Balayage is a French hair coloring technique where the color is painted on the hair by hand as opposed to the old school highlighting methods with foils and cap highlighting. The free-hand application allows to achieve a more natural and modern effect with subtle transitions between the chosen hues, whether blonde, brunette, red or unnatural colors, such as popular pastels and even neons.
Balayage Hair Ideas
Balayage is a popular and stylish hair color technique. The gallery below showcases the hottest balayage looks of 2024, featuring a perfect blend of shades, by top colorists from around the world. Read on for ultimate balayage color inspiration and stay on top of hair trends!
1. Long Waves with Warm Caramel Balayage
Long hair, tumbling curls and caramel highlights make for a timeless combination. A variety of beautiful V-cut layers will add movement to locks and emphasize the warm undertones running throughout. Sophisticated and stylish.
2. Shiny Golden Bronde Balayage Hair
The balayage hair looks stunning with touches of golden bronde on the smooth waves. Wear wavy for special occasions or straight for another style – this balayage will always make you look your best.
3. Soft Cool-Toned Ash Brown Balayage
Every hair color works with a balayage – dark hair included. It’s about finding the right hue to complement your natural locks and the vibe you’re going for. If you want something a little more subdued and understated, go with an ashen brown to lighten up your look.
4. Ash Blonde V-Cut for Fine Hair
One can never go wrong with a staple Cali girl ‘do. Platinum blonde highlights compliment ashy brown hair beautifully and give off a sunkissed girl-next-door vibe. Moreover, this color paired with a V-cut works wonders on fine hair by boosting its body and dimension.
5. Medium Hair and Multi-Colored Balayage
Thanks to the hand painted technique that balayage brings to the table, hair can truly look like a work of art full of dimension and gorgeous color blends. This collage of shades inspires and leaves us staring at all of the different tones. A wavy finish really shows off this masterpiece.
6. Shiny Ash Blonde Highlights for Brown Hair
If you want to balayage brown hair, try ash blonde for a perfect glow-up. The dramatic center part with waves cascading over the shoulders is a lovely date night style.
7. Shaggy Lob with Partial Balayage
A smattering of super fine highlights can create a beautiful subtle balayage. Ask your colorist to paint luscious honey hues mostly around the face and a bit through the lengths, focusing on where the light naturally hits. Beautifully understated.
8. Caramel-Toned Layers for Brunettes
Brunette balayage can be also performed with some delicious caramel tones involved. This hair color choice will be particularly flattering for women with warm complexions. The long luscious waves flow like real caramel. This mane is made to drive someone crazy!
9. Dark Blonde Hair with Platinum Pieces
Forget the foils and opt for balayage highlights at your next salon visit. This clever contouring technique leaves hair looking sun-bleached. Here’s a cute idea for dishwater blondes: icy streaks breaking up a darker dirty blonde base. Keep your balayage free from brassy tones by using a purple shampoo at least once a week.
10. Black Hair with Chocolate Brown Balayage
Black hair might require some special attention, going from such a dark color. While bleach can be damaging to your locks, as long as you keep it nourished with lotions and lightweight oils, you’ll have waves as healthy and shiny as the ones below. Plus, it only takes a subtle lift with chocolatey highlights to make a statement.
11. Bronde Coloring for Medium Hair
Natural brunettes — if you don’t want a completely new hairdo but still wish to change up your look, freshen up your hair by lifting it to the delicious bronde pictured here. This is a risk-free update that is extra modern on medium length hair.
12. Ombre Inspired
Ombre hair is still beautiful and in style, but it’s gradually phasing out due to its severity. If you want something that looks more God-given than salon-given, go with a more natural balayage ombre that will flatter your features without overpowering them.
13. Silver Gray Balayage Ombre Hair
Silver hair isn’t going anywhere! Accentuate a millennial grunge wardrobe with gray brunette balayage. There is a high contrast between the two tones, but a skilled colorist is able to hand blend both into each other.
14. Brown Blonde Balayage Ombre
When you like the idea of lighter ends, but want to wrap it into the most popular today coloring approach, go for balayage ombre. In this particular look the beach waves seem to melt towards the ends – the most relaxed look ever!
