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How-To: Mix Foils and Balayage for a Smooth Transition from Brunette to Blonde
Anthony Ronquillo (@anthonyvincenttt), a stylist at Salon Aguayo in Pasadena, California, took four sessions to take this client from a natural level 4 dark brown to this soft blonde sombre. He chose to gradual lighten the hair over multiple ...
Elizabeth Jakaitis・Assistant Editor
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Anthony Ronquillo (@anthonyvincenttt), a stylist at Salon Aguayo in Pasadena, California, took four sessions to take this client from a natural level 4 dark brown to this soft blonde sombre. He chose to gradual lighten the hair over multiple visits so that his client could maintain the length and integrity of her hair.
To create a stunning, yet natural-looking level 10 blonde, as well as allow for a smooth transition from brunette to blonde, Ronquillo first weaved in foils throughout the entire head, then balayaged the pieces that were left out of the foils.
“I used the foils and the balayage technique together because I feel it gives a more natural ‘all over blonde’ look instead of just doing a normal ‘bleach ‘n’ tone.’ Especially since we took four sessions lightening her hair – I didn’t want her to have crazy roots in between the lightening sessions. I’ve found that when you mix these two techniques, the color grows out really naturally. It’s the perfect technique if you’re taking someone lighter.”
GET THE LOOK:
1. Lift the hair with L’Oréal Professionnel Multi-Techniques Powder.
2. Weave in foils throughout the entire head.
3. Balayage the pieces left out of the foils.
4. Tone the hair with L’Oréal Professionnel DIA Light 10.13 and 9 volume. “I used L’Oréal DIA Light 10.13 to tone on damp hair for 5 minutes just to take the edge off. The 10.13 cancels out any brass without taking out all the gold. I chose that because I like this particular client to have a slightly golden blonde without being too yellow.”
“As far as styling goes, my go-to is Kérastase Nectar Thermique on damp hair before blow drying,” says Ronquillo. “The Thermique alone adds shine and works amazing as a heat protectant. I also added in a few custom colored clip in extensions I made to give her hair even more body for a more dramatic look.”
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