If sun-kissed and sultry is your kind of vibe, balayage is the bombshell look for you. Like most things that trend in beauty, it comes from the French word meaning “to sweep” or “to paint” and involves putting a highlight here and a touch of colour there to create a multi-dimensional shine formed by the heavens above. When it comes to a look this good, the stakes are high, but we’ve got you sorted with the magic hands of Brisbane’s best balayage hairdressers below!
Elizabeth JJ’s Hair | Ashgrove
Visit Elizabeth JJ’s on the Avenue for the balayage of your dreams. Jo and the team create the sun-kissed highlights of a long summer at the beach, without the sun damage, by seamlessly blending colour and highlights to achieve the perfect natural look. They pride themselves on attention to detail, matching your hair’s new highlight tones to your natural complexion. The salon’s sustainable Organic Colour Systems and Davines product ranges are based on natural and certified organic ingredients, supporting the health of your hair and the environment. The products are vegan-friendly, ammonia-free, PETA accredited and brilliant for sensitive scalps. Explore the salon sanctuary and the team’s work via Instagram and their website, or book for a complementary consultation and hair analysis. What are you waiting for? Get the look, minus the guilt!
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Elysium Hair | Brisbane City
The perfect balayage is one you love, and that’s exactly what you’ll find with the recent winners of Australian Salon of the Year for Customer Care. Offering five different balayage options from baby to bombshell, as well as the option to add more creative tones to the classic look, you’ll leave with your own original colour tailored completely to you. The expert team have been trained by balayage gods – including Peter Thomsen from Chelsea Haircutters and Sophia Hilton from Not Another Salon – and specialise in creative free-hand colouring for the perfect blend. Elysium Hair knows it might take a few sessions to reach your desired colour, but they’re on this journey with you, even offering express refresh services to keep your tone in mint condition 24/7!
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Epic Hair Designs | Various Locations
Officially recognised as Queensland’s Best Salon by the Australian Hairdressing Industry Awards, put your hair in the right hands at 16 locations throughout Brisbane and Gold Coast. Epic Hair Designs hosts more Goldwell Master Colourists than any salon in Australia, specialising in balayage techniques, blondes and hair extensions. They’re committed to creating the perfect colour for you while maintaining the integrity of your hair, with in-depth consultations to consider your current colour, your maintenance commitments and long-term colour expectations. Fear not if you’re a balayage virgin for you’re in trustworthy hands, because they’ll create the best balayage tailored for you. Whether you want the beautiful low-maintenance look to be bold or subtle, they have a range of affordable hair packages ready to create your dream look.
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Fluid The Color Salon | Camp Hill
Ready to back balayage? The colour technicians at Fluid The Color Salon are ready to craft your spring/summer look! Using a freehand technique and specialised products, the team achieves their seamless blend every single time. With easy to maintain colour, they credit their experience, artistry and highly trained colourist talent to their epic results, staying ahead of the trends as they come. After an in-depth consultation, you’ll reach your #hairgoals, with each visit only adding to the texture and dimension! There’s no doubt balayage is the style of summer, so this is your chance to embrace regrowth and opt for a soft cascade of colour to keep things fresh. You’ll even be walked through at-home care to ensure long lasting results.
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Fruition Style Ambition | Wilston
Fruition know that you want your balayage to give you the perfect sun-kissed natural colour of your dreams and, rest assured, they are the experts that can provide it. Home to a 2018 AHFA Creative Colourist of the Year Finalist and a team of dedicated and highly trained colourists, Fruition is a one stop shop when it comes to flawless balayage. Every single one is a bespoke creation so the expertise of your colourist is crucial to achieve the desired result, plus they use only the highest performance, nourishing colours by Kevin Murphy to create the most flattering shades. Also named the 2018 AHFA Artistic Team of the Year and with Director Craig Smith the 2019 AHFA Australian Hairdresser of the Year, they are lauded for their global industry reputation.
