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Chunky Weave Balayage
Deciding The Length
When you have a client who has long thick hair and is looking for a dramatic chop and colour, an essential first step is to remove a lot of the bulk that won't be needed. There is no point wasting time and product colouring ends which will inevitably be cut away.
For our client, we have started by roughly cutting away the length. This does not need to be overly neat as we will be cutting and styling later, but it is important to make sure you do not cut off too much and leave enough length to style as the client wants.
Once the bulk has been taken care of, we can begin to section the client's hair in preparation for lightening. We have sectioned the hair into 3 pieces and will be working on the back sections first.
Colouring Formula for The Blonde Balayage
We will be starting with a formula of 2% Peroxide, 30g Powder and Olaplex, as the back section will have the longest processing time.
We are going to be using a chunky broken slice, as this will create light ribbons through the hair, whilst also creating a beautiful depth of colour and dimension.
Applying the Balayage Colour - The Back
To ensure you create a soft transition, we are backcombing the roots throughout before applying our bleach throughout the length and sealing in foil.
Continue working your way up the head, taking large sections in a V shape, and then breaking each section into a chunky broken slice.
To create even more depth of colour, after every 2 rows of foils, gather the remaining hair and weave into its own foil. This is called “Tipping Out”, and is a great way to create a bond, yet soft finish. We are using a different formula for these pieces, and are switching to 9% Peroxide, 30g Freehand Bleach Powder and Olaplex. As we aren't sealing the hair in foil, we are using a balayage board to apply the product to these sections of hair, and then placing a sheet of foil on top, purely to avoid transfer of product to other sections of hair.
Continue working your way up the head, taking angled sections, and tipping out every 2 rows, until you reach a point that it is necessary to draw some straight lines through the middle of the head.
As you begin to approach the middle to top portion of the back section, switch your formula for a stronger 6% developer, as these sections will now have a shorter processing time than the bottom back sections. By switching up your formula in this way, you are ensuring that all of the hair lifts at a similar rate, and creates a much more even colour.
Applying the Balayage Colour - The Front
Once you have completed the back section, you can move around the front. Here we are using a 9% developer, and we are starting by placing some babylights around the front of the face, for soft but intense colour. We are then switching back to our chunky broken weave to complete the look. Once all of the foils are in place, check the development of the bleach, and then remove at the basin, starting from the back.
Wash & Toner
Rinse the hair thoroughly, before brushing through and applying a toner. We are using the RedKen Shades EQ, and have mixed equal parts 09VG, 09G, 09NB, plus a dash of 09T and 50g Gloss for the roots, and equal parts 09VG, 09G, 09NB, a dash of 09T, 50g Glass and 25g clear for the lengths.
Apply your toner, starting at the roots to wet hair using a tint brush. Work your way through the hair in small sections until all of the roots are covered, then apply the toner to the ends at the basin. We have pinned the front sections of hair out of the way, as we will be applying toner here last so that it has the shortest development time and is slightly brighter around the face.
Once the toner has created the depth of colour you are looking for, rinse the toner and follow with a shampoo and conditioner.
Now that the colour is complete you are ready to cut and style.
