Balayage Hair Color Ideas
Blonde, Brown and Caramel Highlights

Lighten up with the new balayage hair color trend – What is balayage?

If you’re at all into hair, balayage is a term you’ve probably heard thrown around a lot lately. They are hand painted  highlights that mimic your childhood sun in hair color when it was lightened up by the sun! Balayage is the perfect look for any hair color and skin tone and is the perfect technique for those seeking a little less maintenance when it comes to your hair color.But if you’re having trouble figuring out the difference between balayage, ombre, sombre, babylights and all the other buzzwords that those “every day’s a great hair day” girls are hashtagging their salon chair selfies with, don’t stress. A little education: Balayage isn’t a specific color or look, but rather the actual technique that stylists use to apply highlights. The name means “paint” or “sweep” in French, so with balayage, the dye is applied to the hair freehand, using vertical strokes and no foil, as if you were painting color onto the hair. This way, the stylist can easily build the level of color from the mid-shaft to the ends so that the results are softer, more natural-looking and grow out without screaming, “I haven’t been to the salon in a while.” And because it’s not really something that non-pros can achieve at home, balayage is head-turning and luxe looking.

The method isn’t just used for getting those sun-kissed highlights that have made celebs like Miranda Kerr, Naomie Harris and Sarah Jessica Parker fall in love with it — balayage can also be a little wild. When the technique is combined with mermaid colors, an on-trend galaxy palette or silver granny hair, you get a rich ombre that blends two or three (or five) vibrant hues seamlessly. Plus, because balayage hair color is never harsh, it turns out amazing on all base colors and hair textures.