Understanding balayage: our new Hairvoyance system uses Tarot cards to demystify hair colour
Working with illustrator and tattooist Chrissy Hills, we’ve developed a set of four Tarot-style cards to help demystify an aspect of hairdressing which we think has become warped by social media.
We’re calling it ‘a remedy for the noisy beauty expectations of the digital age’. Over the past few years, Pinterest and Instagram have certainly helped people choose the hair they want. The side-effect of that, though, is blurrier lines between varied balayage techniques. A lot of people don’t quite know what ‘balayage’ means!
Now, when you visit us for your colour consultations, you’ll be shown the four cards, which use shading to showcase how colours will be applied to their hair. ‘Swords’, for example, is a ‘classic ombré’ that transitions from dark to light, whilst ‘Cups’ features cascading ribbons of strongly-defined colour.
Salon owner Liam also says filters and Photoshop are sources of confusion for many clients. “Whilst there’s been an inspiring rise in anti-edit ethos among hairdressers, much of the content we see every day just doesn’t align with reality. These attractive pictures seldom come with advice on after-care, either.
“When we first began considering how to give the concept of balayage some clearer definitions, I got the idea of Tarot cards designed to envision the future of our clients’ hair! We already knew Chrissy’s illustration work, and it suited that astrological vibe we wanted flawlessly. Together, we conjured four looks: ‘Wands’, ‘Cups’, ‘Pentacles’, and ‘Swords’.
“We’ve also started retroactively defining each service we’ve completed previously,” Liam adds. “When return clients aren’t sure how to ask for ‘the same style as before’, we give them the relevant Hairvoyance card — then they’ll also have home after-care advice readily available to them, too, and advice on when to come back for touch-ups and the such.”
New at Tony Wood Hair
