BALAYAGE REBORN
The balayaged bombshell look with tousled sunkissed waves still has plenty of va va voom under its bonnet…so how can we transform this trend that shows no signs of slowing down into something more suited to the cooler weather?
Salon Yazbek head honcho Nathan Yazbek suggests looking further afield to different colour tones for starters. “During summer your hair can take quite a bit of a bashing from the summer elements. Being in the sun, surf or the pool can expose those already lightened balayaged ends, so come winter, the hair is certainly in need of some TLC. This is when we move away from the ends being so obviously balayaged and instead towards melting some nice winter hues through the hair.
“One of my favourites is adding some earthy wine tones to brunette hair. It has a hint of red, but rather than amping up the brightness, the key is keeping the look subtle and sophisticated in tone with lashings of shine. I’m thinking rich chocolate browns with touches of mahogany woven through.”
Nathan says that whilst balayage is still enormously popular with women around the globe, the look has evolved from an obvious ‘light to dark’ colour technique a la Sarah Jessica Parker, to a more softer, melted balayage, such as that sported by Aussie actress Rose Byrne. “The latest buzzword in balayage is ‘ecaille’, which means ‘tortoiseshell’ in French. It is more subtle and sophisticated than balayage but still kind of ombre with deeper, multi-dimensional tones. I love this look – the colours just rouge and ribbon through the hair and the result is very natural because there is less contrast between the colours.
“Word of advice…don’t expect your hair to look like the picture first go. You need at least three balayage appointments spaced out over a four week period to achieve the ultimate balayage look, because the more balayage a client has, the more tones and dimension the stylist has to play with.”
What about the more adventurous client, who loves the balayage look but wants something a little different to her girlfriends?
“I think this technique works beautifully with pastel tones,” Nathan says. “My personal favourite is different shades of purple and lilac. I love melting a pastel purple throughout a blonde balayage, as it gives the hair an edgy feel, but is still very romantic. This works well in longer styles, because the hair has lots of layers to move and show off the pastel work. It’s also really pretty as it fades, as the colour takes on a different dimension.”
Nathan’s advice for keeping our balayaged tresses in tip top condition? “Definitely at home treatments,” he says. “Leave in treatments, such as Aveda’ Daily Remedy Hair Repair, are ideal. Placing a 20-cent piece amount in while drying the hair instantly repairs and protects it from heat styling with Quinoa protein. The Colour Conserve strengthening treatment is also a good one; it strengthens and protects the hair as well as prevents colour from fading. Just leave it in the hair for five minutes after shampooing and then rinse.”