15. Long Metallic Bronde Balayage Hair
Do something different and try a metallic bronde balayage on your long hair; it’s an easy way to try a statement color while remaining sophisticated-looking. Any updo is sure to show it off and you’ll definitely stand out!
16. Elegant and Soft Ash Blonde Balayage
Balayage highlights can be as understated or dramatic as you want them. The greater the contrast between dark roots and light ends, the bolder your look. Stick to natural colors in tune with your skin tone (warm or cool) to keep things somewhat toned down.
17. Caramel Balayage for Brown Hair
Brunette balayage can have as many varieties as you can imagine. If you prefer a natural look of sun-faded locks, caramel and blonde tones are a worthy choice. Those shades can breathe new life into your common choppy bob haircut.
18. Chocolate Brown with Caramel Highlights
Dark brown hair and balayage highlights complement each other beautifully, as evidenced by this gorgeous hair color choice. With the chocolate brown base diluted with caramel highlights, this is absolutely a fuss-free and flattering look. The undone waves placed throughout also keep this look modern and fresh.
19. Textured Bob with Golden Blonde Highlights
A bob cut is super cute on its own and flatters most face shapes. A mix of dark brown, light brown, and golden blonde shades can really bring out the beauty of this style. Concentrate the lighter shade at the tips for a cool contrasting look.
20. Dark Brown Hair with Caramel Balayage
How gorgeous is this caramel balayage? If you want to break up very thick brown hair, illuminating streaks will create dimension and volume. Hints of amber and rose gold compliment brown and black hair, and provide a great transition shade if you’re looking to go lighter in the future.
21. Cool-Toned Blonde Colormelt
Balayage styles aren’t going to step out of the spotlight any time soon, and it’s easy to see why when they look this fantastic. It’s the perfect example of blonde and brown shades melting seamlessly into one another. To recreate the look, ask your stylist to include honey, creamy beige and platinum hues into the mix for a sublime, dimensional finish.
22. Medium Hair with Copper and Beige Highlights
These tresses boast endless shades to admire. The trick to this ‘do is using shades that suit your skin undertone and blending high contrast colors through transitioning hues like caramel and copper in this example.
23. Radiant Light Brown Balayage Highlights
Blonde-brown is a classic balayage combo. Even though it is clearly not your actual hair color, something about it still feels easy and natural. Teaming a balayage with a medium hair cut enhances that casual feel even further. Throw in some bangs for an added texture and depth.
24. Brunette Bob with Caramel Highlights
Ladies with short hair, spice up your bob by dyeing tips a caramel or sandy shade. Highlights that have a reddish nuance flatter deep brunettes amazingly. Balayage hair color is a great option for women who are looking to grow out their short manes, too!
25. Subtle Golden Brown Balayage for Brunettes
Curly hair and balayages go so well together because of the dimension they create. The texture and mix of dark and light shades draw the eye into a mane of never-ending depth. The lightest highlights accent the curls to make them look even fuller and shinier.
26. Bronde Balayage for Straight Shorter Hair
Balayage brown hair can be perfectly showcased on sleek tresses. Straight hair is a neat canvas for all the beautiful colors. Even though there aren’t big curls and lots of texture, there is no shortage of movement. The dark roots help to amplify this effect in the absence of volume.
27. Brunette Hair with Very Subtle Highlights
You can be subtle and still stylish. The faintest highlights keep this medium hair from feeling flat and break up the dark brown color. Plus, loose waves dial up the cool factor and give the balayage hairstyle some fullness.
28. Dark Brown with Golden and Ash Blonde Highlights
There is a term for blonde highlights on brown hair. It’s called “bronde”. This hybrid of colors is not only great for the indecisive, but it is also rich in color. The stunning shades make the coif easy to rock all day and night.
29. Glossy Caramel Balayage Hair
Nothing enhances a brown balayage quite like a glossy finish. That sheen is always a sign of healthy and strong hair. It’s as simple as applying a lightweight oil or hair serum to get that glow in an instant. To bring even more life to your hair, add wispy layers for movement.
