What is the difference between balayage and highlights?

Traditional highlights are painted onto sections of hair and wrapped in foil, which produces an even, repeating pattern that starts at the root. Balayage is painted freehand onto the surface of the hair, so the color is placed where light would naturally hit it and is left softer toward the root. That is why balayage grows out without a hard line and highlights usually do not.

How often do I need to come back for balayage?

Most guests return every three to four months, against roughly six weeks for a root-touch-up on single-process color. Because there is no defined regrowth line, balayage is forgiving if life gets in the way — many people stretch to five or six months with a gloss in between.

Will balayage damage my hair?

Any lightening changes the hair, but freehand painting lets a colorist control exactly how much lift each piece takes and keep it off the fragile hair at the root. We assess condition at consultation, strand-test where there is any doubt, and will tell you plainly if what you are asking for is not safe in a single appointment.

Can you fix balayage done somewhere else?

Yes — color correction is a significant part of our work. Bring photographs of both the current result and what you were hoping for. Correction always starts with a consultation, and depending on the history in the hair it may be staged over more than one visit rather than forced into one.

How much does balayage cost at Red Market Miami?

Full balayage is $395, partial balayage $250 and a face-frame $225. The Signature Red Market Balayage — balayage with a root touch-up, custom gloss and finish — is $495, and balayage painted by Reynald starts at $450. Color correction on work done elsewhere is $595. Very long or very dense hair can add to those figures, so your exact price is confirmed at the consultation, which is complimentary and carries no obligation.

What is included in the price, and what costs extra?

The price covers the consultation and the painting itself. Add-ons are booked separately: a gloss or toner after color is $55, a root melt or touch-up is $95, and a haircut is priced on its own. If you would rather have the whole appointment as one service, the Signature Red Market Balayage at $495 includes the balayage, the root touch-up, a custom gloss and the finish.

How long does a balayage appointment take?

Typically two and a half to four hours including the consultation, toning, wash and finish. A full transformation on long or previously colored hair can run longer, and we will tell you what to expect when you book so you can plan the day.

Balayage · Miami

Balayage in Miami

Balayage is French for “sweeping”, and that is literally the technique: color swept on by hand rather than packed into foils. At Red Market it is what we are known for — soft, sun-kissed, dimensional color that grows out clean.

Book a consultation 305-864-3978

4.9 stars · 396 Google reviews · Bal Harbour Shops

Editorial portrait of long copper waves by Red Market Miami

Why freehand matters

A foil creates a hard boundary: color on one side, natural hair on the other, beginning at the root. It is precise, repeatable and — as it grows — a visible line. Freehand painting has no boundary. The colorist decides how heavy each piece is and how far down it starts, reading the way your hair falls and where the light actually lands on it.

That control is the whole craft, and it is why balayage is judged on the colorist rather than the product. Our team was trained in the French tradition where the technique originated, and every color service starts with a consultation — your history, how much maintenance you genuinely want, and the tone you have been picturing but may not have words for.

It also suits this climate. Miami sun lifts color and salt and humidity move it. Color with no hard regrowth line ages gracefully through that, instead of announcing exactly how many weeks it has been since your appointment.

Hand-painted balayage by the Red Market team.

Three ways we paint it

Full balayage

$395

Color painted through the whole head for maximum dimension — the brightest result and the one that reads most transformed in daylight.

A full change, or a first balayage on virgin hair.
Partial balayage

$250

Painting concentrated on the top and sides where the sun would naturally reach, leaving the underneath deeper.

Maintaining an existing balayage, or a softer first step.
Face-frame

$225

A handful of brightened pieces around the face only — the smallest intervention that still changes how you look in a mirror.

Testing the water, or refreshing between full appointments.

Which one is right is a consultation question, not a menu question — we would rather look at your hair than sell you the largest service.

Complete appointments and add-ons

Signature Red Market Balayage Balayage with a root touch-up, custom gloss and finish — the complete color appointment.: $495
Balayage with Reynald Painted by our founder. The Balayage Experience by Reynald is $600.: from $450
Gloss or toner after color Sets the tone and shine. On its own between appointments, $95.: $55
Root melt / root touch-up Blurs the line between regrowth and length.: $95
Color correction Banded, brassy or over-processed color from elsewhere put right. Around three hours.: $595

Prices are the same here, on Google and in our booking system. Very long or very dense hair can add to them — your exact price is confirmed at the consultation, before any color is mixed.

Who paints it here

Balayage is judged on the hand holding the brush, which is why Red Market was built as a color house first. Our founder and master colorist Reynald Ricard trained in France and has thirty years of color behind him, and he still takes balayage clients personally. Balayage with Reynald starts at $450, and his most complete service — The Balayage Experience by Reynald — is $600.

