July 8, 2008 (RALEIGH, NC) Jack Ray and a leading stylist at Samuel Cole Salon in Raleigh, recently returned from New York City where they participated in a two-day International Colors Seminar presented by Wella, one of the leading international beauty suppliers.
The seminar, held at The Wella Studio in Rockefeller Center, offered hairdressers the opportunity to continue to hone European color techniques, “which are typically the more advanced color techniques,” said the stylist. “We have many savvy clients in our salon who expect sophisticated, advanced color techniques not typically offered in most salons.”
One of those techniques is baliage, or hair painting, she said. Baliage is a freestyle technique for creating natural, hand-painted highlights. It was first introduced in France where le balayage means “strands of color.” The effect is generally softer than the results from a standard aluminum foil technique because the highlights are spread about more sparsely. It’s also easier to maintain this type of coloring since the roots will blend in with the rest of the client’s hair as they grow out.
According to Jack Ray, Samuel Cole Salon’s co-owner with his wife, Joelle, the best part about the seminar was the inspiration it provided. “It’s very refreshing and invigorating to learn new techniques and just to be in The Studio surrounded by so much talent.”
The stylist said she and Ray will definitely introduce the new technique to their clients. “It offers an excellent way to change up a bit yet still maintain a very natural look,” she said.
The stylist that attended this seminar was one of only four members of both the “fashion” and “technique” junior-level teams who competed this spring in Hair World Hairdressing Championship held recently in Chicago, IL. Her “fashion” team placed fourth in the world. She competed in Paris and Argentina before the World Championship.
