While most hairstyles trend and fade, some leave a permanent mark—balayage is one of those. Adored for its sun-kissed, radiant finish, balayage swept the globe by storm with those that desire a relaxed style with little maintenance on hair color. So, what really is balayage? And more importantly, how does one know that it’s their own personal style? For everyone who is considering attempting a new style or who simply wishes to understand the process, this tutorial will walk you through to making an educated decision.
Understanding Balayage
Balayage is more than just a hair color trend—it’s art. Derived from the French word for “to sweep” or “to paint,” balayage is a hand-painted highlighting method. Instead of encasing hair in caps or foil, colorists apply the color directly to the hair. A natural dark-to-light gradient is achieved through this process. What is left is a soft, layered look that is reminiscent of a day in the sun.
Balayage’s versatility and stealth distinguish it from traditional highlights or ombre. Unlike bands or abrasive color sections, balayage creates a smooth transition between colors. And it doesn’t hurt that it looks great in photographs on a range of hair textures and lengths, from wavy bobs to waterfall locks. Whatever the texture or origin of your tresses, the layered look of balayage adds depth and dimension to every strand.
One of the greatest benefits of balayage is that it’s just so versatile. You can get soft, caramel color for that sunset-hued glow, dark platinum or ash blonds for a punk look, or even pastel colors for a playful look. That level of strength in versatility has the result that balayage can be styled in a way that serves you and your personal style.
Is Balayage a Good Choice for Me?
While balayage is gorgeous on virtually anyone, it’s always a good idea to keep a few things in mind before deciding if it’s the right choice for you.
If you’re interested in an aging-graceful, low-fuss hair color, then balayage is the way to go. Because the color is painted directly on your ends and mid-lengths, you aren’t at risk of ruining your roots. Your hair is then allowed to maintain its present trendy appearance during its growing stage, reducing the amount of times you will have to get touch-ups at the salon. If you are drawn to low-maintenance hairstyles or lack a surplus of free time to visit the salon too frequently, balayage is a hairstyle with laid-back cool style.
Balayage is another choice if you’re someone who enjoys options. It grabs and enhances a gigantic spectrum of natural shades—brunette, redhead, or blonde—and can be fine-tuned to coordinate with your face shape and skin tone. Experienced specialists such as Indulge Salon will examine your hair attributes to ensure the highlights create harmony with your face structure as well as deliver the optimal amount of sparkle.
But remember, however, the initial balayage appointment can be lengthy. Because of its more detailed freehand application, you’ll be sitting in the stylist chair anywhere from three hours for the first session. Take advantage of that time to get clear on what you want, desired result, and maintenance routine. Your stylist will work with you to create a style into which your lifestyle will fit.
Maintenance-wise, balayage is extremely good compared to other color processes. But it is not maintenance-free. With a desire to maintain the sheen of your highlights and avoid brassiness, a purple or color-safe shampoo could be recommended. In addition, frequent deep conditioning treatments can help keep your hair ends soft and healthy.
If you are concerned about the health of your hair, balayage is safer than bleach-intensive styles or foil highlights. Because the process does not entail suffocating the hair or using excessive bleach near the roots, it minimizes chemical processing exposure.
Claim Balayage as Your Own
Balayage is not a seasonal hair trend—it’s a personalized, ageless look that has captured salon clients across the globe. Regardless of your vision for soft, sun-kissed highlights or something bolder, this process has the versatility to align with your wishes. To truly make balayage your own, turn to the hand of a professional colorist, who can tailor the process to suit your hair type, style, and maintenance needs.
Tina Hudson is the voice behind Fashion Ticky, a fashion blog she started featuring the latest trends in fashion and beauty. With her finger on the pulse of what’s hot each season, Tina shares outfit ideas, makeup tutorials, and styling tips to help her devoted readers develop their own fabulous sense of fashion. When she’s not blogging, you can find this savvy stylist hunting for vintage treasures and snapping Instagram-worthy travel pics with her French bulldog in tow.