Celebrity hairstylist Luke Hersheson breaks down everything you need to know about balayage, and why it remains the go-to summer hair colour trend.
Balayage, ombré, dip-dye or babylights – whatever you call it, it’s no secret that the language around hair colour trends can be confusing. Gone are the days when your dye decision was as simple as a ‘full head’ or ‘foils’. Nowadays, learning the lingo is key to perfecting your hair colour outcome.
While the balayage hair trend is nothing particularly new, according to Google Trends, people’s interest in the technique has soared over the last year. Why? Because balayage actually looks better the longer you leave it to grow out, meaning the extended weeks between appointments will only enhance your hair colour job.
If you’re considering a balayage hair moment, Hersheshons CEO and hairstylist Luke Hersheson is here to offer a deep dive into the world of balayage hair.
What is balayage?
Let’s start with the basics: what is balayage? “Balayage is a low-maintenance hair colour technique, which is great for people wanting a fuss-free and long-lasting alternative to traditional highlights,” explains Hersheson. The word balayage comes from the French word balayer meaning ‘to sweep’, which is exactly how the technique is carried out.
“The balayage technique involves hand-painting pieces of hair creating a very fluid, natural colour that only looks better the more it grows out,” says Hersheson. “I’d say that typically about 90% of the colour we perform in our salons is a form of balayage, as it works so well with all hair types. Because the technique is so visual and hand-painted, it’s able to be really personalised to each client.”
What’s the difference between balayage and highlights?
“Traditional highlights use foils and colour is applied to the root of the hair and saturated right down the length of the entire hair shaft,” Hersheson explains. This often means that you end up with a clear definition of root growth, meaning you need regular trips to the salon to keep on top of your roots. “This technique was used a lot in the 70s, when hair colouring first became really popular among the masses,” explains Hersheson. “Nowadays, we often try to recreate something that looks completely natural, which is where balayage can come in.”
Balayage typically involves holding pieces of hair against a board and hand-painting the colour onto the hair. Colour is applied to pieces of hair and blended from the root, saturating more colour towards the ends. This way your result is much more natural-looking (as hair typically lightens from the sun as it grows) and is designed to ‘grow out’ and blend in with your hair as time goes on.
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What’s the difference between balayage and ombré?
Ombré (also known as dip-dye) is a technique for colouring hair that has a gradual dark-to-light effect from root to tip. It can look quite dramatic as the hair is usually coloured as a whole, creating a stark contrast from dark to light. Balayage has a similar effect to ombré, but as balayage is a softer highlighting technique, it’s much more subtle and natural-looking as the colour is painted onto the hair in very thin strands.
Best haircare for balayage
The beauty of balayaged hair is that it can be left to grow out naturally, meaning it often doesn’t result in as much hair damage as highlights or a full head of colour can. But you might still want to treat your hair to a nourishing mask from time to time, and it’s still a good idea to opt for colour-perfecting products to ensure you get the most out of your dye.
dpHUE Brightening Powder
Perfect for brightening blonde tones and boosting colour vibrancy, this clever brightening powder acts like a magnet, drawing out minerals, product residue and impurities from the hair that can leave your colour looking dull. Simply add water to create a lathery paste and rub through the length of your hair for five minutes before rinsing thoroughly.
Shop dpHUE Brightening Powder at Cult Beauty, £28
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Coco & Eve Sweet Repair Masque
If your hair is left feeling a little dry post-balayage, don’t despair. Coco & Eve’s Sweet Repair Masque is packed with ultra-nourishing ingredients to soften and soothe your hair from the inside out. Combining a vegan keratin blend with carefully selected Balinese fruits (think rambutan, guava and raw virgin coconut), your hair is left deeply hydrated and seriously soft.
Shop Coco & Eve Sweet Repair Masque at Cult Beauty, £30.90
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Redken Color Extend Brownlights Duo
Designed with brunette balayage in mind, this colour toning shampoo and conditioner combo works to bring out multi-tonal colour in your hair while reducing the brassiness of blonde hues.
Shop Redken Color Extend Brownlights Duo at lookfantastic, £41
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Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector
A colourist’s best friend, Olaplex is also available for use at home. It works to seek out broken bonds in the hair (often caused by colour or heat damage) and repairs them, restoring compromised hair to its former glory – clever!
Shop Olaplex No 3 Hair Perfector at lookfantastic, £28
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Hershesons Almost Everything Cream
The final finisher for all hairdos, Hershesons Almost Everything Cream is a one-size-fits-all solution to moisturise, protect, de-tangle, smooth, add shine and texture to every hair type.
Shop Hershesons Almost Everything Cream at Hershesons, £12
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11 types of balayage to inspire your next style
Chunky blonde balayage by @kristen_ess
This soft balayage is perfect for brunettes wanting to add warmth and blonder tones, without the commitment of traditional highlights. Ask for chunkier pieces to be added around your jawline to help frame the face.
Warm brunette balayage by @harryrjohnson
More colour is added towards the ends of the hair, with finer pieces blended through the roots, making this balayage look super natural – even though a lot of colour has been added.
Natural sun-kissed balayage by @minxsheen
This super-soft colour switch-up mimics the natural highlights you’d expect to see from the sun. Fine highlights are added through the lengths of the hair, leaving the roots natural meaning it will look great, even once it’s grown out.
Balayage twists by @marleyxavier
As balayage is such a visual technique, there really is no one-size-fits-all approach. Gorgeous warm pieces are added into each twist to give a sun-kissed effect throughout the hair.
Chocolatey balayage by @hairpaintingbymaxine
This gorgeous golden hair transformation adds in tones of caramel, chocolate and biscuit, making for a truly delicious-looking balayage.
Ash brunette balayage by @joshwoodcolour
Want an ashier look? Ask for a toner to be added post-colour to knock out any brassiness and seamlessly melt together your new balayage colour.
Soft curly balayage by @jessicablaxley
This full-head balayage adds definition and softness around the edges of the hair leaving the roots natural and dark. As the hair grows out, the golden blonde balayage will only look better.
Balayage for curly hair by @radiantlycurly
This gorgeous balayage works perfectly on curly hair. The rich caramel and golden shades are perfect for adding warmth to brunette hair without going too blonde.
Major blonde balayage by @samanthacusicklondon
The perfect combination of highlights and balayage, this multi-dimensional blonde leaves just enough natural root visible so you won’t need to worry about maintenance.
Golden chunky balayage by @imogencoates
If you’re sick of getting your roots redone every six weeks then a blonde balayage is the way to go. These honey coloured highlights make for the perfect beachy balayage leaving enough natural root for a super natural blended finish.
Natural beachy balayage by @kristin_ess
Queen of the blonde balayage, Lauren Conrad’s natural colour is the easiest way to do low-maintenance blonde. As the hair grows, the roots will only blend in more leaving a blended beachy look to the hair.
Main image: Getty
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