You’d think after 8 straight years, we’d be tired of ABS Chicago, but you’d be wrong!
This year saw not only the release of our all new 50 volume High Lift Balayage Developer, Suncrème, but it also marked Sunlights' FIFTH BIRTHDAY!
The chilly weather couldn’t keep us out of sunny spirits, with Candy Shaw spreading the balayage love in a (what else?) packed out Hands-On Balayage class. We weren’t just there to paint the tradeshow floor yellow, though: for the first time ever, Candy brought a live hands-on French Cutting workshop to Chicago! The sold-out class opened up a whole new world of hair cutting to a group of students looking to further their skills as hairdressers.
Among the droves of hairdressers in attendance were a group of very special visitors: a group of SIXTY beauty school students that came all the way from Erie, Pennsylvania to meet the Balay Lama, lead by our very own Sunlights Artisan Educator, Kayla Noonan!
We’re glad to be home after a nonstop weekend packed to the brim with French Cutting and Balayage, but it was certainly one for the record books and a birthday to be remembered! With the support of Balayage Believers all over the world, we’ve been Painting the World Yellow for five years, and can’t wait to see what the next five bring.
See you soon at ABA Toronto, then Image Expo Houston, Sunnies — here’s to many more years of spreading the Balay Gospel!
This past weekend, Sunlights Balayage and the Academy at Jamison Shaw had the pleasure of hosting 20 students for our first ever Candy’s Cut Camp! Students took part in an intensive, 3-day workshop to learn the French Way — the right way!
The weekend began with a get together over dinner with the Balay Lama on Friday night. Can’t learn on an empty stomach, can you? With bellies full, our French Cutting devotees-to-be were ready to learn!
Students spent Saturday deeply engrossed in one-on-one learning with Candy Shaw, getting a detailed looking into her “Americanized” French Cutting method as they shadowed her in her Atlanta salon. Throughout the day, they learned the ins and outs of the technique, and how to use it to create gorgeous, versatile, and consumer-friendly hair cuts in half the time of a British cut.
Sunday, the group took live models and really put their new found knowledge to the test. Nothing tests your skills like the real thing, and this crowd did not disappoint — nothing but beautiful hair cuts and happy guests walked out the door!
Just the Cut Camp would be a busy weekend for anyone, but was that enough for us? Not at all!
On Saturday, we had the honor of hosting ANOTHER cutting class at our education facility taught by none other than protege of Vidal Sassoon and world-renowned haircutter DJ Muldoon! Talk about a full schedule!
In all, it’s hard to ask for a more successful weekend. Such a successful weekend, in fact, that we’re excited to announce ANOTHER Cut Camp this July 27 + 28! If you missed out on the inaugural class, you have another chance but act fast — this class WILL sell out quickly!
Stay tuned for the release of the registration form to secure your place in Candy’s Cut Camp!
Candy Shaw's Tips & Tricks Tuesday
Episode #107: Candy’s Tips for Increasing Your Prices &
Adding Value to Your Services
This week's Tip & Trick with Candy Shaw she explains price increases and how to add value to not only your business but also how to invest in yourself to charge what you're worth!
This past weekend, Sunlights Balayage had the distinct pleasure of hosting a whopping 37 trainers from all over the world right here in Atlanta, Georgia — including one from the United Kingdom and not one, but TWO from Sweden! It was truly a mind-blowing weekend overflowing with inspiration, fun, friendship, mentorship, and — most of all — SUNSHINE!
The weekend kicked off with a bang, beginning with an entrepreneurship workshop that featured some of our Artisan Team “Legends” — Lacie Wehrle, Abby Warther, Wayne Giles, and Jessica Scott Santo. A tour of Candy’s award-winning 50 chair salon, Jamison Shaw Hairdressers, followed to give the class of 2019 a glimpse into a busy day at the birthplace of Sunlights. Afterward, our newest crop of Artisan Educators was treated to a wonderful night of celebration at the Balay Lama’s own home, including a beautiful piano and cello duet from two of their own — Dianne Sitar of New Hampshire, and Brendan Buoni of Washington!
