Sick of lightening services taking way too long? L’Oréal Professionnel artist Natalie Eiley (@nat_doeshair) knows that time is money, so she’s sharing her wet balayage secrets that will cut down appointment times LIKE THAT. Use these four tips to achieve bright balayage more quickly, fit more clients in and make more money behind the chair.

1. Balayage On Wet Hair

Natalie’s biggest tip to speed up balayage? Applying to wet hair. It’s more porous, which will take in product quicker and lighten faster. The result? A bright face-framing balayage refresh (no foils required!) in 90 minutes or less.

Pro Tip: Hard water causing metals in the hair? Natalie always preps blonding services with a metal detox. This creates a clean canvas and will prevent color from shifting, looking dull and brassy. She preps with L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Spray, then finishes with L’Oréal Professionnel Metal Detox Shampoo. 

Clarify and rejuvenate your clients’ hair with the Metal Detox Starter Kit!

2. Do THIS To Make Time For More Clients

If you want to make more money during a balayage session, Natalie’s advice is to multitask. Especially if you have an assistant, you can do small things like mix your formulas while your client is getting their hair washed at the bowl. When you’re done painting and the lightener is processing, take another balayage client. You can finish two sessions in nearly the same amount of time!

3. Use A Cotton Barrier

Natalie’s client had previously lightened hair, so the focus of the service was to refresh her balayage and focus on the ends. With less lift required, this is the ideal client for ditching foils and using a cotton barrier instead.

Try this: Natalie placed cotton barriers between her painted sections to prevent lightener from bleeding and maintain clean sectioning while painting more efficiently.

4. Blend With Your Fingers

For seamless balayage blends, Natalie paints with her brush and then simply feathers upwards with her fingers. This technique easily gets rid of any harsh lines from her brush to gradually transition her root melt to her bright ends. Try Natalie’s formulas: 

• Formula A (roots): L’Oréal Professionnel DIA Light 7.01 + 6-volume DIA Activateur

• Formula B (mids to ends): L’Oréal Professionnel Blond Studio 9 Bonder Inside + 20-volume developer

• Formula C (gloss): L’Oréal Professionnel DIA Light 10.21 + 6-volume DIA Activateur 

Check out the before and after!

Products Used

Conditioners

Metal Detox

L'Oréal Professionnel

Lightener

Blond Studio 9 Lightening Powder

L'Oréal Professionnel

Demi-Permanent Color

DIA Light

L'Oréal Professionnel