The Origins of Balayage?

When hair stylists observed how the sun lightened hair in a very natural and beautiful way, they looked to reproduce this effect in the salon, so Balayage was born. Balayage was so revolutionary it would change the way colourists worked forever. Balayage is a French word that means "to sweep". By sweeping the brush onto the hair, we create soft multidimensional highlights that give the hair a natural "lived-in" look that is so popular among French women today. 

Why is Balayage so popular among French women?

French women are renowned for their chic and easygoing approach to style, especially when it comes to their hair. They particularly appreciate the French Balayage technique for its ability to produce healthy and stunning hair that requires little upkeep. This approach eliminates the need for frequent root touch-ups at the salon. French women value natural-looking and healthy hair because it enhances a youthful appearance. They prefer hair colours that highlight their natural beauty rather than just their hair.

The renowned French Hair Colourist Christophe Robin shares our philosophy," It is not about masking and hiding a woman’s beauty with hair, it is about the enhancement of such beauty."

For Robin, "It's about the inner workings of how colour plays out on the facial characteristics of a woman. It is a game of analytics, the analysis of the face, a game of tones, pigments and complexion, and how to capture her in the most beautiful light. Showing off her skin tone, eyes and complexion without letting colour dominate, ever."

The Home of Authentic Balayage in Brisbane.

You will often see salons advertising balayage when, in fact, they are foiling.

This is why it’s important to be clear about whether you actually paint balayage or create balayage looks with foils (Foilayage). They are not the same, and clients who have experienced both know the difference!

So beware, not all Balayage is authentic Balayage! Authentic Balayage is always done without the use of foils. A Balayage done in foils is an adapted version called a foilayage. Emily Chen explains this very well to the largest community in the world for salon professionals called Behindthechair.com

The Best Balayage Hairdressers in Brisbane!

The Difference Between Hand-Painted Balayage And Foilayage

It is crucial to know the difference between a hand-painted balayage and creating a balayage look with foils. They may seem similar, but they are not the same. Each requires a unique skill set and approach, and it's important to be clear about what your client truly wants.

Why is the outcome different when someone paints the hair with a brush compared to painting the hair in a foil, which is known as foilayage?

1. When we use a brush for painting, we can apply less lightener near the scalp and blend the natural regrowth into the brighter blonde colour on the lengths for a seamless regrowth.

2. With brush painting, we are able to touch many different strands of hair with the lightener, resulting in varying shades of blonde that seamlessly blend throughout the hair creating a multidimensional look.

On the other hand, when lightening the hair in a foil, the foil acts as a barrier between the hair with lightener and the natural untouched hair, preventing those strands from lightening.

3. So using a foil creates a stronger contrast between the lightened hair and the natural hair because all the hair within the foil lightens to the same degree or level, resulting in a more uniform look.

Whereas, hand-painting with a brush produces a more natural look as it allows the hair to lighten to varying degrees or levels creating far less contrast between the natural and lightened hair.

In the end, the choice between freehand painting or using foils depends on the desired look the client wants to achieve.

The Difference Between Balayage And Traditional Highlights.

Balayage is different from traditional highlights as it is hand painted onto the hair instead of being applied within foils. This technique results in softer and less noticeable regrowth lines as the transition between dark and light colours is more gradual and natural-looking. 

When colouring hair using foils, there will be a noticeable contrast between the newly applied hair colour in the foil and the natural colour of the hair, causing a distinct demarcation line. As the hair grows, the natural colour of the roots becomes more visible, making the line between the coloured and natural hair more noticeable. 

Versatility Of Balayage.

Balayage is entirely customisable to suit each person's unique needs. Since it's hand-painted, great balayage hair stylists need to adapt and become more like hair artists. Creativity and an artistic eye are required to successfully blend the placement of light and depth to complement your skin tone, hair texture, and features. With balayage, you can achieve the perfect look that suits you, making it an ideal choice for all hair types and lengths  For examples of how versatile balayage is, please see images of our work on Instagram

At L'Artiste Coiffeur, we offer different balayage packages based on the look and colours each technique can achieve, making it easier for you to choose the package that's right for you.

click here Packages

Beautiful Balayage Hair Colours.

The Benefits of Balayage:

• No demarcation on regrowth: Balayage techniques are great value for money because the seamless blend means there are no harsh lines or demarcation on regrowth, allowing for more time between your appointments. It can last for between 3 to 4 months.

• Enhanced natural hair colour: Your natural hair colour is enhanced by the specific placement of our Balayage and the colour we choose for your toner.
• Customizable: Coloring hair without foils allows for more creativity and flexibility, as you can paint the colour onto the hair more freely, resulting in a more personalized and unique look.

• Less damage to your hair: At L’Artiste Coiffeur our Balayage is always applied in a way that ensures your hair’s health.
  With the freehand techniques, we choose natural clay based lighteners to ensure the lightening process is soft and kind to the hair. Foils can trap in heat, causing damage to the hair. Colouring without foils is gentler on the hair, making it less likely to become dry and brittle.
  For our Foil-ayage techniques (balayage applied in foils) we make sure that the developer used is lowered to ensure a slower lift process, guaranteeing your hair’s health and quality. 

 Our philosophy is “Beautiful Hair is Healthy Hair”! At L’Artiste Coiffeur we never compromise on this.

Your Hair Colour Should Be As Unique As You Are.

As Brisbane's leading Balayage specialists, We customise our techniques based on your unique features and skin tone. We ensure a personalised hair colour that reflects your individuality and what suits you best.

Please click here for examples of our work on Instagram

Stunning French Riviera Blonde.

If you would like more information please book a free consultation with the best rated balayage specialist in Brisbane. We are located at 206 Arthur Street Teneriffe at the junction of New Farm and Newstead.