It wouldn’t be a Sunlights event if it wasn’t packed to the brim with education! The second day featured an intensive, all day, hands-on balayage class in which our newbies learned a wealth of tips, tricks, and techniques straight from the Balay Lama to carry with them into the classroom. After a busy day of painting, the group blew off some steam with a surprise trip to Top Golf to putt and play the night away — inflatable yellow suits included.
On the final day of the event, painters were divided into teams to show off their skills on stage, all judged by Candy Shaw and the Artisan Team Legends! After winners were awarded, Candy took a few moments to honor those legends and give the new class back story on their journey with the Sunlights family. Diplomas were presented, educators were gifted their very own handmade Sunlights aprons, and the whole weekend was topped off with what else? A dance party!
Train the Trainer is always a weekend full of laughter, tears, inspiration, new friendships, and life long bonds, and this fourth year was no exception. Please welcome to the family your 37 newest Sunlights Artisan Educators, the Train the Trainer Class of 2019!
Be on the lookout for classes in these brand new territories: Washington, New Hampshire, Maryland, Colorado, Arkansas, and Minnesota! For classes in the UK, please contact Rebel Beauty Brands; for classes in Sweden, please contact Baldacci Haircare.
Candy Shaw's Tips & Tricks Tuesday
Episode #106: Candy Shaw Shares Hair Cutting Tip for Cleaning Up 'Trash'
No, this is not the trash you're thinking of! Watch this week's Tip & Trick as Candy Shaw explains how to clean up 'Trash', and how this time-saving tip helps you cut long layers!
If you're familiar with balayage, you're familiar with Candy Shaw. With the moniker the "Balay Lama," Shaw has been building her brand for the better part of her life—her father, Jamison Shaw, was a former world champion hairdresser and her mother was a professional makeup artist. Now, with over 35 years of experience, Shaw owns Jamison Shaw Hairdressers, a 5,000-square-foot, 50-chair salon in Atlanta, and sees more than 30 clients a day with the help of multiple assistants.
In the hair color world, Shaw is regarded as a foremost authority on balayage education. She founded The Academy at Jamison Shaw, an advanced training facility teaching balayage highlighting more than 20 years ago, and launched a professional product line called Sunlights Balayage in 2014. Not to mention, she has worked with several A-list clients, including Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, and Karina Smirnoff, and received a number of honors including being named North America's Educator of the Year in 2017 by Intercoiffure.
If you're wondering exactly how Shaw built her empire, she'll be sharing her secrets alongside some of the industry's most influential names at this year's International Beauty Show New York during the Leading Ladies segment. The brainchild of Tracey Hughes and Candy Shaw, Leading Ladies is an honest and realistic program that dives deep into what it takes for someone to reach the top in the beauty industry. Emcee Mark Bustos will guide the conversation between Candy Shaw, Kris Sorbie, Najah Aziz, Ruth Roche, and Tracey Hughes, who will share their respective stories about what it takes to succeed.
"Beauty professionals can expect to take a number of things away from the Leading Ladies program," Shaw says. "Friendship, emotion, motivation, confirmation, and inspiration, to name a few. The program's raw and simple format—just five of us sitting on stools with a shared microphone—makes the audience feel as though they are onstage with us, appreciating the struggles and gaining confirmation that their journey is very similar to the panelists," Shaw adds. "Attendees will leave both motivated and inspired by the collective, shared wisdom of the accomplished panel of women."
To learn more and register for this year's show, visit www.ibsnewyork.com
Sunlights Balayage, the makers and purveyors of the world’s leading balayage products and education, has once and for all ‘blown the lid off’ Toning Shampoos & Conditioners with the highly anticipated 2019 launch of its unique Violet Toning Shampoo — in both ‘take home’ and ‘in salon only’ versions — and Frost Toning Conditioner, a revolutionary new toning conditioner and pH balancing treatment in one.
