Highlighting
There’s highlighting, and then there’s Matson & Co. highlighting. Our color specialists craft sun kissed, multidimensional blonde that looks like you just spent a perfect afternoon on Butterfly Beach. Whether you want a soft, natural glow or full on California blonde, every highlight is custom blended to complement your skin tone, your lifestyle, and the way the Santa Barbara light plays off your hair.
Dimension. Light. Natural Movement.
Jeff Matson has been perfecting the art of blonding since 1997. It’s not just something he does. It’s his craft, his obsession, and the reason clients drive from across the Central Coast just to sit in his chair. With nearly three decades behind the foil, Jeff has developed an intuitive eye for placement, tone, and the kind of seamless grow out that keeps you looking polished for months, not weeks.
His approach is never one size fits all. Jeff reads your hair’s natural movement, studies your base color, and maps out a highlight pattern that enhances what’s already there. The result? Hair that looks effortless, expensive, and unmistakably well done. Clients say they’re “happy when they walk out” and that their color “grows out really well.” That’s not an accident. That’s decades of expertise at work.
At Matson & Co., highlighting is a conversation, not a formula. Every appointment starts with a genuine consultation where we listen to what you love (and what you don’t) before we ever pick up a brush. Our intimate, six chair studio means you get undivided attention from start to finish. No assembly line. No rushing. Just a relaxed experience with a team that genuinely cares about getting it right.
Nancy Garza brings her own talent to the color chair, delivering everything from soft, blended highlights to bold, head turning transformations. Between Jeff’s legendary blonding expertise and Nancy’s versatile color skills, Matson & Co. covers every shade on the spectrum. Whether you’re maintaining your signature look or going lighter for the first time, you’re in the best hands in Santa Barbara.
How It Works
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Every great highlight starts with a real conversation. Your stylist will assess your current color, hair health, and goals to create a custom plan that works for your look and your lifestyle. We’ll talk through maintenance expectations, ideal placement, and the perfect shade range so there are zero surprises.
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Based on your consultation, we’ll choose the ideal technique for your desired result: traditional foils for maximum lift and precision, balayage for a lived in, hand painted effect, or a combination approach for the best of both worlds. Every section is placed with intention to create natural looking dimension and movement.
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While your highlights process, you can relax in our contemporary, laid back studio. Once we reach the perfect level of lift, a custom toner is applied to neutralize any brassiness and dial in the exact shade we discussed. This step is what separates salon quality highlights from everything else.
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After a fresh blowout to show off your new dimension, your stylist will walk you through a personalized maintenance plan. We’ll recommend the right products to keep your color vibrant and healthy between visits, and we’ll schedule your next appointment so your grow out stays seamless.
TYPES OF HIGHLIGHTS WE OFFER
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Full Highlights
All over brightness from root to tip. Full highlights cover the entire head for a complete, luminous transformation that’s bold, beautiful, and impossible to miss.
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Partial Highlights / Face Framing
Strategically placed around the face and crown for a subtle, sun kissed effect. Perfect for clients who want a natural refresh without a full commitment.
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Balayage
Hand painted highlights that create a soft, graduated transition from your natural base to lighter ends. This freehand technique delivers that effortless, lived in California look with a grow out that stays gorgeous for months.
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Foilyage
The best of both worlds. Foilyage combines balayage’s freehand painting technique with the added lift of traditional foils, giving you brighter results with the same seamless, natural finish.
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Babylights
Ultra fine, delicate highlights that mimic the natural, subtle variation you see in children’s hair. Babylights add a soft luminosity without any obvious lines of demarcation.
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Dimensional Blonding
Jeff Matson’s specialty. Dimensional blonding layers multiple highlight techniques and tones to create depth, movement, and a richness that flat, single process blonde simply can’t achieve. This is the signature Matson & Co. look.
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Color Melt / Ombré
A seamless gradient from darker roots to lighter ends. Color melting blends two or more shades together so there are no harsh lines, just a smooth, natural flow of color.
Your Best Blonde Is Waiting
Whether you’re dreaming of a subtle glow or a full blown transformation, our team will get you there. Book your appointment today and see why thousands of clients call Matson & Co. the best hair salon in Santa Barbara.
Santa Barbara’s Premier Highlighting & Blonding Studio
When it comes to highlights in Santa Barbara, Matson & Co. has been setting the standard for nearly a decade. Located at 1213 State Street in the heart of downtown, our intimate, six chair studio is where the Central Coast comes for expert blonding, precision color, and the kind of personalized attention you simply won’t find at a larger salon.
