Anyone here with gray hair balayage for flamboyage?

[Matata]

My hair was completely grey by the time I turned 30 and I've been coloring it since then, alternating between chocolate brown and auburn. I've had highlights and lowlights but don't like it when they turn brassy and I think they're too high maintenance.

At first I was thinking about balayage with purple but keep getting hung up on the idea of having to bleach out color to add color in. My hair is a bit longer than shoulder length. I like both of these:


BUT, then I started thinking that if bleaching is required in order to add back the purple, why not just go natural grey and balayage or flamboyage the grey, something like these
Then I can play with silver or purple or whatever strikes my fancy and not have to worry so much about roots and so much bleaching. If anyone here has tried this, I'd love to hear about it. I'll consult with my stylist but would appreciate hearing personal experiences. Thanks in advance.

 

[foxinsox]

No experience but those pictures look spectacular so you should do it

 

[telephone89]

Ive not done gray (more of a newer trend!), but I LOVE balayage because I cant stand highlight keep up, but it still gives a little something extra. I purchased some semi-permanent colour from Sallys and put it over the blonde (pink). It just stains the blonde and washes out in 2 weeks or so. The permanent colours fade to weird shades, so I prefer the semi perm just for "funzies" when I feel like it.

 

[PintoBean]

Ive not done gray (more of a newer trend!), but I LOVE balayage because I cant stand highlight keep up, but it still gives a little something extra. I purchased some semi-permanent colour from Sallys and put it over the blonde (pink). It just stains the blonde and washes out in 2 weeks or so. The permanent colours fade to weird shades, so I prefer the semi perm just for "funzies" when I feel like it.

That's what I was thinking too. Maybe a product like jazzings in purple which can go from temp to semi perm when heat is added.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

I love it. But even at my age/hair color I'd need a high lift and that would destroy any (good but aging) hair I've got. But I am not you.

That said, I'd love to see pictures of those hair/color/styles on women of ages >50 years (representative hair models)

Skin tone is also a consideration.

cheers--Sharon

 

[madelise]

I currently have gray-blonde ombre hair with a root melt. I have done the balayage ombre for 1.5 years now, and previously had grey-blue hair, vivid blue hair, rainbow hair, and "galaxy" hair (purple, blue, some teal).

What color is your natural hair? ALL grey? Or salt and pepper? You may not need to bleach it. Just remove the current dye. Grey hair is very porous and can pick up fun colors. Look into Overtone color depositing dyes if you want to do it yourself.

Remember, though, all of these greys and purples and whatever.... they're not permanent. They bleed out. It takes a lot of upkeep. I shower and wash my hair in cold water to prevent the warm water from opening up my hair follicle and having MORE color bleed out. It'll need upkeep. But it isn't hard.

Grey is the hardest. It fades fastest.

 

[madelise]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSTs7YFDSW5/?taken-by=thejeweldiary

A good photo of my ombre hair last year. The bright blue area was the bleached area. I professionally had the highlighting done, then upkept the color deposit on my own.

 

[madelise]

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSRPVFJDctR/?taken-by=thejeweldiary

When it was medium grey-blonde.

 

[madelise]

OHHH, wanna know a trick?

Dye your hair silver mixed with blue. You won't see the silver at first. But as the blue fades, it'll go to silver/grey, then just be silver..... until it gets blonde or brassy again depending on how light your hair is underneath.

 

[Matata]

@madelise, thanks for the pics. Both are pretty. My stylist says my hair is white. I won't know the extent of yellow/brass until the color is removed. I'd feel awkward going completely natural because I'm fair skinned and all white would probably wash me out. I'll need some type of contrast to the silver. My hair grows fast and I get the roots done every 3 wks and there's 3/4" grow out. My hair has been a maintenance nightmare since I was born being curly/wavy/coarse and thick so I'm used to that. I'm hoping if I go with silver and another color -- with the silver predominant at the roots that I can maybe delay touchups maybe to 6 or more wks.

 

[leukolenos]

Second above- if your hair is naturally gray it may not be so hard to deposit color. Whether or not you can achieve the inspiration photos I think depends on how dark your roots/natural tone is. To me those look like they are somewhat dark and then lifted and toned ash and silver.

Madelise is right....it is the hardest to maintain. I am a naturally pale neutral toned blonde and I am always trying to get it ice queen ashy and it never really works, in spite of my hair being quite porous. The blue tones do help though!

