Remembering These 3 Tips Will Help Jump-Start Your Balayage Biz
The Do’s and Don’ts Of Balayage and Blonding
In preparation for today’s Facebook Live, we put together some of Nancy Braun’s (@balayage_bynb) best balayage tips below! Then, watch her dish out new blonding and balayage techniques today at 2PM CT on BTC’s Facebook—AND it’s FREE, so all you have to do is WATCH!
1. Tension and Diffusion
- One of the most important, yet overlooked, aspects of balayage is the amount of tension used when applying lightener.
- “Hold the hair with as much tension as possible,” Nancy advises. “The more tension, the flatter the painting surface, and the more evenly you’ll be able to apply the color.”
- Also, if you find that you’ve applied the lightener too thickly, use the sharp point of a tail comb or a nail file to softly diffuse the build-up along the strand.
2. The Dos and Don’ts Of Face Contouring
DO
- Pull your client’s hair back during the consultation to evaluate her face shape. You may want to print out a face shape map to keep at your station, says Nancy.
- Apply contouring color to the hair at natural fall.
- Use light and dark colors when contouring. If you want to add width to an area, use a lighter color; to reduce width, use a darker color.
- Make sure your lightener is the right consistency. “It should be creamy, like Greek yogurt,” notes Nancy, who also prefers 30-volume developer to control the results.
DON’T
- Forget to have all of these must-have balayage items on hand: Saran Wrap, butterfly clips, cotton, a balayage brush and lightener.
- Use foils to isolate sections. Instead, use plastic.
- Apply contouring highlights to thinning areas or baby hairs. You will not have enough hair to grab, and lightening these areas will just make them look thinner.
- Get too heavy-handed at the root.
3. Two Go-To Blonde Balayage Formulas
Need help getting started? Here are two of Nancy’s most-requested blonde shades in the salon. She does them both with balayage highlights, including heavy face-frame sections, and both shades feature cool, smudged roots for believable depth.
Butter Blonde
Base and lowlights: 7.23/violet gold (permanent color at the base and demi-permanent lowlights)
Balayage highlights: L’Oréal Professionnel Blonde Studio Lightener + SmartBond Additive + 40-volume developer
Vanilla Blonde
Balayage highlights: L’Oréal Professionnel Blonde Studio Lightener + SmartBond Additive + 40-volume developer
Base: L’Oréal Professionnel DIA Light 10.21 + 6-volume developer
Products Used
More from
L'Oréal Professionnel
-
SalonCentric x Green Circle Salons Partner for Sustainable Beauty
-
How To Get Sabrina Carpenter’s Grammys Hair
-
Professionnel AirLight Pro
-
Grammys 2025: The Best Celebrity Beauty Looks
-
Celebrity Hairstylist Cesar Ramirez’s Tips For Using the L’Oréal Professionnel AirLight Pro
-
California Becomes the Latest State to Require Textured Hair Education
-
The Best Celebrity Hair Looks From the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards
-
3,000 Hairstylists in one Place? Here’s What You Missed at the 2024 BTC Show
-
L’Oréal Professionnel Launches First Hair Dryer For Pro Stylists at the 2024 BTC Show
-
20 Major New Hair Innovations To Kick Off Fall
-
Get to Know Dimitris Giannetos: the Most Influential Celebrity Hairstylist Right now
-
8 Hair Launches to Heat up Summer
-
Connecticut Becomes the Third State to Require Textured Hair Education
-
L’Oréal’s Professional Products Division Announces The Texture Of Change Movement & Petition
-
Dark Auburn
-
AI, Mental Health & Social Media: 7 Business Tips You Can’t Live Without
-
Your Official Guide To Barbie Blonde
-
L’Oréal Professionnel Launches Head Up for Mental Health Awareness
-
Trend Breakdown: Hailey Bieber’s Glazed Brunette
-
HONEY BLONDE CURL FORMULA
-
How To Formulate Coppers Without Lightener
-
Curly Copper Color Block
-
Wet Balayage: 4 Tips To Pick Up The Pace
-
The BTC Show 2022: 10 Things We Saw