Blonde and foils in Silverdale, finished the way blonde should be

Which foil service is right for you

Partial foils cover the hairline, the parting and the top sections, which is where regrowth shows first. They're the refresh most regulars book between fuller visits, and they keep a lived-in blonde looking bright without lightening the whole head every time.

Half head foils take in the top and the sides down to the ears, so everything you see in the mirror and everything that shows when your hair is down is refreshed. Most clients on a 6 to 8 week rhythm sit here.

Full head foils go right through, including the underneath and the nape. They're the choice when you're going lighter overall, evening out older colour, or building a blonde that still reads bright when your hair is tied up.

Full coverage foils use a denser, finer placement for the cleanest, brightest result with the least natural hair left between foils. This is the service for a high-lift blonde, or the step before platinum.

What the finishing package covers

Every foil service on the menu is listed without its finish and then paired with a finishing package, because the finish is where the colour is actually decided. Lightener lifts your hair to a raw yellow or pale gold; the toner is what turns that into the beige, ash, pearl or honey blonde you asked for.

The root shadow softens the line between your natural colour and the foils, which is what lets you stretch a visit to 8 or 10 weeks and still look done. The blow-dry finishes the job so you leave styled rather than damp.

The mini blow-dry package is from $90, the mini cut and blow-dry is from $125, the full blow-dry package is from $135 and the cut and blow-dry package is from $175. Your stylist recommends the mini or the full package for your length and thickness when you book.

Keeping blonde bright between visits

Bright blonde stays bright with 3 habits: a purple or blue shampoo once a week rather than every wash, a heat protectant before any hot tool, and a toner top-up when the warmth starts to creep back, usually around week 6. A toner and blow-dry on its own is from $150 and takes under an hour.

Water matters on the Coast. If you're on tank or bore water in Dairy Flat, Wainui or the rural side of Silverdale, or you swim through summer, mineral and chlorine build-up dulls blonde faster. A Malibu C treatment (from $40) lifts that build-up in the basin before your toner goes on, so the toner takes evenly.

The retail wall carries the Kérastase, Redken, Davines and O&M products your stylist used on the day, so what you take home matches what worked in the chair.

Going platinum: the Platinum Card

Platinum and very high-lift blondes are booked as the Platinum Card, which covers a lighten and tone or back-to-back foils. It's quoted at consultation because the cost depends on how much lift your hair needs, how much of it is previously coloured, and whether it's a 1-visit or 2-visit plan.

The consultation includes a strand test on darker or previously coloured hair, so you know before the appointment how light your hair will go in 1 sitting and what it takes to get there in good condition.

New to the Coast? Start with a consultation

If you've just moved to Millwater, Milldale or Orewa and left a colourist behind in the city, book the free 15-minute consultation first. Bring 2 or 3 photos of blonde you love, the full history of what's been on your hair, and the budget you'd like to work within. Your stylist builds the plan around those 3 things, and you only book once you're happy with it.