Hair disaster - am I wrong?

[NewhairDocare]

I went to the hairdresser to get some balayage to break up my too blonde highlighted hair. I have attached pictures of what I asked for, how I started out, and what I’ve ended up with. Am I wrong in thinking it’s nothing like what I asked for, and nothing like balayage should be?

I called the salon to ask them to fix it and the managers attitude was that it’s all just my interpretation!

It looks like they've approached it more like highlights that you want to blend in, rather than chunkier 'stripes' that contrast that you get with balayage done well...overall effect is mousy with highlights and the condition doesn't look great

Ah, the new photo has loaded now. Interesting how blonde it looks in your 14:47 photo compared to front-on in daylight.

If I met you for the first time with your hair like your last photo I would think it was dyed dark ash blonde and you'd had a few highlights in. The bit of balayage that's missing is that surely there should be progressively more blonde pieces towards the bottom?

Just seen your last post, that explains it I think, she's tried to block out highlights with brown dye, and there's too much of it. The colour looks b flat.

On the positive side, I wonder whether as the brown dye washes out you'll get quite a natural set of roots and parting.

How long will it take to wash out though?
Salon have now said they will fix it but after the attitude I got I’m not too sure what I will get next.

I don't know, depends if it's permanent colour. I find all hair dye fades.

I'd be wary of getting them to do more work, they don't seem to on the same page as you at all.

I think it just needs some more blond through it.

Well blow me down with a feather! I have got to 49 and never heard the word "balayage". Every day really is a school day on MN!

It’s semiperm colour so can I wash my hair 30 times this weekend and get back to normal? 😆

They need to give you a refund. That is not balyage.

It’s not balayage but in fairness to the hairdresser I’m not sure it’s possible to get what you asked for with your hair the way you started. The look you wanted was a much darker one colour base but you started off with a lighter highlighted base.

I think balayage must be hard to do for the average hairdresser. There have been a few threads like yours. A friend has just had hers done but it looks exactly the same as when she has highlights.

I wasn’t expecting it to be exact but it’s nit even a close attempt.
I’m torn now between going back and letting them try again or just throwing more money at it somewhere else.

I'd go back and have them dye it all one colour and condition the life out of it and then go to an excellent hairdresser for a balayage in a week or so when your colour settles.

Balayage is very difficult. Average hairdresser can't really do it in my very limited experience!

Same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. I posted on here about it too. Hairdresser sorted it out free of charge when I went back to them. They feathered some foils through it to make it far more gradual and less blocky.

I think balayage is difficult to get right and a lot of hairdressers not experienced enough to be doing it.

The hairdresser did seem quite uncertain at first so I think it’s true that balayage takes an amazing hairdresser.
I think it’s the blonde showing through the brown that’s making it look so dry. Because it’s too fine and too ashy. This shade of brown needs to be shiny.