Paint By Numbers
When Candy Shaw said goodbye to foil highlighting and hello to balayage, she tripled the number of clients on her book.
Hairstyling legacy Candy Shaw, who took over the reigns as owner of Jamison Shaw Hairdressers in Atlanta, GA, after purchasing the salon from her father 15 years ago—learned a French highlighting technique while apprenticing in salons in Europe more than 20 years ago. Most of us had never heard of balayage back then, but it’s red-hot right now. Shaw has created an Americanized version that’s easier to learn and enables stylists to book two to three times as many clients in one day. “Balayage is lightening fast,” says Shaw. “Foils take 30 to 45 minutes, while balayage takes only 10 to 20. It lets us work smarter, not harder.” Think of it as giving yourself a well-deserved raise. Shaw also created The Balay Box, which she calls a “complete balayage class in a box.” Inside is everything you need to learn to do balayage, including SUNLIGHTS Professionnel Balayage Lightener, a versatile formula that is engineered to work with any crème developer or color line. Shaw is now able to see up to 35 clients per day, spending most of her time exactly where she wants: behind the chair. —K.K.
Candy’s top tips:
1. Invest in the right lightener and tools.
2.Commit to proper education and practice.
3. Keep your workspace clean and organized. A messy workspace leads to messy results.
4. Have realistic expectations about what balayage is capable of achieving. That way, you’re never disappointed.