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Hair By The Collective | East Brisbane
Following freehand tradition, Hair By The Collective will make you a balayage babe in no time. With the talent to create various degrees of brightness and depth, their exceptional techniques will get you your most desired bespoke result. It’s all about the placement and creating purposeful directions of highlights and lowlights for that lived-in look. Your hair’s integrity is of the utmost importance, meaning you’ll be recommended the right home haircare. You’ll even get to rock balayage for months to come with the help of the right reatments. Expect some subtle natural warmth, even in the brightest of blondes, as you leave with a well-balanced balayage. No matter your hair colour, you’ll get walked through a number of stunning colour gradients that make all the difference for the perfect personalised result.
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Hairytales Hair Salon | Wavell Heights
If you’re looking for effortless smooth transitions and ultimate lock envy, this salon is sure to give you the killer tone you’ve always wanted! Just take one look at their Instagram and you’ll immediately understand why they made the list. For those who appreciate amazing customer experience and professional expertise, step through the doors and be wowed by the talents of these down to earth and highly skilled stylists. Using freehand hair colouring techniques, they’ll give you showstopping dimension, leaving you with a natural look that has no harsh or obvious regrowth lines. With colour designed specifically for your desired look, face shape and skin tone, get a balayage that works for you! Psst, we also heard they have massage chairs… umm, yes please!
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Hannah Kate Hair | Hendra
Want the Hannah Kate Hair difference? This stylist is all for creating differing levels of depth and height throughout the hair. As a balayage master, she has an undeniable knowledge of the importance of delicate colour shades – it’s all about the blending of bleach so when the toner fades, the underlying result is seamless. Her expert technique involves hand painting balayage pieces, along with using foils, to achieve a consistent, clean lift. By etching higher up around the face, you’ll even be able to tie your hair back without worrying about regrowth! We’re all about that low-maintenance colour, and soft, smooth roots. Achieve a natural balayage or uber blonde and bright look that lasts at Hannah Kate Hair!
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Helmet Hair Co. | Nundah
For a surprise free balayage, Helmet is your salon. One of the things their clients love most is that they take the awkward guesswork about colour costs out of the equation with their simple pricing menu which promises no nasty add-ons. The team are more than happy to discuss what will be required and how they can make your balayage dreams come true. Helmet’s vibe is a little more out there, a little more casual, a little more fun and a lot more rock n roll. When it comes to balayage expertise though, they are super serious. Located in Nundah, this is not your typical Brisbane salon. The second home to Fruition Hair’s Craig Smith, 2019 AHFA Australian Hairdresser of the Year, think of Helmet as it’s younger, cooler sibling.
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Indigo Cut and Colour | Camp Hill
Meaning ‘sweeping’ in French, balayage is named for the delicate brush-sweeping technique that is used to achieve a natural sun-kissed look. The team at Indigo are experts in achieving this timeless summer style, applying colour where the sun would hit the hair, resulting in soft roots seamlessly blending to a more intense highlight. The Indigo team is well known for making sure your hair’s integrity is maintained in the lightening process, creating that effortless grown-out look for almost any hair colour, achieved using ultra-conditioning Redken Shades EQ Gloss colours. The best part? Your Indigo stylist will create your balayage to grow out the way your hair naturally would after a summer in the sun, meaning you can maintain this look year-round.
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Infinity Hair | Albion
Looking for a lived-in, natural spring colour? Balayage is a must for clients that want a defined difference through focused highlights and texture. Forget about saturated ends! Less is always more, with subtle strokes that aren’t too heavy around the face. Infinity Hair makes low-maintenance colour a must, meaning it’s perfect for those wanting to first experiment with their hair, minus the commitment! They’re all about hair health, so they recommend building up balayage over time. Offering follow-up refreshing toner options instead of foils or lightening will also give your hair the break it needs to maintain the shine between appointments. Their fave creation is a glossy, sun kissed balayage, and it’s making us want to embrace the look of the season, ASAP!
