LET’S me start off by saying that I used to have really healthy hair back in 2012.
It was the year that I gave birth to Vania, the time I breastfed her for 10 months, and the time I stopped coloring my hair.
It was so healthy that when I finally decided to color my hair again (after 20 months!) it still came out relatively good, coloring snowballed into a habit that was already hard to break.
So much so that I was changing colors every three months instead of the more healthier practice of coloring it every four to five months.
It wasn’t until last year when I went from ash brown, to brunette with highlights, to the more shocking rose gold, to blonde, to dark brown, and back to ash brown, that my unhealthy habit finally took a toll on my hair.
Like dried yam noodles peppered with turmeric, my hair was stiff and dry and some strands were turning brassy from a) too much sea water and sun exposure, b) hot showers and c) wrong hair care products.
I knew I had to stop taking it all out on my hair when I’m bored and stick to one color if I want to preserve its integrity and keep me from turning bald when I reach 50.
Believe me, that fear has stuck with me after experiencing a good amount of hair fall last year.
I’ve been wanting to try Balayage since my sister mentioned it to me a year ago or so but I didn’t want just anyone to do it because my hair has been through so much these past couple of months.
I would, of course, only entrust it to someone very knowledgeable about the whole procedure and not make a mess out of my already over-processed hair.
Out of hesitancy, my hair took its much-needed break (eight months!) until a month ago, when I gave Balayage a go at Piandré Salon.
Balayage, a French word that means “to sweep” or “to paint,” is a freehand coloring technique that gives a graduated, natural sun-kissed look without harsh regrowth lines.
It doesn’t give you a stripy look like highlights because it is intended to look soft and natural near the roots that seamlessly graduates to a lighter shade near the tips.
Before the actual procedure, I spoke with Piandré Salon’s expert colorists and showed them photos of my inspirations and after a short but thorough deliberation, and careful assessment of my hair, we decided to go for a warmer color as opposed to my first choice of cool ash shade because that’s what suits my skin tone best.
Generally, the procedure involves sectioning of the hair in small parts and teasing it before “painting” the hair so as to achieve a natural multi-tonal finish.
The application involves three steps, highlight, base color and toner with hair washes in between.
I was also given face framing, a coloring technique that adds complimentary warm tones to highlight and frame my face as well as enhance my complexion.
Surprisingly, the whole procedure only took 2.5 hours compared to what I’d normally hear that Balayage takes around four to six hours.
It is also good to note that Piandré only uses Lakmé, products that are known the world over to provide the best color payoff while providing shine and protection.
The end result is a mix of Caramel, Chestnut Brown and Ash Blonde—everything I wanted for this combination.
It’s like a dose of my favorite Iced Caramel Macchiato only that it is applied on to my hair and not to my palate!
The best thing about Balayage is that it’s very low maintenance. With hair regrowth being less visible when it appears, it only requires you to visit a salon one or two times a year for touch-ups, making this hair color technique perfect for the busy, modern woman and for every busy mommy. 
