Posts Tagged "highlights"

Have you ever wondered the exact difference between balayage and full highlights? Well, there really is a difference between the two. After reading this blog, you will be up to date on telling your hairstylist exactly what you want.

Full Highlights

A common mistake when it comes to describing full highlights is that they are streaks of blonde hair that run through a brown base color. That’s not exactly the case here! Highlights are small sections of your hair that are lighter than your base color.

So, someone with a dark brown base color could get light brown highlights while golden blonde highlights would complement deep honey blonde hair.

When it comes to applying full highlights, they are done with the help of aluminum foils. The dye is applied from the roots to the tips and covered with foils to trap in the heat and lighten your hair more drastically.

The size, placement, and tone of the highlights can be planned according to the hairstyle that you are going for. Just make sure to tell your hairstylist your plan!

Now, What is Balayage?

Balayage is a French word that means “to sweep”.

When applying, the dye is swept on or painted onto sections of your hair in a freehand manner. Normally, the dye starts from the middle of your hair to the ends. First, the dye is applied to the bottom section of your head, which is the neck on down. Then, it is worked up to the midsection of your head. Finally, the top of your head will be colored at the end.

Balayage ends up looking like thick highlights that are just a few shades lighter than your base color. Balayage highlights add a ton of depth and dimension to your hair. The color adds a perfect sunkissed look to your hair!

Down to the Nitty Gritty, What is the Real Difference?

Highlights follow a more structured pattern and are more carefully placed than balayage. Balayage is more hand-painted on into larger sections of your hair. So, balayage blends more seaminglessly into your hair than highlights.

If your want more intensely lightened highlights, then you should go for the full highlight look as they use aluminum foils to saturate the color. Balayage is just a few shades lighter than your base color and adds a softer, more blended look to your hair.

First of all – why not? Customized color is created just for you! You’re special and worth it!  The answer is simple. Do you want healthy, beautiful vibrant hair? Professionals have practiced their skills to be the best at what they do.  Think about it, most Professionals color at least  4 – 5 clients in a day.

 All Over Color Versus Retouch! What’s the difference?

All over color and retouch are completely different!

Sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to explain. Getting “all over color” differs from a “retouch” because it is all over your hair. It’s a root to ends application. A “retouch” is used when there is a line of demarcation. It goes from your roots to that line where the color was applied.

All over color initially costs more because you are changing your hair color. To maintain this new color, you will need to be on a schedule to return for a retouch. This is typically in 4 to 8 weeks and depends on what color you choose and your natural hair color.

A retouch is an application of color that is only intended to last for 3 or 4 weeks. You will need to return to the salon to maintain the color. When to return will depend on the color that has been chosen and the re-growth line of demarcation.

It does not necessarily benefit you to wait to come in for a retouch. If you return in 8 weeks you still will have a line of demarcation that should have been retouched 3 or 4 weeks prior. So that means that there is now more hair to cover (from the line of demarcation to your roots). That means that more color product has to be used, and it will take longer for your stylist to do this correctly – hence the cost will be higher than a normal retouch.

Benefits of using a professional hair colorist

We all have a choice about where to go for hair color.
Here are some reasons to use a Professional Hair Colorist:

• First – the color looks professional! It’s not haphazard!
• Professional hair colorists are trained in choosing the correct palettes.
• The color tones that professionals have access to are ricer and more vibrant.
• Confidence that your color has been customized just for you.
• Less fading when used in conjunction with your take home care package! This helps with the care necessary to maintain your beautiful color.
• The texture type of your hair influences how the color goes on your hair. Some textures are more resistant to color. This is all taken into consideration when a professional colors your hair.
• Maintenance guesswork is eliminated. You will know when to have your next treatment so that your color can be properly maintained.
• Professional hair stylists have a wide range of colors to choose from. This makes for true custom hair colors.
• The color a professional creates for you will be much closer to what you had in mind than color from a box will be.
• You get specific recommendations for products that will work with your hair color and texture type. It is not hit or miss – the recommendations are based in knowledge and experience.

How often should you get your hair colored?

A professional hair colorist takes into consideration many factors when creating the perfect color formula for your hair. This includes the texture of your hair, the amount of gray in your hair, and the length of your hair.

A consultation prior to any coloring or cuts, is vital to determining what your goals are for your hair.

Once both you and your colorist know what you are trying to achieve, then a plan can be formulated. The plan takes into account realistic times frames for maintenance, budget considerations, and of course, your customized hair style.

There are many factors that affect a picture of newly highlighted or colored hair.   Our stylists share some of their insights on the expectations vs what the reality is when it comes to outcome.

LIGHTING

Lighting can affect the outcome of a picture. The picture on the left was taken inside the salon and the one on the right by the front receptionist area. The only difference is salon lights vs natural lighting.

This is stylist Amanda’s highlights and the actual color is the warm, golden blonde highlights on the left. The technique used was Balayage and was completed in one session. Two separate highlight sessions would be needed to achieve the cool results on the right. Brazilian Bonder would be added to keep the integrity of the hair and a toner to get the cool color. At home maintenance would also be important to keep the results. Blondor shampoo should be used every other time you shampoo to keep your toner fresh, and Cashmere Shampoo and Moxie Conditioner used to keep your hair healthy.

FILTERS

There are so many apps and programs on the market that can alter the reality of a photo.  The photo above is changed from highlighted Ombre to an Ombre with fun colors. Stylist Mayce says it’s not impossible to get the look on the right using an Ombre technique and toner. Something to keep in mind is because the fun colors are not permanent color this would fade from a purplish/pink to a pastel pink rather quickly.

CAMERA

The camera used makes a big difference, too. The picture on the left is the actual result of highlights and toning and taken with an iPhone cell phone camera. The one on the right is taken with the same lighting, but with a Samsung phone camera. Kristin states that if the picture on the right was presented, it would be quite tricky to duplicate since it’s not an accurate representation of the actual color.

These days there are so many different ways a picture can be altered. Some of these ways are unintentional and some on purpose to make something look like what it isn’t. Filters are probably the biggest culprit. So the next time you’re looking for a new do, come in and talk to a stylist for a consultation – it’s complimentary!