What a colorist actually is
Most New York salons have stylists who also do color. A color house is the other way round: color is the discipline everything else is built around. At Red Market the chair you sit in belongs to someone who spends their whole week on tone, lift and placement — not someone fitting your highlights between two haircuts.
Owner Reynald Ricard trained as a colorist in France and carried French color technique from Paris to downtown Manhattan in the early 2000s. He works alongside a team of French-trained colorists — Saudy, Lea and Lucie — so the standard is the same whichever chair you are in. You can see the full team and book with a specific colorist by name.
How the color is designed
Every color service opens with a complimentary consultation, and it is a real one: your hair history, what has been on it before, how much upkeep you actually want, and how the tone will read against your skin. Nothing is mixed until that conversation has happened.
The house technique is freehand. Balayage is painted by hand rather than packed into foils, which is what lets the color follow the way the light falls on your head and grow out without a hard line. For deeper changes there is single process, dimensional work, gloss and double process — the right service is the one that gets you the result with the least damage, not the biggest ticket.
What a colorist costs in New York
Plainly, because most salons will not tell you until you are in the chair. Single process is $185, or $210 with a gloss. A gloss on its own is $95. Balayage starts at $350 including a personalized gloss, partial balayage is $275, and double process for platinum or pastel is $400. The Red Market Signature Balayage is $500 and adds a deep restorative treatment, a luxury blowout and a take-home pigment shampoo.
Those are the prices you pay at checkout. Your exact service is confirmed at the complimentary consultation before anything begins.
Good to know
Frequently asked
How much does a hair colorist cost in NYC?
At Red Market, single process is $185 ($210 with a gloss), a gloss alone is $95, balayage starts at $350 including a personalized gloss, partial balayage is $275, and double process is $400. The Signature Balayage is $500. Every color service begins with a complimentary consultation, so the price is confirmed before anything is mixed.
What is the difference between a colorist and a hairdresser?
A colorist specializes in color — lift, tone, placement and correction — rather than splitting their time between cutting and coloring. Red Market is a color house: it is led by master colorist Reynald Ricard, who trained in France, and the color team are French-trained colorists who work on color full time.
Who is the head colorist at Red Market?
Reynald Ricard, the owner, is a master colorist who trained in France and brought French color technique to downtown New York in the early 2000s. He works alongside a team of French-trained colorists at 13 East 13th Street in Greenwich Village.
Do I need a consultation before coloring my hair?
Yes, and it is complimentary at Red Market. Your colorist looks at your hair in person, goes through what has been on it before, and designs the service around the tone you want and the upkeep you are willing to do. It is booked online like any other appointment.