Balayage, Foilayage & Airtouch Lived-In Blonde, Sydney

Balayage is hand-painted for natural dimension; Airtouch uses an air technique to isolate strands for an even softer, longer-lasting regrowth blend. Airtouch typically lasts longer between appointments than balayage alone.

Airtouch typically lasts 5-6 months between sessions, alternating between a full head and a half head, compared with 6-8 weeks for classic highlights—or 8-10 weeks with a Root Tap added—because the Airtouch regrowth transition is much softer.

Not with the right formulation and toning — we specifically use high-lift techniques and toning chosen to resist brassiness, which is a core part of how we approach every blonde service. Learn more: Why won't your blonde go brassy here?

Usually Airtouch — because only select strands are lightened rather than a full section, we have far more control over exactly where colour is placed, which suits fine or fragile hair better. If your hair has previous damage, a pre-treatment may be required before any blonde service to make sure it's healthy enough to colour safely.

Yes — in fact, clients moving from traditional foiling to Airtouch usually see a more natural result than they had before, since Airtouch blends far more softly than classic foils ever can.

Yes, for a lower percentage of grey — balayage and Airtouch can blend it beautifully. Once grey becomes more significant, full coverage typically requires a permanent colour application, which goes beyond what balayage, Airtouch or toning are built for. If you're happy to keep some grey visible, our dedicated Grey Blending service is the better fit; if you want it fully covered, that's a regrowth colour service, and we'll talk it through at your consultation.

We don't use traditional bleach to lighten your hair, so our specialised high-lift colour method is a much safer option. But with any chemical colour service, your hair will change — don't expect it to feel exactly the same as hair that's never been coloured.

Roughly, including treatment, cut and blow-dry: Classic Highlights (full head) — 2¾–3 hours; Balayage/Foilayage — 3–4 hours; Airtouch — 4–5 hours. Exact timing depends on your individual hair density and needs.

Yes — all three techniques can be adapted to shorter hair.

Yes — this is part of why we use Foilayage rather than pure hand-painted balayage: it gives more controlled, stronger lift than freehand application alone, which makes it more reliable on dark, previously uncoloured hair.

We give you a personalised haircare routine and recommend specific Davines home-care products suited to your hair — though with our colouring approach, a good home routine is all you need between visits.

Two things. First, toner, the layer of colour applied after traditional bleach to cancel yellow, typically fades within 4–6 weeks, letting the yellow-orange underneath show through again. Second, metal build-up from hard water, pools, mineral deposits and, in older buildings, copper pipes, which pulls colour toward warm, brassy tones however good the original colour was. Our specialised colour lifts and deposits in one step instead of relying on a toner that's guaranteed to fade, and a chelating treatment during the colour process removes metal build-up. At home, we recommend a shower water filter, Heart of Glass Silkening Chelating Shampoo and Beautiful Things Restoring Leave-In Mask. Full explanation: Why Does Blonde Hair Go Brassy?

Use a protective product with UV filters before you go out, then rinse and rehydrate afterwards. We recommend Davines SU/ Hair Milk before sun exposure, SU/ Hair & Body Wash after, and SU/ Hair Mask if the sun, chlorine or salt has left your hair dry or damaged. More on summer care: Why Does Blonde Hair Go Brassy?

Yes, we do. Book a consultation and bring pictures of your desired look, any pictures of the colour shade you like — the pictures can tell us how you would like to have the colour placement.

No — hair is dried after every colour service so the result can be properly checked. Colour often looks different wet than dry, and drying it is how both you and your stylist confirm it actually matches what was agreed before you leave.

Yes — please arrive with clean hair, washed the same day or the day before. We need to see your natural texture and true colour clearly to get your service right; product buildup or a few days' oil can hide both.