Well it’s that season again… flowers blooming, sunshine, and clients wanting to lighten up their hair and feel brightened up around their face. Well, I am a client as well as a stylist.

Here is me getting my hair “sun kissed” ready for spring… We used Blondor Freelights by Wella Professionals for natural, sun-kissed highlights including Ombre and Balayage hair. No foils, bleeding or swelling, no saran wrap or cotton needed!

This new product is another addition to my palette for getting my clients the perfect sun kissed look this Spring/Summer.

Originally published in Behind the Chair

On just about every “my favorite things in the world” list, chocolate makes the cut. It’s rich, it’s decadent, it somehow seems to soothe jangled nerves and brightens moods with ease. So if you were to offer up a chocolate balayage approach to your brunette clients—one of the season’s hottest trends—there will probably be plenty of takers! George Papanikolas, Joico Celebrity Spokesperson, along with colorist Tracey Cunningham, Redken’s Creative Consultant for Color, share some of their favorite chocolate balayage formulas and techniques.

Megan Fox’s Chocolate Caramel Ombré

“We’re seeing lots of dark, rich, deep chocolate haircolor refreshed with dimensional tones of truffle and auburn this season,” confirms George. “It’s a sexy, noticeable look, but it’s not a drastic color change.”

“When it comes to highlighting brunettes,” says George, ” a little goes a long way. Highlight strategically and tailor your color to the haircut. If the hair is heavily layered, you’ll need to apply more highlights. But with long layers like Megan’s, fewer highlighted sections will look more natural.”

Megan’s Color Formulas

Base/Regrowth: Joico Vero K-PAK Chrome 1/2 N4 + 1/2 G6 + Activator
Balayage Highlights: Joico VeroLight + 40-volume developer
Gloss: Joico Vero K-PAK Chrome 1/2 A7 + 1/2 A9 + Activator

Application Steps

1. Apply the retouch formula to regrowth. Process, shampoo and dry the hair.
2. Create a horseshoe-shaped parting from temple to temple and clip away the top section.
3. Just below the parting in the center back, create a 3-inch subsection. Apply the lightener in two fine streaks on each side of the subsection from roots to midlengths, leaving the center free of lightener. At the center of the subsection, begin to connect the two fine streaks with lightener, gradually filing in the section as work progresses to the ends. The lightener will sit on the section in a v-shape.
4. Continue to work around the horseshoe parting in this manner from side to side.
5. Cover the highlighted sections with cotton and release the top section.
6. Continue to apply highlights to 3-inch subsections all around the hairline and add a few accent pieces off of the natural parting. The application should be fine at the roots and become gradually heavier as the application progresses down the midshafts to the ends.
7. Lift the hair to a golden honey shade. Rinse and towel-dry.
8. Apply the gloss formula roots to ends, process five minutes, rinse, shampoo, condition and style.

Tip: “Limit the number of balayage pieces—it only takes a few to accent the haircut,” says George. “That means there should be a few lighter tips on the layers, with a few accents on the part and around the face.”

Minka Kelly’s Chocolate Hazelnut Ombré & Jessicas Biel’s Chocolate Latte Ombré

Arguably, actress Jessica Biel put the brunette ombre look on the map, and the rich chocolate goodness has been spotted on several celebs this season. A her Meche Salon in Beverly Hills, Tracey tends to the color of many of Hollywood’s highest profile celebrities, including Biel and Kelly. Here are her strategies for the two brunette bombshells.

Minka’s Color Formulas

“Minka is a natural blonde so I have to darken her roots,” says Tracey.
Base: Redken Chromatics equal parts 5N + 6Aa + 10-volume developer
Balayage Highlights: Lightener + 40-volume developer
Gloss: Redken Shades EQ 07C +6G

Jessica’s Color Formulas

Base: Redken Shades EQ Cream 1 tube 5WN + 1/4 tube 6BC + activator
Balayage Highlights: Lightener + 40-volume developer
Gloss: Redken Shades EQ 076 + 08C +09AA

Tracey’s How-To

Sectioning
1. Create a vertical parting that extends from the top of the left ear to the high point of the head on each side.
2. Create a diagonal forward parting that extends from the high point of the head to the temple on each side.
3. Create a vertical parting from the high point of the head that extends along the center back. Create a diagonal parting that extends from two inches above the ear to the center back parting on each side.

Application

1. Starting in front of the left ear, place a 1/4-inch diagonal back slice onto a foil. Apply the highlight formula to the midshaft and carry it out to the ends. Without adding more product, blur the highlight formula towards the regrowth area to softly blend. Apply the base formula and gently blur it into the midshafts. Cover with foil. Continue to release 1/4-inch slices and repeat the application method. Complete the section and repeat on the opposite side.
2. From the top left section, place a 1/4-inch diagonal forward slice onto a foil. Using the same application methods, apply both formulas. Continue to drop down sections and overdirect the sections back. Repeat on the opposite side.
3. Starting in the back left nape, place a 1/4-inch diagonal back slice on foil. Use the same application method and complete the section. Repeat on the opposite side.
4. Complete the top crown sections with the same application methods and formulas, overdirecting to opposite diagonal sections. Process to desired level, shampoo, apply the gloss formula roots to ends and process for five minutes. Shampoo, condition and style.

