On Golden Blonde
When a new client came to her for her balayage expertise, Sadie Gray (@sadiejcre8s), a stylist from Santa Rosa, Calif., knew just what to do. With a vision in mind, Sadie had a long process ahead of her—and not just for her, but for her client as well! “In many previous experiences, the first time clients who want “my style” of highlighting—I tend to gravitate toward balayage—rarely seem to be able to adjust to the rooty look or feeling darker,” says Sadie. With this client, she knew it had to be different. “I explained in her first visit that I wanted to start her out slow, stretching her roots, thus giving her the feeling of “being darker” and getting used to it,” she says.
Sadie chose to split her process into two appointments, because her client’s chunky highlights were very close to the root. She wanted that to grow out more, creating a softer balayage effect and smoother transition. See how Sadie created this multi-dimensional, golden blend!
Pricing
“I charged her $150 for the entire balayage,” says Sadie. “Usually I charge $175 and include the cut; since I cut her hair during her previous visit, I took the $25 off because that’s not fair to her if i didn’t.” She adds, “For the first visit I charged her $125—$100 for the color/lowlight and $25 for the shaping I did to make her hair color my own.”
Who Did It
Products Used
COLOR FORMULAS 
FORMULA STEPS
First Visit
1. Use the Redken Blur Brush to blend Formula A, creating upside-down triangles into the pale blonde about halfway, a ¼-inch down the section.
2. Alternate bringing every other ¼-inch section all the way through to the ends.
3. Separate each section with paper and process for 30 minutes (no heat) before rinsing.
Second Visit (6 weeks later)
1. Section the hair into four quarters and, starting with the front side that the hair falls toward, do diagonal-back sectioning with 1/2-inch subpartings.
Note: The balayage pattern Sadie chose for this blonde color was graduated down from the front, the face frame being more dominant in highlights
2. Use Formula A in the opposite manner, with a long line near the face for definition between highlights and lowlights.
3. Alternate these sections moving upwards, starting from the bottom.
4. In the back, alternate a V (diagonal) and then straight across (horizontal). Apply the balayage in the V pattern, being sure to saturate the mids and ends really well.
5. Use Formula A for the roots and also through the brown, colored and non-colored. Use Formula B on places that do not need as strong a developer. Use it simply for toning and gentle lifting; this will create a silvery blonde.
