What actually makes a salon French
The label gets used loosely. In practice a French salon is three things: the technique was learned in France, the people teaching it were trained there, and the approach to color is a method rather than a product. Here it shows up in the first five minutes — the hair is read dry, the plan is agreed out loud, and the color is mixed for this head of hair instead of pulled from a shelf.
The technique is the visible part. Balayage means “to sweep”, and the original method is freehand: color painted onto the surface of the hair exactly where light would naturally lift it, with no foils boxing it into sections. That is why a French balayage grows out soft while a foiled one grows out as a line.
Who is French on the team
Reynald Ricard, the owner and master colorist, is French, and trained with Jacques Dessange and Bruno Pittini before bringing French color technique from Paris to downtown Manhattan in the early 2000s. Romain Perriniaux, co-owner, honed his craft in Paris’s Saint-Germain-des-Prés before two years in West Hollywood salons. Lea is a color specialist from France whose work has taken her through Cannes, Monaco and Paris. Mathilde Gaillard is originally from Provence and brings over ten years of French experience to balayage, dimensional blondes and precision cuts.
That is four of six, and it is the difference between a salon that mentions France in its story and a salon where the person holding the brush learned the work there.
The vocabulary, and why it matters at the consultation
Most of the words in a color consultation are French: balayage, brond, ombré, dégradé, coiffeur. They are the words that carry the technique, and they are also the ones most likely to get flattened in translation — a “balayage” on a menu in New York often means foils, and a “gloss” often means a toner chosen by brand rather than by hair.
So the consultation is the appointment. Every color service here opens with a complimentary one: what the hair has had on it, how it lifts, how much maintenance you actually want, and what the total will be. Balayage starts at $350 including a personalized gloss, the Signature Balayage is $500, and the price is settled before anything is mixed.
The French-trained artists
The four artists who learned the work in France. Each profile lists the services that artist is bookable for.
- Reynald Ricard Owner · Master Colorist
- Romain Perriniaux Co-Owner · Stylist
- Lea Colorist
- Mathilde Gaillard Stylist
Areas we serve
13 East 13th Street, second floor — walking distance from each of these, and a short ride from the rest of downtown.
Good to know
Frequently asked
Is Red Market a French hair salon?
Yes. It was founded by French stylists, and four of the six artists are French or trained in France: Reynald Ricard trained with Jacques Dessange and Bruno Pittini, Romain Perriniaux trained in Paris’s Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Lea is a color specialist from France, and Mathilde Gaillard is originally from Provence.
What is the difference between a French salon and a salon that offers balayage?
Balayage is a French technique — freehand, hand-painted, no foils — but many New York menus use the word for a foiled service. At a French salon the colorist was trained in the freehand method, so the lightener is placed by eye where the light would naturally lift, which is why the result grows out without a hard regrowth line.
How much does French balayage cost in NYC?
At Red Market, balayage starts at $350 including a personalized gloss, and the Signature Balayage is $500 with a customized gloss, a deep restorative treatment, a luxury blowout and a take-home pigment shampoo. Every color service begins with a complimentary consultation, so the exact price is confirmed before the color is mixed.
Where is the salon, and when is it open?
13 East 13th Street, Floor 2, between Fifth Avenue and University Place in Greenwich Village, one block south of Union Square. Open Tuesday to Friday 10am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 7pm; closed Sunday and Monday.