 

[Bron357]

I do purple streaks in my dark brown hair, always loved purple.

 

[leukolenos]

@madelise, thanks for the pics. Both are pretty. My stylist says my hair is white. I won't know the extent of yellow/brass until the color is removed. I'd feel awkward going completely natural because I'm fair skinned and all white would probably wash me out. I'll need some type of contrast to the silver. My hair grows fast and I get the roots done every 3 wks and there's 3/4" grow out. My hair has been a maintenance nightmare since I was born being curly/wavy/coarse and thick so I'm used to that. I'm hoping if I go with silver and another color -- with the silver predominant at the roots that I can maybe delay touchups maybe to 6 or more wks.

Sorry looks like we were typing at the same time! If your hair is naturally white that is a bit different. It may be easier to do all silver and shades of silver so when it fades it isn’t so obvious.

What undertones does your skin have? I always think white hair is really glamorous so I don’t think it would wash you out.

Another option would be to let your hair go natural or go with a light balayage and then do toners more often rather than full on touch ups.

 

[leukolenos]

I do purple streaks in my dark brown hair, always loved purple.

I love that! So fun! Pics or it didn’t happen!

I have always wanted to try a fun color on mine. My stylist suggested trying the davines red conditioner as a hair mask. Allegedly it will leave my hair a pale pink that would wash out quickly. Haven’t tried it yet though!

I have also been curious about the Overtone products and would be interested to hear feedback on those @madelise

 

[AGBF]

Matata and madelise-

I love the photos you both posted. I wouldn't have thought that I would love the grey as much as I do, but madelise with the grey-blonde hair and the long silver and grey posted by Matata both blew me away. I have added small (very small) amounts of pink and of light blue (not at the same time) to my light blonde hair just for fun. My hair is short and I usually use gel to put some spikes in it. So I did just a few tips once or twice. But someone with long hair could carry off that grey drama really well! I hope this thread will continue with photos!

Deb

 

[AGBF]

Oh. One more thing. I started my experimentation years ago when strands of tinsel came out. My hairdresser's teenage daughter knew how to put them into hair. At Christmas I had her put some pale pink strands of tinsel into mine. They kind of attached at the scalp if I remember correctly. My hair was longer then. I just got a few strands, but my best friend (who had not, yet moved to Maine) saw mine and went into an aging Hippie frenzy, getting lots of feathers and multi-colored strands of tinsel in her very, very long brown hair. She looked fabulous! Like an Indian (Native American) Princess!

 

[VRBeauty]

I colored my hair brunette until I got tired of coloring it about four years ago. At first I thought I'd just let my true hair color grow out naturally, but it turns out I just didn't have the guts for this! I probably had about 1 - 1 1/2 inch of natural growth (twice that at my part!) when I panicked and tried to remove the color myself, which sort of worked the first time but ultimately I had to go have it all bleached, after which the hair dresser put in a lovely color that was sort of a gray/blonde combination (a light ash blonde). I loved it, but 1) it was still a lot of maintenance, and 2) it still required bleaching the roots, and my hair was beginning to show signs of processing fatigue. So I let the gray grow out. TO MY GREAT SURPRISE it was not white as I imagined, but a combination of several shades of light to dark gray. Quite honestly, it looks pretty cool, and I get lots of compliments on it.

The important thing is this: it's really hard to judge your natural hair color when you're comparing natural roots to much darker colored ends. I truly was sure my hair was pretty much stark white, and it's anything but.

And I really liked the brown-to-blonde-to-gray transition I went through. It's worth considering if you're worried about how to transition.

As leukolenos mentioned, your gray hair will pick up color easily. I use a purple color correcting shampoo to keep yellows at bay - if I leave it in too long, or if I use both purple shampoo and purple conditioner/sealer, I can definitely get some lilac going on. I think I could probably get the whole Kelly Osborne effect if I wanted to... hmmm....

 

[princessandthepear]

I was just reading my INSTYLE newsfeed on my iphone yesterday on this topic. They were touting the latest hair trend for brunettes. It was called "ash brown" but could more accurately be described as brown hair with gray balayage. The models looked like a brunette version of the flamboyage. You would be right on trend.

 

[missy]

Wow such pretty pics. I have never heard of "bayalage" before (am I living under a rock maybe but it's a diamond rock I'm under ) and thanks @Matata for starting this thread and those amazing photos.
@madelise gorgeous photos.

