Foil work
Highlights in Raleigh
Foils placed where light would naturally land — partial to brighten the face, full for dimension all the way through.
Foil highlighting is the oldest reliable trick in colour and it still does things nothing else can: strong, controlled lift, exactly where you place it. The craft is entirely in the placement and the weave.
A partial brightens the top and the sections that frame your face — the hair people actually see. A full head builds dimension right through the back and underneath as well. Which one you need depends on how you wear it, not on which sounds more thorough.
Where Maria's forty-three years show is in the weave. Thickness of the slice, spacing, and where the foil starts get adjusted section by section, so the result moves like hair instead of sitting in stripes.
Who this is for
Anyone who wants noticeable brightness, uniform coverage, or more lift than freehand painting can give — and anyone with grey who wants dimension and coverage in the same visit. Highlights suit every length, including short cuts where balayage does not have room to work.
Her work
Grown-out and flat before. Foiled, toned, cut and styled after.
What goes into it
The craft behind the price.
Partial or full
Partial covers the top and sides — what shows when your hair is down. Full adds the back and the underneath, which matters if you wear it up or have a lot of density.
The weave
How fine the slices are and how far apart they sit determines whether the result reads as blended dimension or as stripes. This is judged, not measured.
Pairing with a root touch-up
If you are covering grey, the root colour and the foils are done in the same visit so you leave with both handled.
Toning
Everything gets toned at the bowl before it is dried, which is what stops fresh highlights looking yellow.
Her process
What happens in the chair.
A partial with a style runs around two hours. A full head with a root touch-up, cut and style is a three to four hour appointment.
- 01
Work out the coverage
How you wear your hair decides partial versus full. Maria will tell you if a partial does the job rather than selling you the bigger service.
- 02
Root colour first, if you need it
Grey coverage goes on so it processes alongside the foils rather than adding an hour to your appointment.
- 03
Foiling
Woven and wrapped section by section, with weave and placement adjusted as she moves around your head.
- 04
Tone at the bowl
Rinsed and toned to kill brass and set the final tone before anything is dried.
- 05
Cut and style
Cut into the finished colour if you booked it, then blown out.
Recent work.
See the full gallery
Pricing
What it costs.
- Partial highlight (only)
- $110 and up
- Partial highlights & style
- $150 and up
- Partial highlights + cut + style
- $185 and up
- Full head highlights (only)
- $160 and up
- Full highlights + cut + style
- $240 and up
- Full highlights, root touch-up & style
- $285 and up
- Full highlight + root touch-up + cut + style
- $320 and up
Maria quotes every price in the chair once she has seen and felt your hair. Length, density and condition all move the number, and she would rather be accurate than cheap over the phone.
How to work with her
Getting started.
- 01Call or text the studio to book. Say whether you are covering grey — it changes how much time she blocks.
- 02Bring photos, including tones you actively dislike.
- 03She will recommend partial or full based on how you wear it.
- 04Foils, tone, cut and style in one visit.
- 05Rebook before you leave — highlights are a schedule, not a one-off.
Aftercare
Making it last.
- Sulphate-free shampoo, and wash less often than you think you need to.
- Cool water on the rinse.
- Purple shampoo weekly if you are keeping it cool-toned — not daily.
- Heat protectant on lightened hair every single time.
- A $30 glaze with your next service keeps the tone from going brassy between full appointments.
Questions
Highlights, answered.
At Maria's studio a partial highlight starts at $110 on its own, $150 with a style and $185 with a cut and style. A full head starts at $160 on its own, $240 with a cut and style, and $320 with a root touch-up, cut and style. Length and density move the price and she quotes in the chair.
If you wear your hair down most of the time, a partial covers what people actually see and costs less. If you wear it up, part it differently day to day, or have a lot of density, a full head keeps it from looking dark underneath. Maria will tell you which one your hair needs.
Most people are on a six to eight week cycle if they are covering grey at the root, and eight to twelve weeks if they are not. A glaze in between extends it.
Yes — that is the $285 and $320 services. The root colour and the foils are done in one visit rather than two.
Lifted hair is warm underneath, and the toner that neutralises it fades faster than the lift does. Hot water, sulphate shampoos and sun all speed it up. A $30 glaze added to another service resets it.
Foils give stronger, more uniform lift and a defined regrowth line. Balayage is painted freehand, softer, and grows out without a band. Foils for brightness and coverage, balayage for low maintenance.