding dimension.
Video two goes over how to transition a foil client into a balayage. This can be done many many different ways, this is the cleanest, easiest approach for someone with compromised blonde who wants to to add dimension.
Happy painting!
Tons of tips this week!
Color & Balayage
- First and most important! Make sure your color app is CLEAN and not oversaturated! Too much product will make this process messy and unpredictable.
- Have a good wide tooth comb on hand. When coming out the color to blend the line and smooth out the hair, you want to make sure you're not pulling color off with a fine tooth comb. A fine tooth comb will also pull the color down further than you might be intending and cause splotchiness or marbling.
- Part clean sections to stay organized and use the tail end of your brush to "recomb" each parting before you paint.
- TENSION- pull your pieces a little tighter than normal (if you have a floppy necked client ask them to hold their head strong) the tension will help your bleach not seep through the piece if the color has clumped the hair into pieces. This tends to happen most on very fine hair, keep an eye out.
- It helps to plan out your pieces before painting the section. Especially when working on the sides.
- If you're worried your application is slower than the process time of the color, and/or your color line is a progressive dye, formulate a little lighter in the back so if it sits longer and goes darker, it can match up!
- Rinse with COOL water!
Foil transitioning to Balayage
- Really take into account the condition of the hair. This will help you choose your reverse/lowlight color line and level.
- If the foil only has 4-6 weeks of grow out, I typically will do a more subtle foil, then have them come back in another 6-8 weeks before starting this balayage process. (unless they have SUPER strong healthy hair, then I'll just color them with a new base color to ears or chin depending on length and desired amount of depth, shampoo, blow-dry then balayage)
- Make sure to do a strong consultation! Adding reverse in is a means to an end. It is a process to "hold them over" as they grow their own depth in. The reverse pieces fade, they don't last forever, they'll typically need to be back in at about 8 weeks to do the service again, then after the second round they'll be able to go the typical 12+ weeks between balayages.
- If your client/model has LOTS of hair, start with a shade or half shade lighter in the back for the reverse pieces so they can over process slightly and get darker without worry. (you could also rinse the back section early if the front isn't don't processing. It's why we saran neatly so you can separate the front from the back to rinse the back early if needed!)
- Keep your application of lowlights smooth, sweep the color on just like you would with bleach. Be neat and organized!
- Rinse with cool water!!
