Best Highlights for fall 2021

Check out this blog to learn about highlighting. We're loving the warm hair colors emerging for fall! 

So here we are, ready to liven up our hair colors for fall and get all autumnal. The look Brian creates on free salon educations YouTube channel gives us an insight into lifting up hair with less. The look is created on a curly hair texture. This video was a live session, giving you guys the opportunity to ask us questions and get involved. Check out the video below... 

Build the color around the hair cut 

This look was created around an existing cut Brian had done. He's feeling autumnal so decides to go for gold. 

The highlights he wants to create are soft but bold, making it a perfect technique to pair with curls. Curls can give a beautiful twist to color and different tones give great dimension to a textured hair type. We're going in with hand painting and Brian wants to complement the existing color.  So, let's get to it. 

Section The hair 

We need the hair to look good where it wants to fall. We also want to complement our guests' styling choices at home. 

Our sectioning is taken as we go, starting in the back. Brian shows us he likes to have a blonde streak behind the ear so when the guest styles their hair we still have pops of light in the undersections. With this in mind, he sections top of the ear to top of the ear in the back. 

Lightener for fall 

Get out the skylights by Paul Mitchell to lighten up the hair with freehand. 

We're looking at hair that’s currently a level 6. We're wanting to get the lift up to a light blonde maybe with a little warmth in there. So, Brian chooses to work with 40v. He loves the predictability of a 40, also it's a quick technique so this can power you through your day in the salon.  

Also, clay lightener is great for balayage. This is because it creates a protected environment that stays moist inside = more lift, while an outer shell defers color transfer on to other sections – nice. 

Balayage technique for fall 2021 

So now we got the chat out the way, let's do what us stylists do best – hair. 

Brian takes a small triangular shape from behind the ear, triangles are a nice shape to work with on a bulkier highlight. The diffusion is smoother than a flat straight panel/slice. Brian decides to go bold on this section and feathers the root paint while following onto his balayage panel with a heavier paint. He balances this up on the opposite side and moves on to the next section. 

Paint the balayage around the hair cut 

This autumnal look will have more blonde in the mid-section of this balayage. 

This is because of the haircut. The round of the head is under the parietal ridge. Brian knows that when the curls move, swish and separate, it will show a lot of color from this area. Brian takes the first section on the hairline. The placement depends on how the guest wears their hair. Brian goes for a diagonal back. 

Go big balayage or go home 

Well, there is a place for finer sections and skinny lights, but todays not that day. 

Brian explains that you don't need to be afraid to take a bold section. Since the lightener is sitting on the top and when you check out the underneath, the lightener has only been pushed through on the ends. This protects the existing color and gives dimension and contrast. 

Change up the technique 

The next section has a little different sectioning and painting technique. 

Brian is mindful that he went bolder in his previous section. So, he decides to take this section a little gentler. He has a "V" shape in the back around the crown. He starts painting around the face and paints "V" shaped highlights for softer look at the root. He blends it into a fully painted end to keep it light.  

Lift the back of the hair 

So, this looks a bit chunky, but there's a reason it’s a little wider. 

The back area has a round, taking a wide section, It over directs the hair from where it will fall. The section once lightened and dried will spread around the head.  Giving a soft diffused high light. He creates 3 points in the root that again, blend into one. This looks a lot bolder when painted, but trust the process. 

Let the hair part naturally 

After painting our mid-section were working up top where the hair parts. 

Brian creates a strong money piece around the face to give that on trend look for this fall. Then he finds smaller sections around the back and freehand paints the ends. These ends are a gentle paint. The intention is to just break the base and glow up the back. Brian shows us a look he previously created using this technique – we hope you like it!