MENU
SEARCHDon't retire those foils just yet! This Slice and Smudge slicing technique can mimic balayage or the lived-in look.
Nicki Bianco's Slice & Smudge technique can mimic balayage or the lived-in look. Don't retire those foils just yet!
With the resurgence of the balayage technique and the lived-in look trending high, are slices and weaves a thing of the past? Is it time to retire those foils?
Not so fast, says Nicki Bianco, a colorist out of Huntington, New York, whose recent video transformations shared on her @nickiwildflower Instagram page prove that, even with the soaring popularity of the lived-in effect, there is still a time and a place for slices and foils.
Through strategic root smudging (check out this how-to for details), and variations on placement, section thickness and space between sections, slices are perhaps getting another moment in the sun.
Bianco’s Slice & Smudge technique is designed to save colorists application time, through using traditional slicing methods with a twist on placement and root smudging.
“For a more dimensional look, I leave out more space between foils, and sometimes slice in lowlights,” Bianco says. “For maximum brightness I like to work all the way up horizontally. For a more diffused look, I backcomb my slices.”
Next comes the smudge.
“The smudge is customizable—I can create different looks by personalizing the smudge,” Bianco says. “For a more lived-in look, I drag the smudge down, sometimes I work in different sections and placement to mimic a balayage, by dragging the root down only in certain places. For something less lived-in, I only tap the darker color on the root. Sometimes I work in horizontal sections and don’t smudge at all.”
Bianco teaches classes on her technique and you can get all the info you need to schedules and locations by following her on Instagram.
“When I say we can achieve almost any look with slices, I mean it, and we are able to make a huge impact/transformation in 2-3 hours total instead of 4-6,” Bianco says. “It’s really life-changing for many people.”
Schwarzkopf Professional ambassador Carly Zanoni shares the express color and treatment services helping stylists deliver great results in under 30 minutes while creating new opportunities for client retention and revenue growth.
As rich red-violet tones continue trending, the brand introduces two new demi shades designed for depth, shine, and dimensional color.
In an industry with so many options and opportunities, we asked artists what made them niche down and select a specialty. Amelia Fugitt (@ameliahairmakeup) says choosing to focus on transformations has transformed her career.
From gray blending to glossing services, stylists are redefining low-maintenance hair color and building more consistent, profitable salon business.
Neutralizing the damaging effects of water benefits the hair from texture to shine to color longevity, and it’s the science behind Malibu C products.
Sponsored by Malibu Wellness
Craft with confidence, challenge your creativity, work from inspiration. Prepare your chair for every canvas with Moroccanoil's expanded color lines and advanced technology.
Sponsored by Moroccanoil
Create a look of quiet luxury with this modern take on ombré, featuring beautiful dimension and depth with strategic pops of blonde around the face and ends. The initial effect is bright and beautiful, with purposefully placed depth creating longevity as the hair grows out.
A master colorist on why great hair color is never “simple.”
Meet the next generation of lightening with cleaner lift, less breakage, and built-in Metal Purifier Technology.
Sponsored by Wella
Oligo Professionnel, the Montreal-based hair color powerhouse, expands beyond the salon with a new routine-driven system designed specifically for blondes and those with highlighted hair.
These stylists practice hairdresser magic, transforming clients into unicorns, mermaids, rainbows and living works of art.
Ahead of the Winter Olympics, Alysa partnered with St. Louis–based color specialist Kelsey Miller to elevate her DIY bleach work into clean, high-contrast halo placements.
PRAVANA Sugarcoated expands the ChromaSilk VIVIDS line with two new pink shades, Juicy and Crush.
Blonde hair is as All-American as baseball, apple pie, and Stars and Stripes forever. And as America approaches her 250th birthday next year, we celebrate the birth of the Global Blonde.
Two reds that get raves, these looks were designed using Alfaparf Milano. Get all the steps, processing, and expert tips to add these recipes to your rotation.
Many colorists and blonde specialists have been enthusiastic about Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year, creating some of the purest platinum looks in celebration of the pick. Check out some of our favorite Cloud Dancer creations and collections.
To kick off the year fresh, actress Emma Roberts has undergone a major 7-hour color transformation going from Copper Red back to her iconic Iridescent Golden Blonde. The transformation was created by Wella Professional Global Ambassador Nikki Lee.
