Over the past few years, colorists have gone to extreme lengths to create the sparkling babylights of childhood summer's past with balayage. But for those who believe that techniques like fluid hair painting—which involves having a client lay down while their hair is sprawled out on a flat surface—are convoluted, a new method simplifying things, Palm Painting, is surely a welcome change. Not to mention, it brings a whole new meaning to "hand-painted" color.
The brainchild of Marcos Verissimo, color director at Neville Hair and Beauty in London, it consists of making the inner surface of the hands the application tool in favor of a brush.
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And it's already a hit with Verissimo's fellow colorists across the pond such as Georgie Mathers, technical artistic director at TONIGUY. "Palm Painting is a progressive play on balayage," Mathers tells Harper's BAZAAR UK. "It allows colorists to be 100% free hand, melting color into the hair with their palms."
While traditional balayage will often follow a formula with different sections, palm painting is freehanded to avoiding mottling for a sun-kissed, eat-your-heart-out-Gisele finish.
As we've observed with the aesthetic shift from pronounced ombré to smooth sombré, great summer hair color is all about a natural-looking gradient effect, which allows more wiggle room for grow out. And so far, the palms do not disappoint.
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