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Ink for Hair | Newmarket
Spring’s must-have hairstyle is without doubt a versatile, personalised balayage! This French sweeping of colour begins with a freehand paint, and ends with a flawless graduation of face framing colour at Ink for Hair. Watch as shades melt into each other in this low-maintenance treatment that grows out gorgeously. You’ll consult with your stylist first up, making sure you get the charming colour you’ve had bookmarked on IG for weeks! Using some of the top products in the market, these hair queens will ensure your lovely locks stay in a great condition between appointments. Psst… their secret is adding L’Oreal Smartbond in all of their colour work! Welcoming every hair colour, you don’t have to be blonde to have balayage at this north side hair hub.
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Kelly Elle Salon | Greenslopes
As summer approaches and our feeds are flooded with gorgeous visions of sun-kissed locks and glossy curls, requests for balayage is high for many hairstylists. Nailing the perfect melt is an art that Kelly Elle Salon has certainly mastered. With a focus on enhancing and brightening the client’s natural hair with baby-lights for a beautifully blended look, the highly trained stylists have evolved their balayage technique over many years, and specialise in free-hand colours to complement every face shape and complexion. And not only will they take the time to ensure your colour is effortless with that ‘lived-in’ look, they will make sure you have the tools to care for your locks after your appointment, so you feel confident and ready to step into summer with gorgeous, glossy hair.
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Little Birdie Hair Co | Wynnum
There is no better feeling than watching your locks transform as the expert stylist finishes your treatment with a blow wave to reveal your fresh, beautifully blended colour. That feeling of confidence in their clients is what the team at Little Birdie Hair Co in Wynnum have mastered, with their tailored approach to a naturally flawless balayage. Plus, they know that every client who walks into their light-filled salon has a different lifestyle and up-keep regimen, therefore the highly skilled stylists will employ a foiling technique that gives a sun-kissed look to frame the face, but without compromising the integrity of the hair. With a beautifully melted balayage and a technique that will ensure longevity in your colour, the team at Little Birdie Hair Co have you covered.
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Orb Hair | New Farm
Orb Hair is one of the few Brisbane salons to have colourists from France and Europe – aka the home of balayage – on their team. Owned and operated by Deborah Paton, the colour specialists at this iconic New Farm salon have been creating gorgeous hair since 1999. Specialising in creating unique and personal experiences for each and every guest, just check out their Google reviews to see why their fans are always coming back for more. They offer a full and detailed consultation over the phone, followed up in-salon with an individual plan to ensure you’re paired with the perfect team member. They know balayage is a beautiful technique that’s created by painting directly onto the surface, giving you hair that looks more dimensional and more natural growing out.
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Oscar Oscar Salons | Multiple Locations approved
When it comes to seamless, creamy colour melts, you really can’t go past Oscar Oscar Salons. They’ve been an industry leader for years, so you know that the minute you step into their sleek, high-end salon you’ll have the confidence that the end result will be a stunning, glossy balayage. Not to mention their expert style cuts! According to Oscar Oscar Salons, the technique of balayage involves a sweeping, painting motion to bring brightness to the face without the maintenance of highlights, all the while blending them with your natural colour to achieve that ‘I’ve been lazing by the beach all summer’ look. And, placement is everything – something Oscar Oscar Salons know all too well.
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Paris Texas Hairdressing | Milton
Experienced hands and quality products create the perfect balayage look at this modern boutique salon. Under the direction of owner and operator Ashlee Cunningham, this team has a stellar reputation for their precision cutting, colouring and balayage techniques. Much loved for their friendly service and exceptional work, the Paris Texas hairdressers offer generous bookings so they can deliver the best possible results for each hair transformation. With a wide range of quality vegan and animal friendly hair products, know that your colour will go the distance, keeping your hair happy and healthy! If you’re looking to go further than just a colour, this salon is also known for their ethically sourced and personalised hair extensions.
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Revolution Hairdressing | Wilston
Combine a warm and friendly service with years of experience as a leading Brisbane hairdresser creating gorgeously glossy balayage looks every day, and you have Revolution Hairdressing. Adopting a soft and natural approach to the highly requested look requires the use of correct tones and placement, which is something the stylists can attest to, especially when trying to achieve a lived-in, sun-kissed look. In their words, there is nothing worse than an overly saturated balayage! Beginning every appointment with a thorough consultation is extremely important to them, not only to achieve the summer style you’re loving, but to discuss aftercare so your look stays fresher for longer. And, on top of that, they create some of the most effortless ‘cool girl’ waves in the industry to make that balayage pop even more. Win, win!
