There’s a reason all the girls go for highlights — single-process color is striking, but those ribbons of lightness do so much for your complexion. Highlights can accentuate eye color, bring out cheekbones, and even slim faces. They show off the lines of your haircut, create depth and the illusion of fullness. They are a great introduction to hair color — and, despite what you’ve heard, they work for all hues.
With the right colorist and technique, you’ll get the streaks you want in no time.
The two most common techniques used for highlighting are balayage (freehand painting), and foil. Different artists will use one or the other depending on the desired look and their personal preference. But a skilled colorist can achieve any look using either technique.
If you have an olive skin tone, blue veins, and silver-grey flecks in your eyes, then golden blonde tones will bring warmth to your face, and make your skin appear less green. Try buttery blondes, honey, and strawberry.
If your skin tone is neutral and has no pink or green, then (lucky you!) you can go for either warm or cool blonde hues.
Think About Placement And Size
The thickest and lightest pieces should be around the frame of the face. They should then regress in size and lightness toward the crown. The tighter you weave the highlights and the closer together you place them, the lighter the overall look will be, and the less contrast you’ll have.
Foils
If you’re a perfectionist who likes total balance and symmetry, then this technique is for you. Foils involve weaving strands of hair and painting a lightning agent on them before wrapping them in foil. The foil keeps the product moist, and the strength doesn’t weaken. The foils can be placed in different patterns depending on where the hair is parted, and how it’s worn. You can foil with hair dye, oil bleaches, and many other gentle products. You know exactly where everything is placed, as well as the size and lightness of each foil.
Balayage
Balayage is the French word for “to sweep,” and it refers to the sweeping motion the brush makes when painting bleach onto the hair. This technique involves carving out swatches of hair in revolutions around the head. The bleach is painted freehand, directly on the hair, and covered with cellophane. Because the bleach is exposed to the air, it weakens quickly (in the same way a bottle of Clorox would weaken if you left the cap off), so it’s necessary to use high strengths of lighteners. Also, it results in a much less systematic and more haphazard look than foil and is best used for edgy, beachy looks like surfer-chic highlights and ombré.
Lowlights
Lowlights refer to strands of darkness woven back into the hair to return contrast to hair that’s been highlighted repeatedly. They are usually the same level of darkness as the base color (or within a shade or two) and they can be used to bridge the gap between a very dark base color that has very light highlights.
By weaving an in-between shade of low light, you can connect the two other colors and avoid looking stripy. It’s important to periodically check with your colorist to see if you need to weave in a few lowlights. You never want your skin tone to match your hair color, so prevent looking washed out by doing lowlights when necessary.
Interested in one of these techniques? Contact Cindy Today!