Lovingly formulated with Sunflower Extract, which naturally conditions and moisturizes hair while protecting its color vibrancy, Violet & Frost are designed to maintain and prolong your clients’ balayage highlights and other color services. Also containing Grapeseed Oil, the new four SKU product line adds shine and smooths frizz without weighing hair down and is an excellent source of vitamin E, which promotes both hair growth and a healthy scalp. As you would expect, the products are both paraben and sulfate free and are color safe.
Sunlights Violet Grapeseed & Sunflower Toning Shampoo comes in two strengths and sizes. A 12 oz. retail take home version for ‘Home-Use’ (suggested retail price to your salon guests is USD $22) and a 32 oz. ‘Professional Use Only’ version, containing a heavier pigment load, for back-bar In-Salon use. Both versions of Sunlights Violet Shampoo neutralize unwanted brassy tones and add brightness and shine to both natural and color treated hair.
Sunlights Violet Grapeseed & Sunflower Toning Conditioner, comes in just one formula for both At-Home and In-Salon use, but also comes in two sizes: 12 oz. and 32 oz. (The MSRP to your salon guests for take home are USD $22 for the 12oz. size and $58 for the 32 oz. size). Sunlights violet based conditioner brightens and moisturizes while restoring the pH balance of both natural and color treated hair.
Founded by stylist, salon owner and educator Candy Shaw, aka The Balay Lama, Sunlights Balayage is best known as both ‘America’s and The Worlds’ Balayage Brand’ since it’s now available in over a dozen countries. Sunlights, a garage start-up which is 100% woman owned and family operated turns five this year. Violet & Frost join Wash & Rinse, Sunlights’ original shampoo & conditioner designed to prolong your clients’ balayage highlights and other color services, as the third and fourth wet line options in Candy’s compact line of ‘hero’ products.
To carry Violet & Frost, and Wash & Rinse, in your salon, visit our website for a list of our hand-picked Independent distributors in your country or state: www.sunlightsbalayage.com/find_a_distributor
For more information email: info@sunlightsbalayage.com
Candy Shaw's Tips & Tricks Tuesday
Episode #105: Candy Shaw Transitions a Dark Base to Balayage!
On this week's episode of Tips & Tricks Tuesday, The Balay Lama herself, Candy Shaw, shows you how to transition a dark base to balayage! Even though Candy is using foils, her ultimate goal is to convert this guest to balayage eventually, so watch this trick to learn the first step in doing so!
Sunlights has landed in the Northeast with a new distributor Sullivan Beauty!
Breaking News!
Sunlights Balayage has landed a new distributor in the Northeast, Sullivan Beauty! This past Monday, the husband and wife team of Jamison and Adrienne Codner had the great pleasure of launching Sunlights' newest supplier, Sullivan Beauty! We could not be more pleased with aligning ourselves with another like-minded, third generation family business.
Based out of Hooksett, NH, Sullivan will service MA, ME, VT, CT, RI, and of course NH.
For the launch, Adrienne (@balayme_lefty) taught a The class focused on the core fundamentals of a successful balayage, which are: Consistency, Brush Stroke, and Saturation. After the demo, students lined up at the registers to take home the original balayage kit, THE BALAY BOX and its companion THE BALAY BOX 2.0! One of the students mentioned to Tyler Sullivan, co-owner of Sullivan Beauty, that she "has taken 7 balayage classes, and this one was by far the most informative!" Once the class was wrapped up, the energy shifted over to introducing and launching the brand with the Sullivan sales force. Jamison (@thebalaylamason) spoke to the team about the power of the paintbrush and how to invite stylists to join this revolution in hair color. Needless to say, the team left ready to paint the Northeast yellow 2-hour 'Balayage Brilliance!' look + learn demo to (50) of Sullivan's VIP customers!
For more information on how to get in touch with Sullivan Beauty, please visit their website https://www.sullivanbeauty.com/.
Candy Shaw's Tips & Tricks Tuesday
Episode #104: How to Cut a One-Length Bob w/ 1 bis!
On this week's episode of Tips & Tricks Tuesday, Artisan Educator Erika Valentine shows you how to cut a one-length bob on thick hair without adding layers with the 1-bis technique! Create gorgeous, beveled French cuts with ease by adding this simple technique to your arsenal.
