As the seasons change and summer fades into fall, it’s the perfect time for clients to refresh their blonde. Whether they’re coming in with grown-out highlights, UV-faded color, or simply want to soften and rebalance their tone, a blonding refresh is the ultimate way to add brightness and dimension—without completely starting over.
Foiling Techniques for Blondes
Offering a bit of inspiration, we’re walking you through expert-approved foiling techniques to make every blonding service shine—featuring Flash Lift and Shades EQ, two must-have salon staples for luminous, healthy results.
Why It’s Time to Refresh Your Foils
After a long summer of sun exposure, saltwater, and chlorine, even the most flawless blonde can appear dull or uneven. Refreshing foils allows you to restore vibrancy, soften regrowth, and rebalance tone—all while maintaining dimension and health.
The goals:
- Reestablish brightness and face-framing lightness
- Blend or shadow harsh regrowth lines
- Rebalance tone for cooler, warmer, or neutral results
- Add depth through lowlights or root shadows
- Seal in shine and softness for a polished finish
Step One: Lighten with Precision Using Redken Flash Lift
When achieving clean, controlled lift, Redken Flash Lift offers maximum power and versatility.
And with the ability to achieve up to 8 levels of lift, be used in on or off scalp applications in open-air or foil services, and achieve an even lift without the need of heat —it’s no wonder Redken Flash Lift is everyones favorite lightener.
Expert Foiling Placement Tips
As clients transition into cooler months, it’s all about refined placement that complements fall tones and natural regrowth.
Side Parts
When working with a side part, placement is everything. Redken Brand Ambassador @sarabotsfordhair describes the motion as “over and up”—a rhythm that helps guide a consistent pattern from the hairline toward the crown. Think of each foil like a soft staircase, building brightness toward the part for a natural, multidirectional blend.
To perfect the placement, start with fine weaves and gentle teasing to separate baby hairs, then soften your lightener mix for a diffused, seamless lift. As you move through the section, gradually push more hair away with each foil to maintain depth and dimension. Finally, make sure to capture all the hair that naturally falls forward to avoid dark patches around the face frame. This delivers a luminous, soft-focus blonde that’s balanced from every angle and moves beautifully with the part.
Dimensional Rooted Highlights
For clients leaning toward an effortless, lived-in blonde, try a rooted foil technique that leaves the face frame untouched. This approach enhances dimension while minimizing maintenance—perfect for clients embracing a more natural grow-out.
Begin by applying Flash Lift 9 Bonder Inside through Zone 2, then feather upward toward the root to create a diffused transition without fully saturating Zone 1. Wrap the ends in foil for even lift and polish, then complete the service with a Shades EQ Gloss to tone and condition.
What you’ll see is a modern, rooted blonde—bright through the mids and ends, with a soft shadow at the root that gives depth and movement.
Step Two: Tone, Refresh, and Refine with Shades EQ
Once the perfect lift is achieved, the real artistry begins. The finishing step is where blonde becomes luminous—and that’s where Redken Shades EQ comes in. More than a toner, it’s a glossing treatment that restores balance, enhances tone, and leaves hair with a reflective finish that feels as healthy as it looks.
Because it’s ammonia-free and formulated with an acidic pH, Shades EQ works gently on the hair’s surface, delivering soft, glossy results without compromising integrity. It’s available in over 100 intermixable shades, giving colorists endless creative control to customize everything from cool, clean platinum to golden honey tones—or even use a clear gloss for pure shine enhancement.
For clients, it’s the difference between “blonde” and “brilliant.” Shades EQ not only neutralizes brassiness and perfects tone, but also conditions the hair, leaving it touchably soft and smooth. And with results that last up to 28 shampoos and fade seamlessly, there are no harsh lines—just beautifully blended color that grows out effortlessly.
Add in Shades EQ Bonder Inside, and you get the tonal excellence you love with the added benefit of strengthening sensitized hair. Together, they make every gloss service both corrective and restorative—rebalancing pH, sealing the cuticle, and delivering a high-gloss finish that radiates health.
