Balayage is not just for blondes. It is a highlighting technique that doesn’t use foils. Instead, your hair colorist will hand-paint color directly on to your hair, creating more natural, blended, sun-kissed color. Brunette balayage proves that freehand lightening can go as bright, bold, or brown as you like. The biggest bonus of balayage hair is the way it lends dimension and depth to all hair colors. This article explores the world of brunette balayage, offering inspiration and practical advice for achieving the perfect sun-kissed look.
In French, balayage means “to sweep,” which is fitting given the painterly way color is swept through sections of hair. Balayage involves applying lightener in a bespoke fashion to the face-framing layers, mid-lengths, and ends of the hair, eschewing the patterned approach of traditional highlights. The finished effect is entirely unique to every salon guest - natural, multi-dimensional, and ultra-flattering, no matter how subtle or bold you go. Typically, it’s done without foils, though they can be added if you’re looking for a higher level of lift through isolation. This foil-enhanced method is known in the industry as foilyage. Balayage is responsible for the beachy, effortless color all over red carpets and Instagram.
The key distinction between highlights and balayage lies in the application method. Highlights typically use foils to isolate sections of hair, while balayage is applied in an open-air technique.
Because of how they’re applied, the results vary, too: “Balayage is relatively low-maintenance, while highlights require much more maintenance and upkeep, as regrowth at the roots can be more noticeable, requiring more frequent touch-ups,” explains Chase Kusero, cofounder of IGK Hair Care. Balayage tends to look “soft, blended, and more subtle with a gradual lightening effect,” he adds, while highlights are “more structured and defined, with distinct lighter sections that start from the roots.”
There are also variations in how each style grows out: “Balayage has a more graceful grow-out as it lives in vertical spaces, while highlights grow out horizontally,” says Kim, who notes that because of this, balayage is generally ideal for someone looking for a lived-in, low-maintenance look. Highlights might be more suited for clients who want a pronounced lightness.
Read also: Sizzling Summer Hair
When it comes to sweeping balayage on brown hair, a lightener is always needed to ensure those lighter ribbons truly shine.
When adding highlights, try a lightener designed for freehand painting, like Blondor Freelights. It features an adhesive mass, which ensures it goes exactly where you want it to go and stays there. You could also try mixing it with our bond-strengthening system, WellaPlex, which will keep the internal hair bonds strong throughout the lightening process.
Once you’ve reached the desired level of lift-typically two or three shades lighter for a more natural finish-it’s time to tone your client’s highlights to achieve their perfect look. Try a permanent color like Koleston Perfect, mixed with Welloxon Perfect Pastel 1.9% (6 vol.) in a 1:2 ratio, for a pure-pigment, high-shine finish. Or, if your guest prefers a lower-commitment option with a soft, dimensional result, reach for a demi-permanent color like Color Touch or Shinefinity.
Post-color care is just as important as the lightener and toner you apply, so make sure your client is equipped with products that support and enhance their new hue. ColorMotion+ Color Protection Shampoo is the foundation of a strong routine, infused with antioxidants to help protect against shade-fading free radicals. Follow with ColorMotion+ Conditioner to pamper strands to their shiniest best.
#PROTIP: Recommend the ColorMotion+ Structure+ Mask for intensive at-home restructuring between salon visits. Formulated specifically for colored hair, this mask strengthens the hair structure while enhancing shine and long-lasting manageability. It also features a built-in bond-structuring agent from WellaPlex.
Read also: Balayage Technique
Light brown hair and blonde balayage are a match made in haircolor heaven, creating a sun-kissed, post-vacation effect. Tom Badger nailed it by using Blondor for a little foilyage, followed by a Shinefinity shadow root of 06/0 + Shinefinity Activator, blending into 09/36 + 010/6 + Shinefinity Activator.
For brunette clients who crave caramel blonde hair without the commitment of all-over lightening, adding caramel balayage provides the creamiest, dreamiest compromise. These warm blonde highlights were treated to a hair glossing treatment with Koleston Perfect 7/31 and Welloxon Perfect Pastel Developer 1.9% (6 volume), resulting in next-level shine and zero brassy tones.
If you’re creating very dark brown, almost-black hair, the last thing you want is a flat, matte black. That’s where a scattering of brown balayage really comes into its own. Case in point? This multi-dimensional creation, which features a base of Koleston Perfect 4/0 + 3/0 + Welloxon Perfect Developer 6% (20 volume) and ribbons of Blondor Freelights, toned with Color Touch.
Chocolate brown hair is just as gorgeous as it sounds. This look takes brunette locks richer with highlights-or in this case, balayage-to reveal a rich range of dimensional tones. Blondor and Color Touch worked as the perfect pair to create this flawless color melt.
If you’re as obsessed with ash brown hair as we are, you’ll love this balayage take, featuring equal parts of Color Touch 9/97, 9/16, and 7/73. Perfect for any season, this cool-toned hue is crisp, modern, and effortlessly chic. Pair it with loose, tousled waves to let every nuance of color shine.
Read also: Clip-In Balayage Styles
While blondes can experiment with rose gold hair, brunettes can enhance their tone with rose brown; a trend that sees pink tones, blended with deep hues for a raspberry chocolate effect. Balayage is the ideal technique for this trend, as demonstrated by Katharina Pfrang who hand painted Blondor Freelights through mid-lengths and ends.
“Balayage works well for almost all hair types, but it’s especially great for those with medium to long hair, as the technique really shines when there’s length to work with,” says Kim. “It’s also ideal for people who want low-maintenance color, since the softer transitions in balayage mean you don’t need to touch up as often as with traditional highlights. It’s perfect for someone looking for a natural, sun-kissed effect.”
In addition to its versatility, balayage is beloved by clients and colorists alike since it not only looks more effortless, but it actually takes way less maintenance than traditional highlights. “Balayage tends to give you a better grow-out period,” says Nikki Lee, co-owner of LA’s Nine Zero One salon. “Whereas a traditional highlight client might need to touch up her regrowth every eight weeks, you can stretch it to 12 weeks or longer with balayage.”
As is often the case with finding flattering shades for each individual, it’s best to identify your skin’s undertone. “While consulting with my clients, the easiest way to determine their preference of warm, cool, or neutral is their jewelry: more gold, warm; more silver, cool; and often mixing metals leans toward a neutral tone,” says Ryan Dickie, a colorist at IGK Salon Miami.
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