changing things up

So I've had the blonde hair for ages now and before that dark DARK hair. Time for a little change me thinks. I'm off to get my hair done this Saturday and I'm thinking of trying out balayage:

9 times out of 10, I think women look best when keeping their hair color close to its natural shade, with a few added highlights to bring out the texture of the cut. This usually compliments your skin tone and eye color etc. Being a brown-eyed brunette, I always figured I’d look foolish as a blond..with dark roots and mismatched eyebrows, I deemed the look as being all wrong. That is, until now. With the new technique of highlighting, called bayalage, I am ready to enter summer with a whole new look of natural sun-kissed highlights. Ok, enhanced-natural.

Gisele Bündchen’s bleached waves generated so much attention, it wasn’t long before celebrities fled to their hair stylist seeking the same multi-tonal do’ So, I wondered…what is this new buzz word ‘balayage’ and what makes it so different?

Balayage, a French word meaning ‘to sweep’ is a new method of highlighting which lightens the hair gradually from root to tip. This technique has shaken the salons from coast to coast because it achieves an ultra-natural effect by mimicing nature’s way of lightening hair. Hair should always be darker on the base of the hair shaft or the root area, rather then having light roots and dark ends. To balayage the hair, a lightening agent is painted on using a brush and paddle in a sweeping motion giving the hair colorist a bit more room to play and less methodical streaks. Foils aren’t used and the precision of the fine-tooth comb weaving in tiny streaks is no longer necessary. The thick mixture of lightener is applied onto a section of hair using one of three paint designs: singles, slants and V’s. The stylist uses a “sweeping” motion to apply lightener from thin at the roots to thicker towards the ends. This provides ultimate control over color application, allows for less outgrowth, much more color contrast within the hair and since the process requires no heat or foils, the hair experiences minimal damage (which is key for those of us with long hair).

The result is a gorgeous sun-kissed color of various shades of blond and honey-toned hues that look as if you just spent the summer frolicking on the beach. And thus far has proven to be the most natural looking highlights ever. Balayage is more carefree than highlights because the streaks aren’t defined and a pattern isn’t developed. But because the method is less regimented, it gives the stylist much more creative freedom, which can be fabulous or regrettable depending upon the experience and overall flair of your stylist. From the sound of it, the stylist works on instinct so very similar to an artist on a canvas.
Taken from http://www.tashascloset.biz/blog/?p=81

I'm thinking something similar to these.

Now that I've made the decision, I can't wait...will post a pic if it works out ok!!

Toots

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