French-girl hair: the effortless highlight that’s taking over hollywood

The obsession with effortlessly chic French beauty isn’t new, but a specific iteration – the ‘French-girl highlight’ – is currently detonating across the beauty landscape, fueled by a desire for low-maintenance luminosity.

Decoding the secret: a minimalist approach

Travis Ogletree, founder of Treehouse Studio in Los Angeles, pinpointed the inspiration during Paris Fashion Week: a remarkably subtle, almost imperceptible layering of color. It wasn’t about dramatic beach waves or a sun-kissed glow; it was about a whisper of light, a feeling of sun-drenched skin that demanded minimal upkeep.

Ogletree’s method, dubbed the ‘French-girl highlight,’ leans heavily on strategically placed foils, eschewing the traditional balayage technique that often requires frequent gloss applications. “It’s about delivering an intentional brightness from the outset,” he explains, “not constantly chasing a refresh.

The key, according to Ogletree, lies in understanding that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. While it excels on clients with naturally light hair or those seeking a gentle warmth, relying on balayage can yield uneven results if the base color isn’t already receptive. It’s a nuanced approach, demanding an informed assessment of the client’s hair’s inherent qualities.

But the trend isn’t confined to LA. Celebrity colorist Jeremy Cohen, whose clientele includes Jennifer Lopez and Michelle Williams, echoes this sentiment. “It’s all about the placement,” he states, describing the technique as mimicking the natural highlights you’d get from sun exposure as a child. “A glossy, elevated dimension—it’s a way to make brown hair look seriously expensive.”

What truly distinguishes the French-girl highlight is its adaptability. It’s not a rigid system, but rather a malleable technique that can be tailored to a broad spectrum of hair types and starting points. Brunettes seeking a subtle lift, blondes desiring a softer sheen, and even clients transitioning out of gray – all stand to benefit. “It brightens without fundamentally altering their core identity,” Ogletree emphasizes. “We’re editing in post, not reshooting the campaign.”

The enduring appeal, it seems, rests on a profound yearning for something authentic. A touch of childlike softness, a refusal to succumb to the tyranny of constant upkeep – it’s a quiet revolution in the pursuit of beauty, one subtle foil application at a time.