The main balayage menu is delivered by the senior color team, from $225 for a face frame to $395 for a full head. Every color appointment, with Reynald or the team, opens with a complimentary consultation before anything is mixed.

Balayage, foils, and the platinum route

Balayage is painted freehand and left to melt, so it grows out without a hard line — the lowest-maintenance way to brighter hair. Foil highlights lift in wrapped sections for a brighter, more uniform result, and they are the honest answer when you want a deliberate, all-over blonde rather than a sun-faded one.

If you are aiming for a genuine platinum, that is a double-process blonde rather than a balayage — our blonde-specialist page walks through that route and its pricing. And for the full, priced color menu in Miami, including foils and foilyage, see the color page.

What your first appointment looks like

It starts with a complimentary consultation — your hair history, reference photos, and an honest read on how much maintenance you will actually keep up with. That conversation decides face-frame, partial or full, and sets the tone you have been picturing.

Then your colorist paints the placement, processes it, tones it, and finishes with a wash and blow-dry, so you leave with the finished result rather than a halfway state. A full appointment is typically two and a half to four hours; we will confirm the timing when you book.

How long it lasts — and keeping it fresh

Most guests return every three to four months. Because there is no regrowth line, balayage is forgiving if life gets in the way, and many stretch to five or six months. Between appointments, a gloss or toner — $55 after a color service, or $95 on its own — keeps the tone from going brassy in Miami sun and salt.

Balayage questions

What is the difference between balayage and highlights?: Traditional highlights are painted onto sections of hair and wrapped in foil, which produces an even, repeating pattern that starts at the root. Balayage is painted freehand onto the surface of the hair, so the color is placed where light would naturally hit it and is left softer toward the root. That is why balayage grows out without a hard line and highlights usually do not.
How often do I need to come back for balayage?: Most guests return every three to four months, against roughly six weeks for a root-touch-up on single-process color. Because there is no defined regrowth line, balayage is forgiving if life gets in the way — many people stretch to five or six months with a gloss in between.
Will balayage damage my hair?: Any lightening changes the hair, but freehand painting lets a colorist control exactly how much lift each piece takes and keep it off the fragile hair at the root. We assess condition at consultation, strand-test where there is any doubt, and will tell you plainly if what you are asking for is not safe in a single appointment.
Can you fix balayage done somewhere else?: Yes — color correction is a significant part of our work. Bring photographs of both the current result and what you were hoping for. Correction always starts with a consultation, and depending on the history in the hair it may be staged over more than one visit rather than forced into one.
How much does balayage cost at Red Market Miami?: Full balayage is $395, partial balayage $250 and a face-frame $225. The Signature Red Market Balayage — balayage with a root touch-up, custom gloss and finish — is $495, and balayage painted by Reynald starts at $450. Color correction on work done elsewhere is $595. Very long or very dense hair can add to those figures, so your exact price is confirmed at the consultation, which is complimentary and carries no obligation.
What is included in the price, and what costs extra?: The price covers the consultation and the painting itself. Add-ons are booked separately: a gloss or toner after color is $55, a root melt or touch-up is $95, and a haircut is priced on its own. If you would rather have the whole appointment as one service, the Signature Red Market Balayage at $495 includes the balayage, the root touch-up, a custom gloss and the finish.
How long does a balayage appointment take?: Typically two and a half to four hours including the consultation, toning, wash and finish. A full transformation on long or previously colored hair can run longer, and we will tell you what to expect when you book so you can plan the day.

Where our balayage guests come from

9700 Collins Ave, 3rd Level of Bal Harbour Shops, Bal Harbour, FL 33154

Start with a consultation

Complimentary, no obligation, and you will have the price before any color is mixed.

Book online Color services

Google reviews

What guests say

4.9 396 Google reviews

“Katie Koren is incredibly talented. The best out there. Her color is flawless, highlights are very natural and she takes the time to listen to what you want. She takes the time to explain not only what will look best, but also things you may not be thinking about like damage, maintenance, and grow-out. I completely trust her with my hair. There is no need to second guess when you have a true expert doing the work.”

— Kerri O'Hara
“Reynald has been doing my hair for over two decades, and I truly trust no one else. His balayage and color are simply the best—always natural, effortless, and beautifully done. The color grows out so seamlessly that it still looks amazing months later. He has an incredible eye and somehow always knows exactly what will work. Beyond being exceptionally talented, he’s warm, charming, and an absolute pleasure to spend time with. After 20 years, I wouldn’t dream of going anywhere else!”

— Cecilia de Sola
“Did highlights, tone and gloss with Fallon and she’s the best! She cares about hair health while being able to get you the perfect color and result. Also amazing chat and super friendly. 10/10”

— Robin Kim

Read our Google reviews →