Jack Howard, who trained me in my first Balayage class, is mentioned here.
Be sure to check out my hair coloring services in Boulder and Denver. -Lisa

by: Sara McCorquodale at My Daily

It all started when I saw Lily Aldridge in the latest issue of Tatler. My first thought was, “Gosh, those Victoria Secret models can even wear baskets and look hot”. My second was, “Her hair is beyond awesome”.

Because Aldridge’s colour looks properly natural – it’s a lovely deep brown at the roots but then has lighter highlights and tips. It’s like she spent all summer hanging out on the beach with Caleb Followill (swoon) and picked up some natural bleachyness at the same time. It’s sexy, relaxed and best of all doesn’t say “I spend two hours every four weeks with my hair in foils”.

So I take myself to ombre, balayage and general colouring expert Jack Howard at Rossano Ferretti and tell him all this. “All the girls love Lily’s hair,” he says. “It’s the way ombre hair should be. Rather than that harsh line you get with dip-dye, it’s more natural and the colour should ideally be three shades lighter than your own. It’s a mixture between brown and blond – it’s brond – and what’s really going to be on trend this summer.”

Jack applies the colour freehand and never goes anywhere near root. The point of this is to enhance what I’ve got – to add a little bit of summer to my hair. And the nice thing about Rossano Ferretti is you sit at a table in a comfy chair while your hair is coloured. You can be working while their colourists are sorting your hair out – it’s all the joy of a new look without worrying about how many emails you’ll have when the process is finished.

Anyway, in truth I do no work at all because Jack and I are having all the chat instead, but it’s nice to have the option. And within two hours my hair is being blow-dried into soft curls. It’s natural looking colour except it has a little bit more precision and zing. I love it. Instead of friends asking if I’ve had my hair coloured, they tell me I look “really well”.

“Have a fabulous time at festivals this summer,” says Jack, “and then come back in September and we’ll decide where to take it next.” I promise I will and mean it. I’m already looking forward to my next session and getting even more ombre-d.

Here are 3 easy ways to change your hair when you’re in that winter funk.

Balayage, which means for “to sweep” in French, is a custom technique typically done with cotton and saran wrap. The unique benefit of Balayage is that the sections are painted on visually in triangular shapes that at are thinner toward the root and wider toward the mid-shaft and ends. This creates a sun-kissed effect because highlights look like the ‘sweep’ out of nowhere.

Ombre, which means for “graduation of color” in French, is a fashion forward effect where the hair gradually fades from dark to light from roots to ends. Although this look can be very dramatic, it is considered a natural look because the new regrowth of hair tends to be darker then the ends since it has not had as much sun exposure as the older hair at the tips. This effect is often achieved by teasing the hair and then painting the hair below the tease, which makes for a blended color graduation as the un-painted hair brushed up into the tease later serves to breaks up to line of demarcation.

BEFORE Balayage / Ombre	PROCESS Balayage / Ombre
PROCESS Balayage / Ombre	AFTER Balayage / Ombre
AFTER Balayage / Ombre	AFTER Balayage / Ombre

Be sure to check out my Balayage Services in Denver.

I was the guest author and wrote this post for the Hair Style Blog. Enjoy! -Lisa

Balayage: brunettes are jumping on the sun-kissed look too!

Balayage is the French word meaning “to sweep” or paint. To balayage the hair is to use a brush and hand paint highlights on to the hair. This technique allows the hair to look more natural and sun-kissed . . . just like a child’s hair. I love Loreal’s concept of “Less is More,” it applies with the technique of balayage.

I began using the balayage technique on my clients in 2007 and it made me rethink how I previously thought of hair color. I fell in love with the technique and how it looked on my clients hair. And best of all, my clients fell in love with how their hair looked! It creates a more natural grow out. Balayage application creates highlights softer by the roots and bolder towards the ends, which looks more natural than highlights done with foil applications.The foil highlight application gets lost towards the ends.

Another big plus with going with a balayage technique is that you won’t need to come into the salon every 6 weeks for a touch-up as you would with regrowth from a foil application. You will get use to seeing more depth at your roots and the highlights from balayage pop out more, giving a more beachy effect.

The placement of balayage or ombre color is more artistic and more visual than a foil highlight application. You can balayage lowlights on to the hair, which also looks more natural and not as streaky or chunky as some highlights can become.

Most of my balayage clients come in every 3 months for a touch-up. Some clients wait up to 6 months, but most come in-between the 3 month period to get their roots touched up or a toner/gloss, or just face frame highlight. Those of you who are use to the foil application of highlights or lowlights, don’t freak out! Talk to your hair stylist about easing you into the transition. Your hair stylist can also balayage your hair heavier around your face and hairline for an easier transition. That way you won’t feel like you still have regrowth when you leave the salon.

So for new clients looking for that next best hair color trend . . . this is it. Remember the service will most likely cost you more because of the skill and technique level and the time involved. But in the long run, it won’t be as many trips to the salon. It’s the perfect time now to get your hair sun-kissed ready!

Guest author Lisa Amato has been a hair stylist for 21 years. Specializing in natural looking balayage hair color. She is certified in Loreal Professional hair color and INOA no-ammonia hair color. Lisa trained under Jack Howard and the “Queen of Balayage,” Nancy Braun at the Loreal Academy in New York. Lisa has worked under Kris Sorbie, Chris Baron and Sam Villa, along with Kaz Amor. Lisa is certified in Great Lengths Hair Extensions.