Many people think balayage is a trend, but in reality the highlighting technique has been around 50 years, says Nancy Braun, L’Oreal Professionnel artist and owner of Balayage by Nancy Braun in Beverly Hills. “Ombre is a trend; balayage is a technique,” Braun explained during a chat with us at L’Oreal Professionnel Soho Academy. Now clients are increasingly requesting balayage, and stylists are eager to learn more about how to achieve the look. “Clients are more savvy than ever,” Braun says, adding that they find balayage on social media or in magazines and request it.
L’Oreal Professionnel recently hosted an evening dedicated to the balayage technique and featured models, hands-on techniques and the first viewing of the Academy On Demand video, which features balayage with Braun and Carlo Novoa. “The video is a way of giving people a preview of what they’ll get when they come to the Academy,” says Kate Oechsle-Truesdale, L’Oreal Professionnel training manager.
Balayage, designed to accent clients’ features and haircut, is not as easy to achieve as it looks and learning the technique can initially feel intimidating, Braun says. Hands-on balayage technique classes are available at both L’Oreal Professionnel's Soho Academy and the West Coast location, Morrison Atelier.