From Killing Eve to killing it on the red carpet! Jodie Comer has moved into a new gear as she promotes 28 Years Later. The actress is looking spectacular right now, thanks to a fresh new hair colour that’s set to be summer’s most requested look. Enter, the micro-balayage.
Just as celebrity makeup has moved towards a far more natural, blurred-out look, hair is adopting a similar ‘can’t see where the colour starts and ends’ aesthetic.
Jodie is the ultimate poster girl for the new micro-balayage trend, with a gorgeously discreet colour placement that’s all sparkle and no stripes or streaks.
The lightest pieces are created as micro-strands of lustrous-yet-natural blonde, falling around Jodie’s face to add brightness to her complexion. When her hair is viewed from the back, the lighter tones blur beautifully with her base for an overall shimmering effect.
Her shade is the creation of uber-colourist Nicola Clarke, who shared a lowdown on the trend with us. ‘Balayage has gone to a different place,’ she explains. While the balayage technique has always been more diffused and elegant than traditional highlights, the hand-painting method is now working in smaller, softer strokes.
‘Most of the actresses that I work with, such as Emila Clarke and Jodie Comer, have such gorgeous bases, I’ve not wanted to rid of their base completely,’ she explains. ‘They want to be slightly lighter, a bit blonder or have a little bit of interest there, but they don’t want to be committed to colouring their hair all the time.’
Micro-balayage is the perfect compromise for anyone who has a busy schedule, whether that involves red carpets or not – think maximum dazzle with minimal maintenance.
It’s also kinder on hair than techniques involving more extensive application of bleach. ‘Their hair is under so much pressure and so much stress, so it’s actually nice to just have a little bit of sparkle,’ Nicola notes. ‘They’re not going grey yet, so they’re not trying to cover anything, just add a little interest. So, rather than making them blonde, we’re coming in with the micro-balayage.’
For someone like Jodie, it’s a look that translates for everything, whether it’s a red carpet event or a more casual press call. Micro-balayage gleams just as prettily whether it’s ironed sleek or blow-dried big for a huge premiere moment. Or, as Jodie’s hairdresser Christian Wood shows, it adds a sprinkle of stardust to a casual, yet quietly expensive outfit.
If you’re looking for the ‘perfect, elevated white T-shirt’ of hair colours, you can’t go wrong with a micro-balayage.
