Reverse Balayage: Everything You Need To Know About This Technique

Reverse Balayage Technique: What It Is & How It Works

When a client wants to transition her grown out highlights into a low-maintenance blonde for the summer, you could brighten her preexisting blonde and pair it with a root smudge. OR you could try the latest haircolor trend to hit Instagram: Reverse balayage. We first heard Liz Haven O’Neill (@lizhaven) break it down on stage at BTC “On Tour” Chicago, so we reached out to the BTC Team Member to learn more about this new color technique. Keep reading to learn everything from what exactly it is, Liz’s go-to formulas, to see how it’s done and so much more!

Products Used

Demi-Permanent Color

IGORA VIBRANCE®

Schwarzkopf Professional

Hair Color

BLONDME Bond Enforcing Premium Lightener 9+

Schwarzkopf Professional

What Is Reverse Balayage?

Reverse balayage is Liz’s signature technique for reintroducing depth back into the hair so that it perfectly contours the strandlights and hand painted balayage she applies throughout the rest of the head.

Which Clients Benefit From This Technique?

The ideal reverse balayage client is someone who wants to shift their traditional highlights into more of a lived-in, sun-kissed blonde.

Sectioning & Placement

Liz says she likes to work with the natural fall of her guest’s hair, so she’ll start by creating quadrants off the natural part. Then, she’ll take horizontal subsections and weave each one with a traditional weave density before she applies her reverse balayage formula.

Liz’s Go-To Formulas For Sun-Kissed Blonde Dimension

• Formula A (reverse balayage): Schwarzkopf Professional IGORA VIBRANCE® 8-0 + 6-volume developer

• Formula B (lightener): Schwarzkopf Professional BLONDME Bond Enforcing Premium Lightener 9+ + 15-volume developer (7 vol. + 20 vol.)

• Formula C (toner): IGORA VIBRANCE® 9.5-1 + 6-volume developer

Watch The Video How-To Below

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by L I Z H A V E N (@lizhaven) on Nov 8, 2018 at 1:47pm PST

Liz’s Process:

1. Working off the client’s natural part, section the hair into quadrants.

2. Then, take horizontal subsections and weave each one with a traditional weave density.

3. Now for the reverse balayage technique. Apply Formula A from the roots to the midlengths, contouring as you approach each section. Then, run a wide-tooth comb through each subsection. “IGORA VIBRANCE® will preserve their natural regrowth, which in my opinion, is vital for a true lived-in look,” shares Liz.

Note: Not only will reverse balayage add some depth back into the hair but it’ll also blur out any horizontal lines of demarcation left by grown out highlights.

4. Let process, rinse and blow-dry. Then, use Formula B to alternate painting strandlights and a teased hand painted balayage and let process before rinsing.

5. Tone with Formula C, then rinse again, blow-dry and style as desired.

Now that you’re a reverse balayage master, CLICK HERE for five tips that’ll help you strandlight like a pro!