30-Minute Foil Placement: 5 Key Tips From Gina Bianca

Express Blonding Service: 30-Minute Foil Placement

At a time when double booking isn’t an option, express services are the key to getting more clients in and out of your chair. And Gina Bianca (@iamginabianca) is going to help you pick up the pace when blonding with her 30-minute foil placement, a technique that creates high impact results with less foils.

Gina shared this technique during Joico’s #HairJoi Digital Show, an ALL-DAY Facebook Live that featured free education from BTC Founder and Creative Director Mary Rector and Joico artists including @larisadoll, @omgartistry, @richardmannah and @stylistricardosantiago. Watch Gina’s whole technique in the video below (she starts at 4:51:05 😉), then keep scrolling to get five of the key tips she shared!

1. Sectioning Is Super Important

Since the goal of this technique is to achieve brightness and dimension with just a few strategically placed foils, the secret to success lies in how you section. Here’s how Gina sections the hair:

• A Mohawk section
• A triangle section in back
• The side sections, which are divided from the back of the Mohawk section to behind the ears.
• The money pieces, which are directly in front of the side sections. 

Note: The side sections are the only two sections that won’t be foiled.

2. Where & How To Start The Application

Starting in the back triangle section, Gina worked with larger subsections. Why? “The size of your initial section is going to determine how much depth is left behind,” she shared. She also switched up the type of weave on each subsection to create dimension: 

• First subsection: V-shaped weave for a balayage and babylights look
• Second subsection: W-shaped weave for more dimension.
• Third subsection: Same as the first one.
• Fourth subsection: A standard weave.

Tap the slideshow below to visually see how each weave looks:

First subsection: V-shaped weave for a balayage and babylights look

Second subsection: W-shaped weave for a balayage look and more dimension.

Third subsection: Same as the first one; V-shaped weave for a balayage and babylights look

Fourth subsection: A standard weave.

3. How To Avoid Bleeding

Nervous about bleeding? Gina recommends feathering the lightener as you get closer to the root. However, feathering can result in warmth so if that’s not the desired tone, instead, tease, fully saturate the section and then color melt as opposed to feathering.

Note: If pulling warmth has always been an issue for you, know that it’s not you. Gina says it’s probably a saturation thing.

4. If Foiling Takes Forever…

You’re probably not using enough product. “Use the product and use a lot of it,” advises Gina. When you saturate the middle of the section with enough product, not only will the ends stick better when incorporated with the rest of the hair in the foil BUT the foils will also have more hold. 

5. What To Do If They Need Gray Coverage, Too

It’ll depend on the guest but Gina says you can do one of two things:

• If the goal is to have highlights all the way up to her scalp, apply the foils following this technique with color in between each one OR

• Start with the roots, let them process, rinse and dry the hair and then do the 30-minute foil placement technique.

Gina’s Formulas:

• Formula A: Joico Blonde Life Powder Lightener + 30-Volume Joico LumiShine Developer (1:1½)

• Formula B: Joico LumiShine Demi-Permanent Liquid 10N + 10NG + 9NA + 5-Volume LumiShine Developer

Products Used

Lightener

Blonde Life

Joico

Demi-Permanent Color

LumiShine™ Demi-Permanent Liquid Color

Joico

Check out the before & after below!

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Want more education from Joico? CLICK HERE to visit their On Demand Education page!