If there's anybody like me who never heard of it before I'm sharing a link.

http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/beauty/hair/so-what-exactly-is-balayage-why-do-we-love-it-99163

Balayage is a French word meaning to sweep or to paint. ‘It’s a freehand hair colouring technique that gives a really blended natural look with no harsh or obvious regrowth lines,’ advises royal and celebrity hairdresser, Richard Ward.


Balayage allows for a sun-kissed natural looking hair colour, similar to what nature gives us as children, with softer, less noticeable re-growth. The principal idea being less is more when creating a natural, multi-tonal finish. The technique uses patches of light and shade to create multiple dimensions to the colour.

It’s a great method if you want to refresh your colour but don’t want to go for a bold colour overhaul.

First things first, what does Balayage mean? Is it, like a trendy ombre?


youtube.com
Not really, but it also comes from a French word which means "to sweep." This freehand hair coloring technique got its name from the long, sweeping strokes used to apply color through sections of the hair. So, what does it look like?

Balayage has a more natural transition than traditional highlights.

1. Balayage has taken over Instagram in the past couple of years, and it's probably not going anywhere. Just look at these beautiful sun-kissed highlights!
Instagram: @bestofbalayage
2. Balayage will give you natural-looking highlights which will brighten your face, even when you hide behind it.
Instagram: @hairthrone

3. This incredible color correction makes me feel zen.
Instagram: @cryistalchaos
4. And this colorful balayage is the stuff mermaid dreams are made of.
Instagram: @heatherrrhaneyyy
5. Balayage curls? YES PLEASE.
Instagram: @hairthrone
6. Balayage isn't just for people with long hair, and this stylish bob proves it.
Instagram: @cryistalchaos
7. Balayage and beards *Italian chef kiss.*
Instagram: @bestofbalayage
8. This before and after truly is a work of art.
Instagram: @hairbybrynnbates
9. This cool-toned balayage is perfect for those who are looking for something different.
Instagram: @bestofbalayage
10. And if you want to go full out ice queen, here's some inspo:
Instagram: @bestofbalayage
11. But if you prefer something a bit more vivid, good news: this technique works well with any hair color.
Instagram: @meg
12. Bangin' balayage anyone?
Instagram: @bestofbalayage
13. You can also keep it dark if you just want a subtle change.
Instagram: @bestofbalayage
14. A little goes a long way, when it's done right.
Instagram: @bestofbalayage
15. Is your hair always up? No worries, your hair will look fly no matter how you style it.
Instagram: @giadoeshair
16. Go for a rose gold balayage if you're looking for a conversation starter.
Instagram: @louisdriverhair
17. Just look at those gorgeous curls!
Instagram: @ashbazar

 

[elizabethess]

Not fully grey (yet!) but I do have balayage that's dyed light purple on auburn-ish hair. I love balayage and ombre coloring patterns for hair, where you're not going directly up to the root, because it grows out very nicely, less obvious transition, which means less upkeep needed.

As @madelise said, you do need some effort to maintain fashion colors. If you start with a more saturated color you can enjoy the fadeout for a while until you re-dye. I start light so it's a little more effort. My routine is: washing once a week in cool water (I do it leaning over the tub so I don't have to take a cold shower, brrrr). Every other shampoo I use a color-depositing conditioning treatment similar to Overtone to maintain. Every 2 months I re-dye.

If you do it, make sure to post pics! I love colorful hair

 

[bludiva]

My hair was completely grey by the time I turned 30 and I've been coloring it since then, alternating between chocolate brown and auburn. I've had highlights and lowlights but don't like it when they turn brassy and I think they're too high maintenance.

At first I was thinking about balayage with purple but keep getting hung up on the idea of having to bleach out color to add color in. My hair is a bit longer than shoulder length. I like both of these:


BUT, then I started thinking that if bleaching is required in order to add back the purple, why not just go natural grey and balayage or flamboyage the grey, something like these
Then I can play with silver or purple or whatever strikes my fancy and not have to worry so much about roots and so much bleaching. If anyone here has tried this, I'd love to hear about it. I'll consult with my stylist but would appreciate hearing personal experiences. Thanks in advance.

