Part of the lived-in blonde and balayage guides. Start with Lived-in blonde and balayage: the complete guide, or see balayage and lived-in blonde in the salon.
The menu
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Express refresh | $160 |
| Half head balayage | from $240 |
| Full head balayage | $290 |
| Never-been balayage | $390 |
| Mini blow-dry package | $90 |
| Mini cut and blow-dry package | $125 |
| Blow-dry package | $135 |
| Cut and blow-dry package | $175 |
Every balayage service is paired with 1 finishing package. Prices are based on a 4 to 10 week regrowth.
Why the finish is priced separately
Lightener takes hair to a raw yellow or pale gold. The toner is what turns that into the beige, pearl, ash or honey you asked for, the root shadow is what blends the top into your natural colour, and the blow-dry is how you see the real result before you leave. Listing the finish separately, and pairing it with the colour, keeps the menu honest: a half head of balayage starts at $240 of painting, and the $90 to $175 package is the part that makes it look expensive. Your stylist recommends the mini or the full package for your length and thickness.
The 4 things that move the price
How much hair is painted. An express refresh touches the hairline and the ends. A half head repaints the top and sides. A full head goes right through, including the underneath, and it's the choice for brighter results or hair worn up.
First time versus refresh. Never-been balayage on hair that's never been coloured is $390 because it's a 3-hour appointment: a more gradual lift, a bespoke toner and more product. Every visit after that is a refresh or a repaint at the lower prices.
Length and density. Very long or very thick hair needs more product and more time, which is why the finishing package comes in mini and full sizes and why your stylist confirms the appointment length when you book.
Corrections first. Box dye, banding or a colour that's drifted orange means a correction before the balayage, and that's quoted at a free colour correction consultation.
Is $400 a lot for a balayage?
For hair that's never been coloured, $390 plus a finishing package is a 3-hour appointment, a full hand-painted lift, a bespoke toner, a root shadow and a styled finish, and it lasts 3 to 4 months. Add the mini blow-dry package and call it $480; spread over 16 weeks, that's about $30 a week. Compare it with foils every 6 weeks at $200 to $310 plus a finish, and balayage is one of the more economical ways to be blonde. The balayage vs foils guide sets the 2 rhythms side by side.
What a cheaper balayage usually leaves out
Price differences between salons mostly come down to time, product and the finish. A shorter appointment lifts faster and warmer. A basic toner drops out in a fortnight. A balayage without a root shadow looks done for 4 weeks instead of 10. And a colour that leaves the salon damp is a colour you see for the first time at home. Those are the corners, and they're the difference between balayage that lasts a season and balayage that needs redoing.
Deposits, Afterpay and the exact number
A 20% deposit secures a colour appointment, and Afterpay is available in salon along with cash and card. For an exact price on your hair, including any correction, book the free 15-minute consultation: it includes a strand test where lightening is involved, and you leave with the number before anything is booked. The balayage service page and the full price list have everything else, and the how long balayage lasts guide covers the rhythm the price assumes.