Balayage issues!

[LauraB81]

Hi I'm new on salon geek so please be gentle haha . I am a mobile hairdresser and I have a good regular clientele, however they do tend to all have their usual hair styles so I don't often get a chance to try new techniques etc .
Today I did my first balayage on long hair . The end result was ok , however I feel it could have looked better . Can I ask some questions ?
1. On any base over a 7 , how would you get an ice white finish ? I found my clients hair was fine but she's fairly blonde anyway but I did use 9% . The bleach doesn't lift as well not being in a foil so how do you guys achieve high lifting with balayage?

2. What sort of brush do u use ? I bought some rubbery ones but didn't think they were much cop .

3. How much do u charge for balayage? Mobile stylists

4. Do you leave a thin vail of natural hair out at the top of head to cover over the coloured areas?

5. Do u use a bleach or a special product for balayage?

6. Do u back comb the sections slightly first to get a softer blend?

Sorry for millions of questions !

 

[Sammysamsung96]

Hi!

1. I usually wrap my balayages in cling film to help with the lifting but you can also just put it I foil if you want to lift a good few levels. Obviously the toner is the most important to create that icy look.

2. I just use a normal tint brush and use it on angle. I also like using a sponge sometimes to diffuse the line.

3. I'm based in a salon so probs not much help but as a guide I charge £55 and add £10/£15 for long/thick hair.

4. It depends what type of look you're after. Are you wanting a solid ombré effect where all the ends are coloured or a softer balayage look.

5. I use platinium by Loreal but have heard the matrix colour graphics lift and tone work well for balayage.

6. Depends on the client and again wether you want more of an ombré look or a balayage look.

 

[LauraB81]

Ah Thankyou for your reply ! That's really helpful

 

[Sammysamsung96]

Ah Thankyou for your reply ! That's really helpful

You're welcome!

 

[Olive293]

I have started using a foundation (make up) brush... It's awesome!

 

[LauraB81]

I have started using a foundation (make up) brush... It's awesome!

Ooooo that's a good idea!

 

[adamlea87]

You have some great advice already here! Here's mine!

1. On any base over a 7 , how would you get an ice white finish ? I found my clients hair was fine but she's fairly blonde anyway but I did use 9% . The bleach doesn't lift as well not being in a foil so how do you guys achieve high lifting with balayage?

With balayage always go a level higher with your oxidant. For a 30vol result use 40vol. Traditional balayage will always give a more sunkissed result unless you use a tipping out method with backcombing. Also isolate with cling film for more lift.

2. What sort of brush do u use ? I bought some rubbery ones but didn't think they were much cop .

Framar brushes are the best hands down. I have probably tried hundreds of tint brushes, and you can now order them from salons direct in the UK too.

3. How much do u charge for balayage? Mobile stylists

Definatly not less that foils is all I would say.

4. Do you leave a thin vail of natural hair out at the top of head to cover over the coloured areas?

No because you will lose the blend and it can look outdated, unless you are going for a particular look.

5. Do u use a bleach or a special product for balayage?

Clay lighteners are great such as loreal freehand or wella freelights for softer results, for more maximum lift I use loreal platinium plus which is a paste lightener.

6. Do u back comb the sections slightly first to get a softer blend?

Backcombing creates a blur, and is good for more ombre type effects. Classic balayage is often painted right to the roots, so it depends of the look your are going for!

 

[daydreams01]

I used the loreal freehand clay based lightener today and was really happy with the results. I still covered with cling film just to try and get as much lift as poss and also cos although it's clay based I still worry about any getting onto the rest of the hair! However I'm not sure about the mixing guidelines. It says 1:1.5 ratio but I keep trying the and it's way too thick so I end up mixing more oxidant into it so it's prob more like a 1:2 ratio by the time I got the consistency right! (I was using the loreal oxidant that comes in the pouches rather than the bottles). End result was fine but just wondered what ratios others are using or do you just mix till it feels right? ( I also use a make up blur brush that I got from the pound shop and it's great!)

 

[tresses]

I use the same lightener and always mix it up with more oxidant as find it too thick and not easy to work with otherwise

 

[daydreams01]

I use the same lightener and always mix it up with more oxidant as find it too thick and not easy to work with otherwise

Glad it's not just me then!