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Rixon Hair | Brisbane City
A textured, multi-dimensional balayage with plenty of movement (we like to call it the JLo effect) is the goal at Rixon Hair, and when a beautifully blended colour is created day-in-day-out as it is here, you know you’re in good hands. Taking inspiration from the lightness the sun would naturally give you, the highly skilled colourists are always focused on emphasising your best features to make your skin absolutely glow! And, while they admit they will never rush into lightening to the point of stripping your locks (hello, dark brunettes), the stylists aim to create a ‘clean blonde’ through premium colour tones and strategic appointments to ensure the end result is healthy, glossy hair – just in time for summer!
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Rokstar | West End
Specialising in free hand and multi tonal colouring, the Rokstar balayage is where it’s at. This multi award-winning salon houses experienced and skilled hairdressers, equipped with the latest tricks and techniques. Relax in a trendy salon while your locks are transformed into a vibrant balayage look, and with only the best products so your hair health is never compromised. If you opt for a colour and cut, know that your hair clippings are making a difference to the environment. Sounds strange, but as a part of Sustainable Salons Australia, Rokstar collects clippings which are placed into stockings to make hair brooms that will help clean up oil spills in the Great Barrier Reef – talk about multipurpose!
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Saint + Bridge | Carina
When you enter this gorgeous Carina salon, you’ll walk into a naturally filled space of light and creativity. Saint + Bridge was just an idea in early 2020, formed over drinks shared between co-founders Rik Pene, Gary Shoebridge and Ellie Van Der Winden. And from that very first clink of their glasses, a beautiful salon was born. When it comes to balayage, these guys are all about a ‘less is more’ approach. The perfect balayage is all about a seamless blend of colour, a tone that complements your skin tone and a whole lot of dimension! With a realistic approach centred around the ethos ‘under promise, over deliver’, they’ll let you know what’s achievable, while educating you on how you can achieve your dream hair. Goodbye maintenance, hello effortless glamour!
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SalonXPapas | Teneriffe
If you consider yourself a hair aficionado, chances are you’ve heard of SalonXPapas. Led by the multi award-winning Stylist and MBFWA Hair Director, Dmitri Papas, not only is this salon worthy of a place on your ‘gram, but your tresses will be expertly cared for, too. At SalonXPapas, a stunning balayage look is all about tone and colour. It should look seamless and be the perfect complement to your skin and eyes. So, what makes them stand out from the crowd? It starts with their experienced colour technicians (many of whom are award-winners themselves) and is backed by their tailored approach to hair. Their colour work is completely customised to you and enhanced with the finest products, meaning they never compromise on the quality or condition of your hair.
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Samantha Jones Hair Co | North Lakes
Overlooking the tranquil Lake Eden, you’ll find Samantha Jones Hair Co. Renowned as being masters of balayage, their definition of luscious locks includes the perfect blend of colours, with the greatest natural highlighted graduation and no harsh lines or regrowth in sight! With a slew of awards under their belt, it’s safe to say this team knows hair! Since balayage is bespoke and used to highlight or lowlight certain facial and body features, the team ensures that every application is hand-crafted to suit each and every guest – no two balayage looks are the same! Their highly experienced team deliver a complete end-to-end, quality service, so you can rest assure you’ll leave their sunny salon with the exact look you imagined when you entered.
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The Cleo Collective | Moorooka
According to The Cleo Collective team, balayage is a low maintenance colouring technique that literally suits everybody! And to be honest, as lovers of this on-trend look, we couldn’t agree more! The benefits of this low-fuss, super wearable look are endless and the team particularly recommend it for the busy modern woman. Not sure what look you’re going for? First things first: they recommend that you know what you don’t want and to have lots of photos on hand – keeping in mind that the way your hair is styled can completely change the look of your balayage! And, when it comes to a point of difference, you can rest assured that The Cleo Collective work speaks for itself – just check out their Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest trends.
