It seems we can never escape the appeal of French-girl beauty, whether it’s the signature featherlight wash of color on the lips or the most famous bangs in the world. Treehouse Studio founder Travis Ogletree felt so energized by it during Paris Fashion Week that he invented a new hair-coloring technique to mimic what he saw: the French-girl highlight.
“I was really inspired by the low-maintenance, less-is-more approach to color I kept seeing,” he explains. The French-girl highlight is the low-maintenance take on his signature California highlight technique. (He is based in Los Angeles, after all.) “It felt effortless, softly grown out, and never overworked.”
While colorists often use the hand-painting technique called balayage to achieve a subtler style of highlight, Ogletree says it works best on clients who already have naturally light hair or are seeking noticeable warmth. Instead, French highlights are achieved with specifically placed foils.
“It still reads low maintenance, but it gives a cleaner, more even lift,” Ogletree says. “People don’t want to be coming back in constantly for glosses or chasing brightness. They want something that feels intentional from day one, and for me, foils consistently deliver that.”
The overall goal of the French-inspired treatment? Subtle sophistication and a result, Ogletree says, that begs the question: Did she color her hair or not?
“People are craving something that feels natural,” he says. “There’s an almost childlike softness to it that’s universally flattering. It doesn’t look overdone and doesn’t demand constant upkeep. I often describe it this way—we’re not reshooting the campaign, we’re just editing in post.”
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New York City–based celebrity colorist Jeremy Cohen, whose clients include Jennifer Lopez and Michelle Williams, says his go-to highlighting technique shares the French highlight’s laid-back vibe.
“It’s all about the placement of the highlight,” he explains. “Like those natural highlights you get from the sun when you’re a kid. They’re subtle but impactful.” Cohen adds that it’s one of his favorite approaches for creating effortless dimension in brown hair: “It should feel glossy, elevated, and really expensive, like the best version of your natural color.”
Ogletree says that the beauty of this kind of color is that it evolves with you rather than locking you into a strict maintenance schedule. Even better, almost anyone looking to add some light to their summertime strands is a good candidate for French highlights.
