Perfect Fall Balayage Hair Color Technique W/Bangs

Today's Hairdressing blog is taken from a live session on our YouTube channel free salon education, and we're talking all about balayage. 

Brian loved the idea of educating this look because it's used in salon and it's a current trend. This video was showcased live on YouTube and Facebook. So, you guys have the opportunity to get interactive, ask questions and have fun with us. This look is a fall trend, with full bangs and a highlighted warm balayage effect. Check out the video below. 

The Balayage look and technique. 

The highlights are brighter in the mid-end area of the hair, there's more work in the midshaft, and depth in the root for balayage contrast. 

Sectioning the balayage color we are working on a diagonal back, this gives a blendy natural fall of the color as it works with the round of the head. Take a look at the fringe, take a note of the length. Ideally, we do not want to bring the balayage highlights up above this length. 

Sectioning for fall balayage with bangs. 

Section away the front and back. Balayage tends to be more detailed around the face so it's good to section it away for a good control over this area later. 

In the large back section, create a diagonal back, working on the round of the head. We then mix up out lightener. Brian is using Paul Mitchell skylights, which is a clay-based lightener this helps avoid patchy transfers and incubates the lightened areas for a higher lift. Brian is also working with 40 vol, his areas of gentle saturation will need the energy to lift. 

Elevate your balayage sections 

We're going for a highlighted effect, starting behind the ear, this underneath panel can peep over shoulders worn down, or, when the guest ties the hair up. 

The lightening paste is at a toothpaste consistency. Brian loads up his brush and paints the hair. For the best brightness results you want a heavy saturation, and no ability to see the hair through the product. The area closer to the head Brian likes to give it a little bump of a lift, so he works with a lighter saturation. Create symmetry with the balayage and the work on your next section above. 

Questions about balayage wrap 

During the live session we had a viewer ask about the balayage wrap we were using and why. 

The balayage wrap separates the sections, it also acts as an incubator, so it retains moisture and heat. When lighteners dry out, the stop lifting, so it's important to keep the paste moist whilst in the hair too, heat also helps the product lift lighter, quicker and the wrap is clear, so you can see what's happening in the sections. 

Let's work on the top and the back of the balayage 

On the final section at the back, we are starting the paint much lower, remember taking note of the length of bangs? Well, it comes in to play more on this top section. 

Then we get to start balayaging around the face. A good tip is to start the paint lower than where you would like it to be at the top. This gives you room to blend and change the paint to the way you desire. Brian wants to work with the transition pieces around the face, he takes these sections smaller, it gives more control on lightener and a delicate detail. 

The final balayage section 

Now Brian is working up the top of this final section, still being mindful of the length of the bangs. 

Here Brian is just painting the ends to marry the look together. Brian explains how he has been using fingers for sectioning, and not being super precise with sectioning. He likes the technique and explains that so long as there is a ridge for him to highlight, the balayage should work nicely together and diffuse into the look we have below.