Owner Jeff Matson is widely recognized as one of the top highlighting specialists on the South Coast. With a career spanning nearly 30 years and thousands of satisfied clients, Jeff and his team have built a reputation for delivering beautiful, natural looking highlights that grow out gracefully and keep clients coming back. Whether you’re searching for balayage in Santa Barbara, a blonde specialist near Montecito, or the best colorist in town, you’ll find what you’re looking for right here on State Street.
Our clients describe the experience as “professional and sweet” and rave about how their color grows out beautifully between appointments. That’s the Matson difference: thoughtful technique, premium products, and a genuine commitment to making you feel incredible every time you leave our chair. Book a consultation and discover why Matson & Co. is the go to destination for highlighting on the American Riviera.
Contact: 805.403.5277
Email: info@matsonandco.com
Where Our Highlighting Clients Come From
Santa Barbara
Our home turf and the heart of our client base. From Funk Zone creatives to State Street professionals, Santa Barbara locals trust Matson & Co. for highlights that look effortlessly gorgeous in every light.
Montecito
Montecito clients expect perfection, and that’s exactly what they get. Our detailed, personalized approach to blonding delivers the kind of polished, refined highlights that complement the Montecito lifestyle.
Summerland & Carpinteria
Beach town living calls for beach town hair. Clients from Summerland and Carpinteria love our sun kissed, low maintenance highlights that look as natural as a day at Rincon.
Santa Ynez
Worth the drive over the pass. Our Santa Ynez Valley clients make the trip because there’s nothing quite like Matson & Co.’s expert blonding, and they leave looking like the California wine country sun was made for their hair.
San Luis Obispo
Yes, they drive from SLO. When you want highlights done right by a true blonding specialist, the scenic 101 journey to Matson & Co. is one our San Luis Obispo clients are happy to make.
Everything You Want to Know About SMP
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Highlighting pricing at Matson & Co. varies depending on the technique, your hair length, and density. We provide a custom quote during your consultation so you know exactly what to expect. Check our pricing section above or book a consultation for a personalized estimate.
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Balayage is a freehand, hand painted technique that creates a softer, more graduated transition from your natural base to lighter ends. Foil highlights use sections of foil to isolate strands for more precise, uniform lift. Both are beautiful; the right choice depends on the look you’re going for. Jeff Matson often combines the two for the most natural, dimensional result.
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Most clients come in every 8 to 12 weeks, depending on the technique and how quickly their hair grows. Balayage and dimensional blonding tend to last longer because the grow out is designed to be seamless. Your stylist will recommend the ideal schedule during your appointment.
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Any lightening process involves some level of chemical processing, but at Matson & Co. we prioritize hair health above everything. We use professional grade products, carefully monitor processing times, and tailor every formula to your hair’s current condition. Most clients are surprised at how healthy their hair looks and feels after highlighting with us.
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Absolutely, but it’s a journey, not a single session miracle. Jeff Matson specializes in gradually lifting darker hair to a beautiful blonde while keeping your hair’s integrity intact. He’ll map out a realistic timeline and approach during your consultation so you know exactly what to expect at every stage.
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Toner is a semi permanent color treatment applied after highlights to fine tune your shade. It neutralizes any unwanted warmth or brassiness and gives you that perfect, polished finish. At Matson & Co., toning is a standard part of every highlighting service because it’s what takes great highlights to exceptional.
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Your stylist will recommend color safe shampoo and conditioner, along with any treatments that benefit your specific hair type. Avoiding excessive heat, using UV protection, and booking regular toning appointments will keep your highlights vibrant and fresh between full sessions.
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We do. Highlighting isn’t just for long hair. Subtle, well placed highlights can add incredible dimension and a natural, youthful look to men’s hair. Jeff and the team have extensive experience with men’s blonding and color.
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Come with clean, dry hair that hasn’t been freshly washed that day (a little natural oil actually helps). Bring reference photos of looks you love, and be ready to have an honest conversation about your hair goals. We’ll handle the rest.
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We require a credit card on file when you book. We ask for 48 hours’ notice if you need to reschedule. Cancellations with less than 24 hours’ notice are charged the full service price. Highlighting appointments are significant blocks of time reserved just for you, so we appreciate your understanding.