How To Paint Classic Surfer-Inspired Balayage

How to Create a Beachy-Blonde Balayage With Sun-Kissed Dimension

Clients have been asking for the beachy-blonde look since…forever? The sun-kissed highlights, bright pops and natural glow stand the test of time and come with their own set of challenges. 

Keep scrolling (SPF optional) for tips on how to cut through orange bands, avoid stark ribbons and melt the perfect sandy beige into your client’s fresh, natural-looking blonde.

First, let’s mood board. Surfer-inspired color is not one-size-fits-all, see what looks are popping off on Instagram created with R+COLOR, R+Co’s professional color line:

Photo credit: Instagram via @makennayounghair

Photo credit: Instagram via @makennayounghair

Photo credit: Instagram via @garrennewyork | Hair color by @richykanda

Photo credit: Instagram via @makennayounghair

Photo credit: Instagram via @makennayounghair

1. How to Neutralize Orange Bands From Previous Color

Nothing crushes a “natural beauty” aesthetic quite like an orange band running from ear-to-ear. Clients requesting a surf-inspired look are typically drawn toward the low-maintenance and believable appearance of the color, so erasing any trace of a previous service is crucial. 

Two simple steps to blend out bands:

1. Don’t overthink a color correction that lives mostly on a natural Level grow-out. A dimensional foil pattern will be enough to break up and blend the existing band before filling color where necessary.
2. A deep root melt will act as a “magic eraser” on top of the fine foils. Although you do not want to rely on the shadow root to cover the band, (this will not break up the band, just temporarily cover it) the root shade chosen will be the reason for a neutralized result.

Neutralizing shade recommendation:

Makenna Young (@makennayounghair) specializes in surfer-girl hair color and says, “To eliminate any banding in the hair, I neutralized using R+Co R+COLOR Star Sign Demi-Permanent Crème Color 6N + Momentum Liqui-Crème Developer 5-volume to work with the warmth instead of ditching it,” she explains. “Warmth is always great to have when used in the right places.” 

When working with a natural and added warmth, you’ll need to be sure the formula used will not shift tones during processing. Makenna recommends using Star Sign and Momentum to custom tailor a saturated or dimensional formula to eliminate a surprise at the shampoo bowl.

Click the photo below for Makenna’s process:

R+Co’s full color portfolio is available now, browse the modern hair color difference here.

2. Common Challenges & Solutions to Create Organic Placement

When creating high-contrast color that needs to look natural, balance between lightener placement and the existing natural Level is imperative. That’s why hybrid techniques paired together work best to build a surf-inspired balayage with organic lines and lift rather than painting intricate details.

Challenge #1:

Creating a high-contrast balayage that does not appear stark (like a color block.)

Solution:

Surface painting with a “strands and slants” technique will allow the right amount of brightness to process without losing natural depth. To begin, R+COLOR Chairlift Lightener is applied to just the surface layer of each section. Chairlift Lightener’s consistency is blended into ultra-fine particles that eliminate the chance of swelling, which is imperative for this technique to avoid saturating the entire section of hair.

Pro Tip: To ensure you will not over-apply the lightener, use a light hand while painting to mimic the sun-kissed look our hair naturally absorbs from the sunlight. 

“The client’s natural depth is what allows the ribbons to pop,” Makenna says. “Over-painting is the number one reason your ribbons get lost, always use your client’s natural depth and surface paint.” 

Challenges #2 & #3:

• Filling in gaps from regrowth, including previous money piece and balayage.
• Breaking up natural Level darkness that is heavy throughout the mid-section. 

Solution:
Combine these three standard lightening techniques to build a natural-looking base and brightness.

• Open air balayage: “My client likes warmth, so balayage was the right choice to create that lift and natural-looking blonde,” says Makenna. 
• Highlights: Needed to create the blended dimension and connection of the blonde closest to the root down to the ends.
• Lowlights: KEY to blend out disconnection. “If I were to have just [used a balayage] this client, the color would have looked disconnected,” she explains.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Makenna Young (@makennayounghair)

3. Try This Surfer-Bronde Formula 

“Mirrored after a long day in the sun, I used R+Co R+COLOR for the sun-kissed look,” says Makenna. When formulating a surfer-blonde, utilize your client’s raw lift more than utilizing gold-based toners. The natural warmth paired with a neutral toner will create a longer-lasting fade process and eliminate a yellow tint forming once exposed to the natural sunlight.

Here’s one of Makenna’s viral formulas:

• Lightener: R+COLOR Chairlift Lightener
• Root Shadow: Star Sign Demi-Permanent Crème Color 5N + 6A
• Gloss: Stellar Demi-Permanent Liquid 9NG + Clear
• Pro Tip: Makenna applies another layer of Stellar Liquid Clear onto just the ends for maximum vibrancy.

Grab your go-to shades in R+COLOR to experience the difference of modern color.

Products Used

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Stellar

R+Co

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Chairlift

r and co

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Star Sign

R+Co

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Momentum

R+Co

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R+Color Collective

R+Co