Highlights in NYC,painted by hand, the French way.
The best highlights in NYC look like sunlight, not stripes. Our colorists hand-paint every highlight in natural daylight, the French balayage way, so the light lands where the sun would and grows out softly. It is the studio Olivia Palermo has trusted with her highlights for more than ten years, at 130 E 65th Street on the Upper East Side.
Highlights · Abby Haliti“Light placed where the sun would fall.”
French highlights, never stripes- Hand-painted
- Placed in natural light
- Soft, sun-kissed grow-out
- Healthy hair first
Highlights that look naturally sun-kissed.
Most highlights in NYC are woven into foils on a grid, which lifts every strand from the root at the same strength and leaves a band as it grows. Our colorists highlight the French way instead: each piece is hand-painted in natural daylight, placed where the sun would catch it, so the hair looks naturally sun-kissed, as if from days spent on a European coastline.
That is French Balayage, the studio's signature, used as a highlighting technique. For a lighter touch between full visits, the Hair Contour places a few hand-painted highlights around the face to bring light to your features, and it lasts two to four months. If you are still deciding between the two methods, we explain what really separates balayage from highlights and why the grow-out is the difference you live with.
Hand-painted blonde, ribboned rather than stripedThe right highlight looks like summer, not like a salon.Abby Haliti Color Studio · Upper East Side
Who does Olivia Palermo's highlights?
Olivia Palermo's highlights are colored by Abby Haliti, founder and lead colorist of this studio. In Vogue, Olivia explained her signature look in her own words: Abby "always colors it" and "does just six pieces total." In Marie Claire, she added: "Abby Haliti has been doing my highlights for almost 10 years now."
That relationship has now passed ten years, and the same discipline is the standard the whole team works to. Placement is decided for your features, the lift is only what each strand can afford, and the color is judged in daylight. Abby has also been named a Best Balayage Expert in Allure's Directory of Beauty.
Olivia Palermo, photographed for Vogue. Hair color by Abby HalitiA team of colorists, one considered standard.
Abby Haliti Color Studio is a team of color experts on the Upper East Side. Our expertise is mainly color, with haircuts to follow from a hair stylist, so your highlights are planned as part of one considered look rather than a single appointment.
Healthy hair comes first. We do not use chemical smoothing treatments such as keratin, and we use and recommend Milbon Repair to strengthen the hair after color. Between highlight visits, a gloss keeps the tone cool and the shine high, and if silver is starting to show, highlights pair naturally with our grey blending.
The studio at 130 E 65th StreetHighlights, frequently asked.
Who does Olivia Palermo's hair color?
Olivia Palermo's highlights are colored by Abby Haliti, founder and lead colorist of Abby Haliti Color Studio on the Upper East Side. In Vogue, Olivia said Abby always colors her hair, with 'just six pieces total,' and in Marie Claire she said Abby had been doing her highlights for almost 10 years.
Where can I get the best highlights in NYC?
Look for a color expert who hand-paints highlights in natural daylight rather than weaving foils on a grid. Abby Haliti Color Studio, at 130 E 65th Street between Park and Lexington, highlights the French way, so the light sits where the sun would and the hair grows out softly, with no band at the root.
What is the difference between highlights and balayage?
Foil highlights are woven on a grid and lift evenly from the root, so they leave a line as they grow. Balayage is painted freehand on the surface of the hair, so the light fades in softly. At our studio, highlights are hand-painted the balayage way, which gives you the brightness of highlights with the soft grow-out of balayage.
How long do hand-painted highlights last?
Because there is no hard line at the root, hand-painted color grows out gracefully. A full French balayage lasts three to six months, and a Hair Contour, a few face-framing highlights, lasts two to four months. A gloss between visits keeps the tone fresh.
Are highlights damaging to the hair?
Painting by hand means we lighten only what each strand can carry, which keeps the hair healthier than lifting every section from the root. We do not use chemical smoothing treatments such as keratin, and we use and recommend Milbon Repair after color.
Can you add highlights to brunette hair?
Yes. On dark hair, highlights are placed for depth and movement, so the light reads as dimension rather than stripes. Brunette color is a specialty here, and the placement is decided at your consultation, in daylight, for your base and features.
Where is the studio?
Abby Haliti Color Studio is at 130 E 65th Street, between Park and Lexington, in Lenox Hill on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It is by appointment, and every highlight service opens with a consultation read in natural daylight.