Colour & Chemical Services

Make confident colour decisions with honest, evidence-based advice on techniques, safety, preparation, and aftercare.

Articles in Colour & Chemical Services

6 articles

What to Do Before a Hair Colour Appointment: From a Stylist

A few simple things before your appointment can genuinely improve your colour results and protect your hair during the process. The most important one, and the one that surprises almost everyone, is to not wash your hair the day before. Your natural scalp oils are actually protective during chemical services.

Colour PrepAppointmentChemical Services

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Balayage vs Highlights: Which One Is Right for You?

Highlights use foil sections applied throughout the hair for even, precise lightening from root to tip. Balayage is painted freehand from mid-lengths for a softer, natural gradient with no visible root line. The main differences are the application technique, how the colour grows out, and how often you need to return for maintenance.

colourbalayagehighlights

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Keratin Treatment Safety: What to Ask Before You Book

Keratin treatments smooth the hair cuticle and reduce frizz for months, and they can be genuinely transformative for the right candidate. But the ingredient list matters enormously. Some formulas contain formaldehyde or formaldehyde-releasing chemicals that have real health implications. Others use safer alternatives. Asking what's in the formula before you book is not an overreaction. It's the right question.

KeratinChemical ServicesSafety

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Hair Gloss Treatments: Shine, Tone & What They Can't Do

A hair gloss is a demi-permanent treatment that adds shine and a touch of tone (refreshing faded colour and knocking back brassiness) without lightening your hair. It deposits colour and seals the cuticle so light bounces evenly, giving that “expensive,” glassy finish. It’s quick, gentle, and one of the easiest add-ons to a colour appointment. It lasts roughly two to six weeks. At Backstage it’s $65.

Hair GlossShineTone

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Hair Glaze: The Quick Shine Top-Coat, Explained

A hair glaze is a quick, usually clear shine “top-coat” that smooths the cuticle and makes hair instantly glossy. Think of it as the lightest, fastest member of the shine family: lighter than a gloss, with little or no colour, and shorter-lived (about one to two weeks). It’s the perfect no-commitment pick-me-up before an event or photos. At Backstage it’s $65 and takes about twenty minutes.

Hair GlazeShineClear Gloss

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Glass Hair & Acidic Gloss: How That Mirror Shine Is Made

An acidic gloss is a low-pH shine treatment that tightens and seals the hair's cuticle so it reflects light like a mirror. It's the technical secret behind the “glass hair” look. It can be clear (pure shine) or tinted to neutralise brass and correct tone, and it helps colour last longer. Like all glosses, it adds shine and tone but cannot lighten. Results last about two to six weeks.

Acidic GlossGlass HairToner

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