46 beautiful balayage hair ideas, plus everything to know about the technique

"Balayage is very technical," explains Adam. "It's a pro technique that requires real skill. You should be able to go from shadowed roots to light ends and not be able to see that transformation." It's about looking at the haircut and defining specific strands with considered colour placement. "Balayage is a freehand technique so it can be very personalised," says Adam. Get it right and it'll give you healthy, glossy, three-dimensional colour that looks like it's been lit perfectly by the sunshine (even on a dull day).

How is balayage applied?

Traditionally, balayage is applied freehand, without foils. The hair is sectioned tactically by your stylist to create lightweight sections scattered naturally throughout hair. The roots are backcombed to help diffuse the colour so it doesn't create a band at the hairline, then the highlights are applied with more product focused on the ends, and feathered towards the roots. Clear sheets may be used to separate hair while it develops. Extra attention is paid to the front face-framing sections of hair which tend to turn lighter naturally in the sunshine, and your colourist should pay attention to where the hair would naturally brighten in the sunlight as well as where will emphasise your features and your haircut. Normally two-to three colours are blended into hair, and these should be up to three shades brighter than your base colour.

Is there a downside to balayage?

The whole charm of balayage is that it's low-key and subtle, so if you're looking for a dramatic hair colour, it may not be for you. It's also not something you can do yourself and requires a trip to a pro colourist, which can be more expensive and time-consuming than other hair colour techniques.

How long does balayage take?

This will vary depending on how scattered and multi-dimensional you want the balayage to be If you're only having a few highlights (or a partial balayge) it can take as little as 45 minutes. If you're having a full head of layered balayage with multiple tones introduced, it can be more like 3 hours. It will also depend on the length and texture of your hair – longer, thicker hair will take more time.

How long does balayage last?

Because you're lightening your hair colour, the effect is permanent and will last until it grows all the way out. The benefit is that, because you won't be left with a visible root transition, it can grow out gradually without requiring any upkeep if you don't want. It will grow out to look like your ends have simply been sun-kissed, which means you're not committing yourself to regular appointments at the salon or trying to master the art of at home hair dye. However, the colour can fade, so to keep it feeling fresh, it's a good idea to touch it up.

How often should you top up your colour?

You can refresh your balayage as little or as often as you'd like. The good thing about balayage is that it's low maintenance. The pros recommend you ideally top up every 3-4 months if you want it to look it's best, but you can go months without a salon visit to top it up.

What is the difference between ombre, dip dye and balayage?

Ombré - Ombre hair takes the hair colour down a gradient scale that's dark at the top and light at the bottom. This method is applied across all the hair.

Dip Dye - A much more edgy look that involved two toned colouring – imagine dipping the ends of your hair into a pot of paint.

Balayage - hair looks naturally sunkissed and while the roots tend to be darker than the ends, the transition down the strand is much more subtle than ombre, since small sections of highlights are scattered through hair rather than the colour fade being applied across all strands.

Is balayage better than highlights?

Balayage gives a “much more natural effect, rather than super blonde” explains celebrity hair stylist, Timothy David. However, he says “this depends on your natural base colour, as the darker the base, the warmer the balayage and the lighter the base, the lighter and brighter it will lift.” Highlights on the other hand will give you “a much lighter effect,” says Timothy, but require more maintenance.

To keep balayage looking its best, Timothy recommends an appointment every 8-14 weeks with a toner and gloss to maintain the colour, whereas for highlights, he recommends coming in every 6-8 weeks rotating between “one full head of highlights, then two half head highlights.”

What can make things confusing, though, is that there are lots of different ways to do highlights. "There are many variations of highlights, from teasylights (which can give more of a balayage effect), to baby lights (which lifts your base and gives natural dimension), as well as slicing and chunky weaves, (which give a more solid dimension).” So it's best to have a chat with your colourist to discuss all your options and choose the best one for you.

Is balayage suitable for all hair textures?

Absolutely, it can work on all hair types, your colourist will adjust the technique to bring out the most of your natural texture and movement.

Does balayage work on grey hair?

Yes, in fact balayage works brilliantly with greys, blending them in rather than erasing them out. It's a much more gentle technique than all-over block dyes that create a band around hair that show up new greys. By softly blending in highlights with balayage, you can offset or accentuate your grey strands for a more natural, lower-maintenance look.

Can you balayage your own hair at home?

No, it's a very skilled technique that requires a professional if you want it done well.

How can I look after balayage at home?

“Home hair care is really important. There is no point spending hours (and lots of money!) in the salon, if you don't look after the condition of your hair with quality shampoos, conditioners and regular hair treatments,” says Jason Potter, hair colourist at Hershesons. If you swim, use Phillip Kingsley's Swim Cap. It protects your hair from the damaging effects of the sun, harsh chlorine and salt water, the last thing you want is hair that is dry, damaged and colour fading." And, in between salon visits, try gloss treatments every 4-6 weeks and introduce a purple shampoo once a week to keep the tone in check.

Here's our favourite ways to wear balayage…

Honey and hazelnut.

Mousy and blonde.

Toffee chocolate.

Chocolate and caramel.

Sunshine blonde and dirty blonde

Sand blonde.

Butterscotch blonde.

Brown and caramel

Vanilla swirl

Tortoiseshell bronde.

Subtle and face-framing

Butter and pearl.

Brunette and sand tones

Pecan peanut.

Chestnut and syrup.

Amber blonde.

Golden tones for curly hair

Golden walnut.

Cool toned blondes and mousy browns.

Sunlicked brunette.

Warm amber and brunette

Cedar and sand.

Caramel brunette.

Brunette rose

Pearl blonde.

Bronde brunette.

Coffee and hazelnut.