Spent two hours trying to match a client's old balayage from a photo

A client brought in a picture from three years ago, wanting her faded balayage redone exactly the same. The formula wasn't in her file, and the lighting in the photo was awful. I had to mix and test three separate formulas on hidden sections of her hair before I got close. Has anyone else had a client bring in a terrible reference photo and expect a perfect match?

3 comments

3 Comments

wyatt_green314d ago

Try mixing on a paper towel first.

alexw754d ago

Terrible reference photo" is the worst. I had a guy bring in a blurry pic of his hair from a club bathroom, like, good luck.

hugo_schmidt4d agoMost Upvoted

Honestly, I get why @alexw75 finds it frustrating, but I kind of love the puzzle. It forces me to really break down the tones and trust my eye over a formula. A bad photo means the client trusts YOUR skill to interpret it, which is a cool compliment in a weird way. Sure, it takes extra time mixing, but nailing it feels like a bigger win.