What balayage actually is
Balayage is a painting technique, not a single look. Our colorists hand-paint lightener onto the surface and through sections of hair, then often pair it with other methods depending on what your hair needs. Foilyage is balayage sealed in foil to push the lift further, which helps on darker or more stubborn hair, and it starts at $167. Baby lights and teasy lights add fine, woven brightness through the mid-lengths. A root shadow keeps the base soft so regrowth blends. Most blonding work finishes with a lighten and tone, or a glaze or gloss, to set the exact shade, whether that’s cool, warm, or somewhere in between.
If you want a brighter pop right around the face, that’s a money piece, and it layers nicely onto balayage. What we’re after is dimensional color: a few tones living together so your hair reads natural and has movement, rather than one flat block of bleach.
Balayage vs. highlights
We get asked this often, so here’s the answer. Traditional highlights are sectioned into foils, usually closer to the root, and they give you uniform, all-over brightness with a more defined regrowth line. Balayage is painted freehand, weighted toward the ends and face, and it grows out softer. One isn’t better than the other. Highlights and foilyage are great if you want maximum lift or a more uniform blonde. Balayage is the move if you want lower-maintenance, sun-kissed dimension. In a consultation we’ll look at your hair and tell you which one, or which combination, makes sense. For the full color menu (root retouch, all-over color, gray blending, correction), see hair color in LoDo.
Pricing near Union Station
We price color by the time and product it takes, so the most accurate number always comes from a quick look at your hair. As a starting point, balayage starts at $194. Foilyage, baby lights, teasy lights, and a root shadow each start at $167. Those are starting prices, and longer, denser, or darker hair takes more product and time, which is why a consultation gives you a real estimate before you book.
Pricing also reflects your colorist’s experience level. Every Parlour colorist finishes our Advanced Education Program after beauty school, six to twelve months of in-house training plus two annual events with world-renowned guest artists, then starts at Level 1 and grows their level alongside their clientele. Whoever you book, you’re getting someone held to the same standard. We carry Kérastase, Wella, and R+Co so you can keep your color looking its best between visits.
Booking in LoDo
The Parlour LoDo is at 1736 Wynkoop St, across from Union Station in downtown Denver. Book online or call (303) 296-7490. More about the salon is on our LoDo location page. If you want the citywide picture of our balayage work across Denver, that lives on our balayage in Denver page.
We’re Colorado-owned and Colorado-grown, in LoDo since 1996, and everyone is welcome here: all gender identities, all hair types, all backgrounds. If you’re thinking about adding length or fullness along with your color, our LoDo team also does hair extensions, and we can plan both in the same consultation.
FAQ
Balayage starts at $194 at our LoDo salon. Foilyage, baby lights, teasy lights, and a root shadow each start at $167. Because color is priced by time and product, your final cost depends on your hair’s length, density, and starting color. A consultation gives you an accurate estimate before you commit.
Highlights are foiled, usually more uniform, and tend to start closer to the root with a more defined grow-out. Balayage is hand-painted, weighted toward the ends and face, and grows out softer. Foilyage is balayage sealed in foil to push more lift, which helps on darker or stubborn hair. We’ll help you choose, or blend them, based on your goal.
That’s part of the appeal: because balayage grows out gently, many people stretch four to six months between full appointments, with a gloss or tone in between to keep the shade fresh. Your colorist will give you a timeline that fits your hair and how bright you want to stay.
It varies with the amount of hair and how much lift you want, so plan for a longer color session. Ask your colorist for a time estimate when you book or at your consultation, which is useful to know if you’re fitting it around a downtown work schedule.
Usually, yes, but every person’s hair is different, so we won’t promise a specific result sight unseen. Things like your natural depth, past color, and condition all matter. Book a consultation and we’ll tell you honestly what’s possible and how to get there.
Book online or call (303) 296-7490. We’re at 1736 Wynkoop St, across from Union Station.
