The Art of Highlight Placement: How Professionals Frame the Face Perfectly

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Published on: 2025-06-04

At first glance, highlights may seem simple — just lighter strands of hair, right? But true color artistry lies in strategic placement. At Venelle Salon and Spa in Park Slope, Brooklyn, our expert colorists know that where we place your highlights matters just as much as the tone we choose.

When done professionally, highlights can enhance your bone structure, brighten your eyes, soften your jawline, and even lift your overall appearance. It’s like contouring for your hair — and when done right, it’s transformative.

Here’s how the pros at Venelle create perfectly face-framing highlights that complement your features, hair texture, and lifestyle.


🎨 Why Placement Is Everything

Highlight placement isn’t one-size-fits-all. Your:

  • Face shape

  • Skin tone

  • Natural hair color

  • Haircut

  • and texture

…all play a role in where we place the brightness.

A skilled colorist isn’t just adding color — we’re sculpting your overall look through carefully planned lightness and shadow.


🧑‍🎨 The Face-Framing Highlight – AKA The “Money Piece”

One of the most requested techniques in 2025, the money piece is a bold, bright highlight that frames your face — usually starting at the roots and sweeping down through the front sections.

It adds instant light, draws attention to your eyes and cheekbones, and blends seamlessly with balayage or foil highlights throughout the rest of your hair.

Best for:

✔ Instant brightness
✔ Anyone wanting a mini-makeover without a full color
✔ Adding dimension to one-tone hair

💡 Pro Tip: Pair this with curtain bangs or a long layered cut for maximum effect.


🔷 Highlight Placement by Face Shape

◽ Round Faces:

We elongate and contour by placing highlights below the cheekbones and toward the ends of the hair. Vertical strokes visually slim the face and draw the eye downward for a more sculpted look.

◻ Oval Faces:

Lucky you — you can wear almost any placement! We often highlight around the face and subtly through the crown to bring balance and brightness.

◼ Square or Strong Jawlines:

We soften the edges by placing highlights near the temples and around the jawline, adding movement and glow. Think light-reflecting softness.

🔺 Heart-Shaped Faces:

We focus brightness around the chin and mid-lengths to balance out a wider forehead and narrow chin.


💇‍♀️ Placement + Hair Texture

Texture matters too. Wavy and curly hair picks up highlights differently than straight strands.

  • Curly Hair: We strategically highlight the outer curls and ringlets where light naturally hits, enhancing the shape and bounce.

  • Wavy Hair: Placement follows the wave pattern for soft, beachy dimension.

  • Straight Hair: Precision matters most here — foil placement or soft balayage defines the silhouette and adds movement.


✨ Advanced Placement Techniques We Use at Venelle

At Venelle Salon and Spa, our colorists are trained in the latest custom techniques:

  • Foilayage: A blend of foils and balayage for maximum lift and soft edges

  • Zoning: Highlighting only specific zones of the hair to control brightness

  • Surface Painting: Hand-painted lightener on top layers for natural dimension

  • Babylights: Super fine highlights to mimic sun-kissed baby hair

These techniques let us tailor your highlights to your face, hair, and goals — not just what’s trending.


🌟 The Secret? Consultation + Customization

Every perfect highlight starts with a professional consultation. At Venelle, we ask the right questions:
– Do you wear your hair up often?
– How often do you style it?
– What’s your skin tone and eye color?
– How much time do you want between touch-ups?

This helps us create highlight placement that flatters you perfectly — and keeps looking fresh as it grows out.


📍 Get the Perfectly Placed Highlights in Brooklyn

Located in the heart of Park Slope, just minutes from Downtown Brooklyn and Clinton Hill, Venelle Salon and Spa is your destination for expert color and customized hair design. Our stylists bring years of training and artistic skill to every highlight we place.

📞 Call today to book your color consultation: 718.989.9800
🌐 Or book online at: www.venellespa.com


Because when highlight placement is done right — the glow isn’t just in your hair… it’s in your confidence.