With the summer season in full swing, some of your clients may be coming in to request a refresher for their look, and what better way to accommodate their wants and needs than with a completely personalized French balayage? In this how-to video, L’Oréal Professionnel Artist Jennifer Luszczak (@jluszczakstylist) shows us her self-described "career changing" French balayage techniques to help luminize and brighten your client's hair. Watch the application below:
Tips:
- To start creating your 3D accent pieces, start with L’Oréal Blond Studio Professionnel Multi-techniques Lightening Powder. On Luszczak's model this was paired with the L’Oréal Professionnel 30 Volume Maji Crème Developer.
- Start at the back of the hairline using soft points of insertion so when your clients hair is worn up, the balayage is still visible.
- Use L’Oréal Professionnel Smartbond to avoid the worry of overlapping lightener, especially if your client has previously chemically lightened their hair.
- Look for a "greek yogurt" consistency when mixing up lightener, as consistency is key for a good application.
- Cover and protect each finished section by placing a high quality perforated plastic wrap on top. Avoid foil as that application tends to require more pressure and therefore saturate the lightener through. This would no longer be a French balayage if done with traditional foil application, as the French technique focuses on surface application keeping strands completely dry underneath.
- Avoid stacking your balayage points vertically as the finished product will result in straight lines. To avoid this, stagger your placements to create dimension and movement. This is also where using clear plastic wrap rather than foils gives an advantage as you can see what placements are underneath.
- The way you elevate each section while applying your lightener can affect your results. Avoid holding sections upwards while painting, as the hair strands will separate and fan out when pulled upright, allowing the lightener to saturate down into your section, giving inconsistent results. To create a flat surface that is even and consistent, make sure to hold the section downwards to keep ensure your color stays on the surface.
- If your client has recently had a color glaze, the hair cuticle could be completely shut down; meaning that the lightener volume may need to be higher in order to get desired lift. In the video, Luszczak used a L’Oréal Professionnel 40 Volume Maji Crème Developer for the front portions as her models hair had been glazed prior to the service.
- Finishing with a toner will help to eliminate unwanted tones and add a luxurious glossy finish.
- Because balayage is a free-hand sweep application, allow an eight week minimum for regrowth application. To help your clients maintain their balayage in between each of their bookings, have clients book in for both a glaze and haircut to maintain freshness.
- Remember that the placement of your lightener should be organic, light and suited to each of your clients haircuts. This is a great selling point for your clients as their hair color and look is completely customized.
About: L’Oréal Professionnel is committed to helping hairdressers in their day-to-day practice, by improving their working conditions, teaching them the latest styling techniques and developing services that showcase their expertise. L’Oréal Professionnel is also committed to developing high quality, environmentally friendly products.