"My niece, as she has gotten a little older, has experienced her hair getting darker but has always enjoyed the natural pieces of light that appear around her face," says Tori Briggs (@mvtoribriggs) of Rocky Mount, NC. "For the past few years we had only popped some babylights in here and there. Once she set off for college, we decided a balayage would help extend her time away. Our first balayage was subtle and left the front light level 9 and the crown darker with some of her natural level 7 woven here and there. This time we set out to brighten as much as possible."

Here Briggs shares the details in her own words:

30g Redken Free Hand Blonde Idol + 30g 30 Volume Developer (mixed 2 bowls to cover whole head). Be aware that this mix looks like biscuit dough...I love it dearly. It works beautifully!! It stays where I place the light! Starting in the neckline in 1/2" to 3/4" sections I began painting only reaching within 3" of root and down in smooth even strokes - placing cotton dividers as needed.

When I approached her crown I paid special attention to the areas the hair naturally wanted to part hard around. I always hold the hair loosely in these areas before I start the balayage to make sure I notice how the hair gathers, as this would tell me to group more light or less depending on the layout.

Once in her part line, I paid special attention to creating the finest blend (smaller sections) around her face. Money Shot is Everything!

Covered in ColorTrak Balayage Film and processed for 40 minutes. Fanola No Yellow Shampoo for 3 minutes finished our look for this Platinum Beauty!

Start to Finish 3 1/2 hours.