The term ‘balayage’ has likely spilled from your lips at some point or another in a hair related discussion. A commonly misinterpreted term, balayage is a specifically French technique that means hair painting.

Kathy Gilbert, Director of Colour at Crown Hair, is here to set the record straight on what it means when you tell your colourist that you want ‘balayage’.

“Balayage is something that people are not sure about what it means and often understand it as a trend that’s quite possibly passed out of fashion.  The misunderstanding is in not understanding that balayage is a technique just like highlighting or foils. That is why this technique is here to stay.”  Kathy explains is a welcome addition to the possible techniques for personalising each clients unique hair colour.

The technique itself originated with French hairdressers, although in a limited capacity.

Kathy explains that the traditional French techniques, as taught by the likes of Christophe Robin or Jacques Dessange, there are particular rules they follow around the technique, which are rooted in blend and subtlety, whereas the American market have given the technique a different stamp altogether.

“Largely, balayage creates a stronger blonde tip with a soft sweep toward the root. American style balayage tends to go from root to tip, so a full bleach, with a soft root, and everything in between,” says Kathy.

“It’s become something now that has been multi- interpreted. I think it’s important that clients understand what we mean when we use the term balayage we’re talking about free- hand hair painting. It’s also about how it works with the clients particular hair colour.”

Mark Jones, Crown Hair’s Director of Styling, explains the importance of layering in the hair to really make a technique like balayage sing rather than shriek.

“Balayage for me, works better when you’ve got layers in your hair – if you don’t have movement, and a really nice flow to the hair cut, balayage doesn’t tend to work,” explains Mark.

“It is a way to show off texture,” agrees Kathy.

Mark continues “in the true sense of what we do, I feel that if you don’t have layers in the hair, you won’t get the movement and the colour will look blocked, when what you want is the subtlety of it feeling like there’s dimension in the hair, that’s what balayage can give.”

Considering adding balayage into your next colour appointment? Consultation is key, to ensure both you and your colourist on the same page.

“When a client comes in for a consultation, we need to be talking about the kind of effect they want to see, rather than how it needs to be done and that’s what our goal is.  That’s where the confusion about balayage has come from – clients coming in and asking for the technique, rather than the desired effect they’re looking for with their hair colour and what the technique creates,” says Kathy.

All photos courtesy of Crown Hair Instagram @crowndarlinghurst