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The Lounge & Co | Newstead & Ormiston
If you’re after sun-kissed, lived in, natural looking hair colour with softer, less noticeable regrowth (tbh, who doesn’t?), look no further than The Lounge & Co. With two convenient locations in Newstead and Ormiston, the salon was founded in 2015 by Director Candice Whitehead, and is home to some of Brissy’s most exceptional hair stylists who specialise in colouring techniques such as balayage. Candice’s mantra for getting the colour of your dreams is simple, but oh so effective: seamless blending. Having contrast between the root, mid and end tones is what Candice’s believes makes for the ultimate natural looking, lived-in dimension. Soft, subtle and seamless low maintenance colour is yours if you want it – all you have to do is visit The Lounge & Co.
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Toni & Guy Hairdressing | Bulimba
With each delicate sweep of their brush, the team at Toni & Guy Bulimba will bring together a beautifully soft, sun-kissed result. They know the best balayage is all about the movement, with multiple tones to make the brighter pieces pop, and face framing colours to suit your complexion perfectly. And, their extensive yearly training with their London team means they have the skills to do it! Your experience isn’t restricted to one appointment – balayage is a colour that works best when it’s built upon, so they’ll create a plan that leads straight to your dream hair. Their Wellaplex treatments will keep your hair happy, healthy and shining throughout the lightening process so you can enjoy all the benefits of a low maintenance colour, including double the time between appointments!
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Tribe Hair | Woolloongabba
You’ll find comfort in every aspect of the beautiful experience at Tribe Hair. It’s no secret that balayage varies from client to client, with the pre-existing colour in your hair altering the result. However, the extensive knowledge of these stellar stylists means they know exactly what to expect and how to handle your hair, creating your dream look while enhancing what you have with texture and dimension. Offering seamless blends and low maintenance looks that only need to be refreshed for as little as every six to nine months, they will also customise their work to suit your lifestyle and budget for the ultimate bespoke transformation. Oh, and did we mention their dreamy waves? It’s a big tick to those hair flicks!
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Urban Chic | Ashgrove
Add shimmer to your style with a beautifully natural balayage made by these pro stylists. First thing’s first: your hair’s integrity will be priority number one, before moving on to hue selection and what shade will suit your skin tone and lifestyle best. Backed by expert education and techniques, they’ll create a beautifully soft and subtle look through a combination of freehand painting, foils and baby lights. Each balayage here is a bespoke creation tailored to the wearer, so you’ll enjoy a genuinely lived in look. While they’ll be delivering careful thought and the utmost attention into your hair, you’ll be in complete bliss within the soothing vibe of this welcoming salon.
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William Joseph Hair Co | Chermside West
With multiple balayage techniques up their sleeve, it doesn’t matter what look you want – the fashion-forward hair legends at William Joseph Hair Co are educated to deliver. They’ve worked with some of the best hair educators to ensure there’s nothing they can’t perfect, including the revolutionary Lia Mei, aka the expert on balayage and colour correction. The creativity in their freehand hair painting is truly something to behold, and will leave your hair soft, silky and healthy with minimal maintenance required. Gorgeous highlights will meet natural colour in a seamless blend when these stylists are behind your locks, creating lightness and dimension that will turn heads for all the right reasons.
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Bach Hair | Paddington
Did you know that there is no ‘perfect’ balayage? Only the perfect balayage for you. The team at Bach Hair in Paddington are passionate advocates of this unique freehand colouring process. Unlike a full coverage colour or a traditional foil technique, balayage from this exceptional team of hair stylists offers softer regrowth lines, allowing clients more flexibility with their maintenance schedule, tailored to suit each individuals needs. By having Bach’s honest and understanding team on speed dial, the hair of your dreams is just a phone call away. Say goodbye to grown out regrowth and hello to beautifully blended, natural looking colour.
