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SEARCHBrendan Buoni is best known for her balayage and updos. See why we chose him to be part of our 2019 MODERN SALON 100.
Brendan Buoni @thebalayageboy
Brendan Buoni @thebalayageboy
When we think of Brendan Buoni, smiles instantly appear on our faces followed by a collective “aww.” Not only is this Washington stylist an absolute joy to work with, but his incredibly positive attitude is apparent in the beautiful posts he produces. Whether he’s slaying the game with Daenerys-inspired braided styles or showing us he can live up to his balayage handle, Buoni is a rising star we are so excited to see grow.
Brendan Buoni
Tacoma, Washington
Brassfields Salon and Spa, in University Place
Specialty: Balayage and updos
Top-performing post: My Game of Thrones inspired braids! It was reposted to MODERN SALON and totally blew up! It’s been reposted by so many accounts, and it has so many likes and saves and shares; it’s overwhelming!
Favorite apps: Pixlr to perfect pictures because I can brighten or blur backgrounds, rebalance lighting and tone so it’s true to life; Facetune2 to reshape mannequin heads to make them look more lifelike or pretend they have shoulders! VSCO for updos because I don’t mind editing them with a filter because I’m not trying to capture the color of the hair with and updo, just the structural style.
I follow: @carla.jean.styles, @stephanie_stylist, @paintedhair, @thebalaylama and ulyana_nik_hairstylist
Brendan Buoni @thebalayageboy
Brendan Buoni @thebalayageboy
Pro tip: Having an awesome picture is the best way to start! I usually use a ring light, so make sure to turn off all other light sources. This will help isolate your light and you won’t have to compete shadows and other warm tones from overhead lighting. After it’s posted, babysit that post, meaning stay by your phone for an hour, and engage with your audience! Thank people for commenting, go see what their page is like and respond to reposts. Have an attitude of gratitude.
Hidden talent: Even though I love balayage, I can foil like a maniac! My record is 35 minutes for a full foil, standard mohawk placement!
Fun fact: I play the cello! I have played for 16 years now, but I decided before I graduated to go to beauty school instead because music conservatories are so expensive. I’m so glad I made that choice because I love what I do, but I still play my cello on a daily.
My audience follows me because: I am pretty funny, and I love to carry that over to social media. I’m a big believer in not taking things too seriously. I also love to post about hair and teach and a lot of my followers are students!
How social media changed my life: It has helped me meet amazing people, make incredible connections and catapulted my work into places I never even thought possible! Because of Instagram I became an educator for Sunlights. I’ve been able to move across the country and build a clientele (still working on that), and I’ve met so many people that I call friends. I just want to hug everyone!
My first @modernsalon feature: It was the beginning of October 2018, and MODERN SALON was having a holiday-themed updo competition. At the time, I was packing and getting ready to move from Pennsylvania to Washington. This competition was a nice way to take my mind off the stress of moving for a while. I remember styling my wig and thinking how it was probably going to get lost in all the submissions. The next day I woke up and checked my Instagram, and there it was. Hair that I did was on MODERN SALON; I was just shocked! Honestly it boosted my confidence moving to a totally new environment knowing I had this in my back pocket. Since then, there have been several more reposts, and it’s changed my life!
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