Angel Blonde
By Suzi Angelina
Step aside, bold ribbons and contrast. This summer: “Angel” blonde, “Expensive” blonde, “Halo” blonde—a few key client terms—is trending. This all-over, creamy blended blonde that softly grows out of the root and mimics a truly natural blonde requires a ton of back-to-back foils, wet balayage and toning with just the right amount of ash. We got the full breakdown from UK-based expert Suzi Angelina (@hair.by.suzi) below. Plus, tips to approach this service on clients with virgin hair or prelightened strands alike.
All-Over Natural → Bright “Angel Blonde”: Key Factors to Know
“The focus when taking a client from all-over natural to a bright blended blonde is the placement and the blend: Adding smaller weaves packed in is key to create a seamless blend between the roots and the blonde within one sitting,” says Suzi.
Avoid This Mistake: “Any blonde you add into the hair has to be blended into the roots, so if you remove all traces of the client’s natural hair from the mids, it makes creating a blend almost impossible,” Suzi explains.
The Solution: “This is why smaller weaves packed [back-to-back] in are so important to create a soft blend, and then focusing tip-outs through the ends to create that gradient roots-to-bright-blonde-ends finish,” she answers. “The roots remain natural, the mids have some blonde [and] natural present to connect the roots, and the ends have extra blonde for a bright pop.”
The Game Plan: Suzi’s signature ‘Premium Blonde Technique,’ wet balayage and tip-outs through the ends.
Follow This Quick Cheat Sheet
Here’s why Suzi loves “Angel Blonde” blends: “They’re expensive, they’re fun and they are great for a big transformation for your client,” she says.
To Summarize, Suzi’s Top Tips Are:
- Use finer weaves but pack them in for an overall brighter appearance.
- Use tip-outs through the ends to give a brighter finish.
- Use open-air tip-outs around the face to avoid it going too blonde.
- Formulate with Moroccanoil® Color Calypso toners for great pigment, but also for moisture too.
Explore every toner shade, plus Suzi’s essentials to formulate blondes—click here!
Want an inside look at the consultation? Watch Suzi’s IG Reel below.
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Who Did It
Products Used
COLOR FORMULAS 
FORMULA STEPS
Before: Natural Level 7 Base
1. “With virgin-haired clients I usually like to section the hair almost as if it was a hot cross bun,” says Suzi. Follow this roadmap:
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- #1: Take a section through the client’s parting to the crown
- #2: A radial section from the top of the crown to behind the ears
- #3: Middle-part through the back of the head to the nape of the neck
Pro Tip: For returning clients coming in for a blonde refresh service, Suzi suggests working through the back of head in one section—ensuring the width of the section does not exceed the width of the foil. This will cut down your total service time.
2. Take slight diagonal sections on the back-left of the client’s head, working up to the crown and then start on the right side (or vice versa) with Formula A. Work up until you create an ‘upside down triangular section’ near the crown with the width of the section fitting into the width of the foil.
3. For each section, tease the hair first to soften the application and paint Formula A in a W-shape, making the highest points of lightener in the center and on either side. This helps the blending process later and avoids harsh, sharp lines.
4. Continue with finer weaves packed in to give an overall brighter appearance without noticeable contrast.
Pro Tip: “When you’re taking clients from virgin hair to blonde, you need to remember that anything you leave out of the foil is going to be a part of the final result too,” says Suzi. “So taking smaller weaves packed in helps to disguise the natural depth of the client’s hair and blend it into the blonde.”
5. Once you reach the crown, take horizontal sections up until the radial line. “Through most of my sections I usually take between 8-12 weaves,” Suzi suggests. “I purposely try to pack the foils in the closer I get to the top of the head, to give a brighter feel, so really focus your time around this area [where your client will see most.]”
6. Once the back foil application is done, apply tip-outs throughout the ends. “I find tip outs can be very tricky on virgin hair depending on your client’s natural base,” warns Suzi.
Pro Tip [for Virgin Hair]: Remember, tip-outs are being applied after the rest of the foils, so you do NOT want to take thicker weaves in the tip-outs than you do in the foils because they won’t lift as bright. This may prevent unwanted brassy ends.
More Tricks for the Perfect “Tip-Out”:
- To prevent unwanted warmth, avoid thick sections. Instead, work through some tip-outs between top foils.
- Elevate the balayage board 45-degrees from the head, backcomb and feather the product into the hair, so when you drop the section = the tip-outs blend.
- Even if you plan to root melt later (like Suzi suggests), the tip-outs will not be blended in this process so precise application is key.
7. When you reach the front, work up on either side of the parting and start at the lower hairline. Use two back-to-back weave-and-tease foils, painting close to the root for a brighter look when the client pulls their hair back.
8. Repeat on the upper hairline and add a third foil for a bigger face-frame. Following this pattern, pivot up to the parting, starting on a slight diagonal and working up to a horizontal section. Then, complete the other side.
9. Freehand tip-outs throughout the face-frame, leaving these to process with open air versus foils to avoid breakage on finer hair that will lift more quickly.
10. Allow the hair to process until you achieve a clean, pale lift—aka the shade of the inside of a banana.
11. Remove the foils, rinse and wash. On wet hair, paint balayage to add extra brightness and definition on the mids and ends.
12. Using Formula B, apply the root melt and avoid a high-level developer to prevent swelling and lifting the client’s natural undertones.
13. Apply Formula C through the mids and ends to tone. “I love [Color Calypso] 10.12 because it has the perfect balance of both blue ash and purple ash,” says Suzi. “The blue ash comes first in the formula and is therefore the stronger reflect, so it is perfect for clients with natural virgin hair that lift with an orange-yellow undertone. Be careful not to make the hair too ashy though, so keep an eye on the toner and how it develops.”
14. Rinse, wash and style with Suzi’s Moroccanoil® essentials: Hydrating Styling Cream, Luminous Hairspray and Volumizing Mist.
