Creative Hair Coloring

“I found that I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”
– Georgia O’Keeffe

Our passion lies in creating breathtaking looks for our clients by bringing their hair to life through color. We seek to find the color that fits your personality through our consultative approach to hair coloring.

At With Love Mary, a hair salon in Allentown, we bring your color vision to life through creative hair coloring techniques. Whether you’re looking for ombré, balayage, hair painting, or need corrective color, our expert stylists come armed with the best products and knowledge to make your color last.

Wondering what color or technique is right for you? Let us help you identify the key differences so you can make an educated decision on what is right for you. 

Ombré is a French word, meaning “shade” or “shadow.” When it comes to hair coloring, ombré is a dramatic, two-toned color effect that blends hues for an effortlessly stylish look. Typically, ombré styles are darker at the top, or roots, and lighter at the bottom. An ombré hairstyle can be any color combination – natural blonde, brown, or red, or something with more flair like blue, green, pink, or purple. A significant benefit of the ombré hairstyle is that if you blend with your natural hair color, you don’t need to touch it up very often as your hair grows out.

Balayage, another French word, means “sweeping.” In the hair color world, the balayage technique is hand-painted highlights that are swept along the surface of the hair. The color is applied gently away from the roots, becoming heavier along the length of the hair. The lightest shade is applied most heavily at the ends of the hair. The color is only painted on the surface of the hair, so the underside remains darker. This technique gives the hair a more dimensional appearance. This coloring is sometimes referred to as balayage ombré because it has the same tonal effect as the color gradually fades to the ends. Balayage can be done on all hair colors but is typically recommended for lighter tones like blonde, light brown, and red. You can also achieve a subtle sun-kissed look on darker hair color as well. A brunette balayage is full of dimension and low maintenance. Much like ombré, balayage hair color doesn’t need to be touched up often because the natural color is at the top.

Balayage Creative Hair Coloring

While balayage does include a hair painting technique, there are key differences that make hair painting unique. Hair painting actually includes painting to a much heavier saturation with varying colors and creative placements until we reach the desired color. Hair painting can be a subtle twist on your natural hair color or a wild and distinctive combination that reflects your individuality. Our stylists specialize in creative hair coloring techniques that give you a look you want.

If you’re craving that platinum blonde look (hello, Kim Kardashian!), then bleach and tone is what you need. The bleach and tone technique can be a process and sometimes requires multiple appointments to achieve your desired blonde. The process begins with a stylist using bleach to remove all pigment from the hair. Once the pigment is removed, a toner is used to add pigment back in to counteract any unwanted tones. Through the bleaching process, hair might be orange or yellow leftover. That color determines the color of toner that is used to achieve a higher level of blonde.

We hope you never need this service, but if you do, we can perform a corrective color treatment. With hair coloring sometimes things do not go as planned. We understand that can be frustrating and disheartening. We are attentive to your feelings and seek to gain your trust through beautiful color. Our expert colorists will take the time to understand exactly what you are looking for to correct any color mishaps, revealing the beautiful color that you wanted.

Our Process

When you book an appointment at With Love Mary, you can expect a tailored treatment plan for your tresses. Our stylists take extra care to ensure that we are giving your hair the regimen it needs to continue looking healthy. When you first visit our salon, you get a complimentary consultation where our stylists evaluate your hair and recommend services that will improve the condition of your mane.

What to Expect

We want you to feel right at home upon stepping foot into our salon. We foster an open, honest, and collaborative environment, where every man and woman can feel comfortable and beautiful. We care about the ongoing health of your hair and will educate you along the way on how to improve your hair care routine.

Here at With Love Mary, we know that your hair color is more than just an outward presentation, it’s a true reflection of you. We want you to leave with more than a look, but a feeling, a sense of confidence in knowing that, armed with the information you need, you can better care for your hair.