The Tamesis
It seems we can never escape the allure of French girl beauty, whether it’s the signature feathery color of her lips or the world’s most famous bangs. Treehouse Studio founder Travis Ogletree felt so energized during Paris Fashion Week that he invented a new hair-dye technique to mimic what he saw: French-girl highlights.
“I’m very inspired by the low-maintenance, less-is-more approach to color that I’ve been seeing,” he explains. French girl highlights are a low-maintenance version of his signature “California highlight” technique (he lives in Los Angeles, after all). “It feels effortless, grows slowly, and is never overworked.”
While colorists often use a hand-painted technique called balayage to achieve a more subtle highlight style, Ogletree says it works best for clients who already have naturally light hair or are looking for visibly warmer hair. Instead, French highlights are achieved with specially placed foils.
“It’s still low maintenance, but it provides a cleaner, more even lift…people don’t want to keep coming back for shine or chasing brightness,” Ogletree said. “They wanted something that felt intentional from day one, and for me, Foil consistently delivers on that.”
What is the overall goal of French therapy? Ogletree said the subtle complexities and results beg the question: Did she dye her hair?
“People crave something that feels natural; it has an almost child-like softness to it that’s universally flattering,” he says. “It doesn’t look overdone and it doesn’t require ongoing maintenance. I often describe it this way: We’re not reshooting the campaign, we’re just editing it in post.”
treehouse salon
New York City-based celebrity colorist Jeremy Cohen, whose clients include Jennifer Lopez and Michelle Williams, says his go-to highlighting technique shares the laid-back vibe of French highlight.
“They are subtle but impactful. It all depends on where the highlights are,” he explains. “Like the natural highlights you had in the sun when you were a kid.” Cohen adds that it’s one of his favorite ways to create effortless dimension in brown hair: “It should feel shiny, royal, and very expensive, like the best version of natural color.”
The beauty of this color, says Ogletree, is that it changes with you, rather than locking you into a strict maintenance schedule. Even better, almost anyone who wants to add some sparkle to their summer hair is a perfect candidate for French highlights.
