How we do colour
Lived-in colour is planned, not guessed. Here is what happens from the first conversation to your next visit.
From consult to gloss
A first balayage usually takes three to four hours. Bring a book, or don't; there's tea, and a window seat while your colour processes.
- 2 weeks to 2 days before
The consult
Fifteen minutes, free. We look at your hair, your history and your photos, agree on a plan, and give you a price range in writing.
- 48 hours before
The patch test
A small dab of the colour behind your ear. If anything itches, stings or turns red, call us and we won't colour that day.
- Hour one
Sectioning and painting
Your stylist sections the hair and paints or foils by hand. For balayage the lightener goes on freehand, so the grow-out stays soft.
- Hour two
Processing and checking
We check every few minutes and lift only as far as your hair can take. A bond-building treatment can go in for $35.
- Last hour
Toner, cut and finish
Toner sets the final shade, then a cut or tidy if you booked one, and a blow-dry or diffuse. We check the colour in daylight by the window before you go.
Why we never skip them
Hair keeps a record. Box dye from three years ago, henna, a keratin treatment or a summer of swimming all change how colour takes. The consult is where we find that out, before it matters.
The patch test is for your skin. Even if you've coloured your hair for years, products and skin change, so new clients and anyone back after six months get one at least 48 hours ahead.
What to bring to the consult
- Two or three photos of hair you like, and one you don't
- What's been on your hair in the last two years, as best you remember
- How often you're happy to come back
- Your hair as you usually wear it, not freshly washed if you can
Fixing colour takes honesty
Banding, box-dye build-up, orange that won't leave, a blonde that went too far: it can almost always be improved over time. It's rarely fixed in one sitting.
Every correction starts with a consult and, if needed, a strand test on a hidden piece of hair. Then we quote you in writing for the whole plan. There's no price on the menu because no two corrections are alike.
- Consult firstFree, with a strand test if needed.
- Quote in writingFor each session, before anything starts.
- Often two sessionsTwo to four weeks apart, to protect the hair.
- Senior Stylists onlyInès, Margaux or Dev lead every correction.
When to come back
Lived-in colour is meant to stretch. Here's roughly how long each one looks its best before a refresh.
- Root touch-upevery 4 to 6 weeks
- Toner or glossevery 6 to 8 weeks
- Full highlightsevery 8 to 10 weeks
- Grey blendingevery 8 to 12 weeks
- Foilayageevery 10 to 14 weeks
- Balayageevery 12 to 16 weeks
Between visits, a gloss refreshes tone and a gentle shampoo slows fading. Swimming, hot tools and a lot of sun shorten all of these.
Ready for your consult?
Ask for the free 15-minute colour consult in your request. We'll book your patch test at the same time.