HOW to Create Low Maintenance Highlights with a Root Shadow and Tone - The Hair Standard
Highlights

HOW to Create Low Maintenance Highlights with a Root Shadow and Tone

Updated December 1, 2022

Ciera only has ONE goal with her blondes: keep it healthy. This video teaches Ciera’s method for low maintenance highlights with a root shadow and her go-to UNIVERSAL toning formulas for ashy blondes.

Highlight sectioning
Highlight sectioning

Sectioning and Babylights

Ciera likes to take tiny sections to do babylights because she wants to get as close to the root as possible. Depending on the look ad what the client is going for depends on the type of weave Ciera will do. This client likes maximum blonde, so Ciera likes to do babylights on her. For a client looking for more of a dimensional blonde, she wants to do a heavy weave.

Foils for Highlights

Ciera likes to stack her foils, especially when it comes to the front section. That way, when you are looking at her client from the front, you can see a lot of blondes. Stacking foils closely leads to maximum blonde.

Highlight saturation
Highlight saturation

Saturation

When applying her lightener, she makes sure she is saturating very well. Saturation is significant. If you don’t saturate the entire hair strand, you can miss a spot. Ciera tries to leave very little hair in between every section. The more hair she has in a foil, the more overall blonde she will get on her client.

Highlight bleach formula
Highlight bleach formula

Bleach Formula for Highlights

Since Ciera’s client is naturally pretty dark at the roots, she uses 20 volume. She lifts quickly so the developer won’t have to sit for very long.

Checking the Foils

Now that Ciera is saturating the middle section, she starts to go back and check all of the foils. Her client lifts super fast and Ciera does not like her to sit for a long time so she starts to pull all the foils out as soon as they are done. Pulling the foils out is one of Ciera’s favorite parts of this service because it is satisfying to see the blonde right away.

Highlight the sides
Highlight the sides

The Sides

Moving on the from mohawk sections, Ciera starts working on the sides by taking small partings. Ciera is still sure that she is getting as close to the root as possible and that she is saturating evenly.

Highlights technique
Highlights technique

Partial Highlights

Because they are only doing a partial this session, Ciera is only focused on the front 3 sections. Next visit, Ciera’s client will be getting a full highlight which will be covering every section of the head including the back. This client is a low-maintenance blonde so Ciera only does a fill highlight on her every two sessions to allow her hair to stay healthy and strong.

Highlights processing and washing
Highlights processing and washing

Processing and Washing

Her client processes for a little bit just enough time for those last two sections to catch up with the other. Then Ciera pulls out the remainder of her client’s foils. Ciera always starts out by washing her clients with purple shampoo. It works as a great pre-toner before she actually starts toning her. For this client, Ciera used Joico’s Color Balance Purple Shampoo, it is one of her favorites. Just from the one wash with the purple shampoo, it took out a lot of the brass.

Highlights root shadow
Highlights root shadow

Root Shadow

Ciera is going to do a root shadow on her client which will erase the line of demarcation, remove any bands, and give a nice ashy base. Ciera used ShadesEQ equal parts 7N and 7P. She loves to use this as a universal base root shadow because it looks great on all shades of hair.

Money Piece

Ciera always does the money piece last because the toner sits on this part of the hair the least bit of time. It also allows the maximum blonde for the front that gives the money piece the look that her client is going for.

All Over Toner for Highlights

Ciera then does an all over toner on her client with ShadesEQ equal parts 9T, 9V, and 9P. S we can see the toner is looking great, we are starting to get that icy look her client is going for.

Highlight blowout
Highlight blowout

Blowout

Now for Ciera’s favorite part, the blowout. Her favorite part about styling hair, especially long hair is the blowout.

Highlight home care
Highlight home care

Home Care and Maintenance

Because Ciera’s client is a low-maintenance blonde she will not have to come back into the salon for about 8-12 weeks. She was sent home with purple shampoo so in between now and her next visit she can keep her hair nice and icy.

Highlight final pose
Highlight final pose

Closing Out

Ciera’s goal with her blondes is to always make sure that they leave with healthier hair than they came in with. You have watched Ciera reach her goal of giving her client her low-maintenance blonde. It looks so amazing and so healthy as if it was never highlighted at all. Check out the full video on Youtube. Subscribe, like, share, and ask any questions you might have there.