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Bambi and Bear | Red Hill
No two heads of hair are the same, and that’s why Bambi and Bear use their experienced balayage contouring skills on their gorgeously unique clients. With a great way to enhance dimension and texture, the team at Bambi and Bear will make your colour pop no matter what style! The right balayage for you comes down to your consultation and application. As expert stylists, Bambi and Bear believe it's essential to know your wants and needs, and they will work with your hair to get the perfect placement of balayage. With high quality, cruelty free products such as Olaplex, Eleven and Lakmé, every colour is created to look beautiful and your hair will be well looked after throughout each part of the experience.
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Black Avenue Hairdressing | Clayfield
Imagine a beautiful hair colour effortlessly and seamlessly melting between your roots into a deliciously dimensional blonde – this is Black Avenue Hairdressing and it’s where blonde comes alive. When it comes to balayage at this salon, it’s all about the root blend – application is key! Using this freehand technique with your unique haircut and natural hair growth patterns means a totally bespoke finish every time. Plus, the time between touch up appointments can be much longer compared to foils as the root grow out is usually undetectable. Choosing your own personal colour tones together with your stylist is just another way Black Avenue Hairdressing give clients exceptional service and care for their hair to make sure you’re walking out with the best colour to complement your look.
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Cameo Rose Hair | Wavell Heights
Naturally blended, seamless colour and kissed by the sun – this is the type of balayage you’ll find at Cameo Rose Hair. The French term means “to sweep”, and balayage is a specialty used by the salon, especially with their French stylist, Audrey. With 17 years of French hairdressing experience, she is the balayage point of difference at Cameo Rose Hair with a smooth and perfect technique to give clients the natural blended look through freehand or foils. At the hands of this Wavell Heights team, the perfect balayage has a natural and soft look with no harsh lines, giving you that effortless lived-in look. It’s the type of colour that keeps on giving over time, and with the correct at home care education, Cameo Rose Hair will give your hair the life it needs.
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Chroma Hair Studio | Highgate Hill
The balayage of your dreams awaits you at this Highgate Hill salon. Whether you’re looking for a natural, lived-in look or a more daring colour transformation, the hair pros at Chroma Hair Studio have you – and your locks – covered. Kim Astro – AKA the Balayage Queen – is the driving force behind the studio and has been teaching balayage classes to hairdressers all over the country for years, as part of the Australian Design Team for haircare giants, L’Oréal Matrix. Kim also pioneered the #GlamLights, #SassyLights and #SelfieLights balayage techniques, which are now used by hair salons Australia-wide. Chroma Hair Studio is home to five certified master colourists and they’ve even made it easy with balayage packages. Book in now and get ready to meet the new, sun-kissed you!
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Cobelle Creative | Toowong
Low maintenance hair colour without compromising on quality? Sign us up! Cobelle Creative are experts when it comes to balayage and blondes, and are the type of specialists that can back it up with multiple awards to boot, including the 2020 Australian Best Salon team. Their expertly trained team, led by Australian Colour Technician of The Year Finalist, Kristie Kesic, can create the perfect look for your individual look. You can rest assured and trust in the team when it comes to the perfect balayage by allowing them to highlight the individual areas of your face with colour to make you the most beautiful version of yourself! And while it may be low maintenance, it doesn't mean no maintenance – the girls can look after you in between colours with refreshing glosses and at home pigment conditioners.
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David Murry Salon | South Brisbane
David Murry Salon has stood the test of time in Brisbane and has built a reputation for all the right reasons. Their frank, honest consultations allow them to best understand what you want to achieve, and communicate with you what is possible. From the density of your hair to the existing condition, your colourist will always suggest an appropriate technique for your hair texture, the amount of work you’re prepared to put in, and the financial investment you’re prepared to spend on the day of your appointment and moving forward; all important components when it comes to achieving balayage! During your treatment, your colourist will also carefully consider your natural appearance, hair condition and movement in order to create a personalised colour palette that’s perfectly suited to you. Regardless of your hair colour or length, the expert colourists at David Murry Salon will craft a stunning colour palette, personalised look just for you.
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