We're huge fans of the balayage colouring trend that's taken the hairdressing world - and our Instagram feeds - by storm. After all, what's not to like about easy, sunkissed colour that looks natural and is - crucially - refreshingly easy to maintain?
However, it hasn't escaped our notice that while balayage works a dream on mid-to-dark blondes and lighter brunettes, the technique doesn't always have the desired effect on darker hair tones - either the colour pay-off isn't quite as dramatic as hoped, or it's a little too dramatic (we're talking orange here, guys).
Enter foilyage, a new method of highlighting that combines the subtle, painterly technique of balayage with the colour intensity of foil highlights.
Confused? You needn't be. Balayage involves painting on colour by hand for a natural finish. With foilyage, the colour is still painted on by hand, but each section is then wrapped in foils (as with traditional highlights) to amplify the colour payoff. The end effect is still natural, with the colour becoming more vibrant as it moves from roots to ends - think Miranda Kerr, or Khloé Kardashian's newly sunkissed style.
Speaking to US beauty bible AllureAllure, Rachel Bodt of Cutler hair salons in New York explains: ' [I] use foilyage a lot when clients want the balayage look but they aren't great candidates for it because their hair is quite dark and they want it significantly lighter. For this, you need help from the foil, which seals in the heat, helps the hair get lighter—balayage dries out when it's exposed to air—and allows the hair to process evenly.' Simple.
While balayage only allows the dye to reach one side of the hair, the addition of the foils allows colour to come into contact with the whole section for a more dramatic finish.
Thanks to the foils, foilyage is slightly less kind to hair, which should be kept in mind if you have over-processed or heavily coloured lengths - try opting for a deeply conditioning treatment such as Olaplex to keep hair looking and feeling healthy.
Just like balayage, foilyage is refreshingly low maintenance - no more dramatic root regrowth means you won't have to religiously schedule salon appointments to get your highlights topped up. Sounds good to us...
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