I love the greys you posted & the blue-greys / purple-greys I see sometimes around town. Sounds like we have similar hair (first white hair at 17 and been dyeing since then, curly & high maintenance). When I've tried to take the dye out, my hair just looks dull and dishwater-y.

@VRBeauty your post is super helpful...still in the chickening out phase over uere

OP Please keep up updated on how this turns out!

 

[Matata]

THANK YOU all for your comments, insights, and suggestions. I have 3 weeks of angst-filled contemplation before I choose the right route to my roots. LOL. If I really want to transition to whatever color my natural hair is, I think I'd be more comfortable going the ash blonde balayage route so I can get used to the change and see if I truly like it. Going from rich color to neutral is a big change. Everything depends, as @VRBeauty mentioned, on the true color of my hair once the grow-out is more established.

I think I'd be comfortable with something like this, but perhaps a bit warmer on the ends. Then, depending on what my natural roots look like, I can extend a lighter color gradually up to the roots.


And when I decided ash blonde was the way to go, I had no idea there would be so many choices. Here are some for those who like to look at pictures
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/ash-blonde-hair-color-ideas/#gref

 

[AGBF]

I think I'd be comfortable with something like this, but perhaps a bit warmer on the ends. Then, depending on what my natural roots look like, I can extend a lighter color gradually up to the roots.

The photo you posted is gorgeous, Matata!

 

[AGBF]

Wow such pretty pics. I have never heard of "bayalage" before....

My balayage was never as glamorous as any of the photos pictured here. My hairdresser usually does it when she wants to get a second color into my hair and its too short to take highlights (or lowlights) with foil. Or she just wants to do it quickly. I don't think I've ever gotten a new look out of balayage, except that it is not as precise a look as using foils (or a pull-through cap).

 

[missy]

My balayage was never as glamorous as any of the photos pictured here. My hairdresser usually does it when she wants to get a second color into my hair and its too short to take highlights (or lowlights) with foil. Or she just wants to do it quickly. I don't think I've ever gotten a new look out of balayage, except that it is not as precise a look as using foils (or a pull-through cap).

Thanks Deb! I have to say I am a newbie with all these different hair techniques and this balayage looks so beautiful. I am intrigued and will be asking my hairdresser about it when I see him in the summer. I only just did my second highlight/lowlight with my hairdresser. It's so weird having all those foils in your hair. I really want to go gray but Tuey says he doubts I will ever be gray enough for it to work and also with my hair being curly and long it isn't a good look. So right now I am resigned to getting it highlighted/lowlighted 2-3 times a year. I am not good with anything high maintenance so this works best for me right now. The gray is a more gentle contrast against the highlights vs my naturally darker hair so it seems OK. Not perfect but I always remember perfect is the enemy of good. And low maintenance is key for me.

Hahaha I mean how silly does this look?

THANK YOU all for your comments, insights, and suggestions. I have 3 weeks of angst-filled contemplation before I choose the right route to my roots. LOL. If I really want to transition to whatever color my natural hair is, I think I'd be more comfortable going the ash blonde balayage route so I can get used to the change and see if I truly like it. Going from rich color to neutral is a big change. Everything depends, as @VRBeauty mentioned, on the true color of my hair once the grow-out is more established.

I think I'd be comfortable with something like this, but perhaps a bit warmer on the ends. Then, depending on what my natural roots look like, I can extend a lighter color gradually up to the roots.


And when I decided ash blonde was the way to go, I had no idea there would be so many choices. Here are some for those who like to look at pictures
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/ash-blonde-hair-color-ideas/#gref

The photo you posted is gorgeous, Matata!

Oh this is gorgeous. Wow.

 

[September_Blue]

I did the purple highlights two years ago and have maintained it. It’s super easy to maintain and I get loads of compliments!
My stylist did bleach highlights with a purple toner all over and get my roots touched every ten weeks. Everything I use is from the Illumen line of products. I’ve never had issues of fading, turning brassy, etc.

 

[AGBF]

I did the purple highlights two years ago and have maintained it.

Very stylish!

 

[September_Blue]

Very stylish!

Thank you! I’d get strange looks in the states, but in Germany nobody looks twice. I’ve seen several Omas with neon red hair.

 

[OoohShiny]

Just for the avoidance of any doubt, ladies with coloured hair or stylish grey hair are HOT

 

[missy]

Just for the avoidance of any doubt, ladies with coloured hair or stylish grey hair are HOT