Sarah Black, Linton & Mac 42 | PAINT
NEXT LEVEL BALAYAGE BEYOND BALAYAGE HAIR PAINTING IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER, SO WHEN EVERY SALON IS OFFERING THE SERVICE, HOW CAN YOU STAND OUT? LET US TAKE YOU FURTHER… It takes a true artist to master balayage, to be able to balance the play of light and shadow in a flattering way. Yet the service has saturated the vocabulary of consumers and is showing no signs of slowing in popularity. In the first half of 2018, balayage and hair painting had the biggest impact of the year on hair services in the UK, with a growth of 22 per cent in transactions and a 29 per cent increase in revenue, according to research by Kline PRO. Ever-evolving, the world of colour waits for no one. From playing with different methods to the stand-out shades of the season, now is the time to take your balayage skills to the next level. PASS THE BISCUITS Bold or unusual colour may have shown, after recent years, huge growth but flattering balayage has become a staple to many salons. Achieving the perfect, biscuit blonde is not easy, but one thing that has changed, thanks to the proliferation of the technique, is the products available. “From balayage film and extra-wide foil to highlighting boards and wow combs, we now have access to so many more tools to make balayage applications much easier and quicker,” says Nancy Stripe, colourist and balayage specialist at Reuben Wood Creatives in Manchester. This year we’re seeing a move away from brilliant golds and ashy tones towards softer, biscuit-hued shades. “Finding the balance between cool and warm is the key to perfecting the biscuit blonde look,” advises Sarah Black, colour expert at Linton & Mac in Aberdeen. Heralded as this year’s most on-trend balayage colour, biscuit tones should be a blend of creamy clean tones and warmer, golden hues. “The balance means that the colour is extremely wearable, flattering against both warmer and cooler skin tones, and is brightening against the complexion,” Sarah adds. One of the biggest selling points for balayage is its easy maintenance cycle – growing out naturally for a lived-in feel, which only feeds into the toned-down, natural approach to colour this year. “We’re taking inspiration from the nude make-up trend. It’s a look that’s barely there, creating a youthful glow and soft, natural tones with playful hints of illuminative blondes in focal points,” explains Kerrie O’Reilly, TIGI Academy technical creative director. PAINT | 43