30. Barely There Blonde Highlights
Ash blonde caramel is a chic mix of warm and cool tones. The color melt is reminiscent of chocolate peanut butter; it’s just as irresistible too. Super loose waves give this medium-length style enough body and movement. Although, the gorgeous color scheme will look same lovely on straight hair.
31. Cute Light Brown Balayage Bob
A light balayage is a stylish match to a brown base. If you are looking to add some oomph to your tresses, but not too much, a subtle contrast of browns is the way to go. The lighter ends almost create a sun-kissed appearance.
32. Subtle Light
Balayage hair doesn’t have to be dramatic or overly noticeable – sometimes it’s as simple as subtly illuminating your hair to light brown with just a pinch of color.
33. Brunette Hair with a Hint of Caramel
Sometimes deep brunettes become hesitant about trying balayage since highlights are often done with light blonde shades. Having a big tone gap between highlights and base color has a tendency to appear dated. Nowadays, effortless hair is in, so go with a few hints of caramel for a brighter complexion!
34. Bright Blonde Highlights for Chocolate Hair
The bright blonde balayage highlights really make the light chocolate hair pop. Add heavier color near the face to brighten up your skin tone and for a more noticeable effect. Whether worn straight or with waves, you’ll be the hair envy of all your friends!
35. Dark Bob with Copper and Golden Blonde Highlights
Balayage hair color really pops when you opt for warm-toned copper and gold highlights. These shades bring richness to the curly brown bob. When you don’t have a lot of length to play with, adding highlights is one easy way to stand out from the crowd with a simple hairstyle. Perfectly messy waves are another go-to.
36. Natural Blonde to Supernatural Silver
Gray hair has been trendy among young women for several seasons now, and it shows no sign of slowing down. These balayage highlights start with a classic blonde and descend into a carefree purple gray hue that is as fun as your super hero outlook on life.
37. Brown, Caramel and Blonde Color Mix
Reddish tones of brown are also a very popular solution in balayage. You may start with chocolate brown or dark burgundy as the darkest base color and then pair it with chunky caramel highlights which of course need a sprinkling of blonde to set off the used colors.
38. Two-Tone Hair with Light Layers
Possibly a prime example and true definition of balayage hair, two-tone wavy ‘dos suit everyone! Even with symmetrical and uniform highlights like these, make sure to keep face framing strands one or two shades lighter for brightness in your face.
39. Cherry Chocolate Balayage for Black Hair
It turns out chocolate and cherry is a sweet combo for your locks too. Although, the deep tones are an edgy alternative to the bronde styles shown in the other pictures. The angled, A-line cut emphasizes that edge and bold appeal even further.
40. Well-Blended Cool–Toned Bronde
Platinum ends don’t always have to be stark when teamed with a dark base. When the highlights are blended well, from the roots to the ends, the balayage hairstyle comes across as fresh, cool, and not over-the-top.
41. Dark Hair with Caramel Babylights
Babylights are a fairly new movement great for a refined appearance. A slightly more mature version of balayage, babylights are a fantastic option for older women or ladies who want understated locks.
42. Layered Bob with Blonde Balayage
An angled lob is a fabulous cut for all ages! Calling all new mothers who have a desire to chop off their locks — this youthful blonde balayage style is chic and low maintenance!
43. Delicious Balayage Highlights
Caramel highlights look so lovely on dark haired women, and the balayage technique really ups the beauty. With the ability to place highlights more freely and seemingly randomly, balayage highlights can brighten up any color or style. If your hair is dark, request chocolate, auburn or honey colored streaks to keep things looking natural.
44. Gourmet Chocolate Balayage
When deciding on the color scheme for your balayage, dark brown hair really affords lots of options. With blonde hair, you can’t go too much lighter. However, the deeper your natural hue, the more shades you can try. Mix your chocolatey locks with golden and caramel highlights for a toasty and chic hairstyle.
45. Dimensional Waves and Bronde Balayage
The good thing about highlights is that no matter what hair type you have, from pin straight to curly, an optical illusion of movement is created. On textured messy hair particularly, golden blonde balayage gives off a carefree beauty vibe.
46. Feminine Creamy Blonde Balayage
Show off your girly side with a layered blonde lob. Dark roots not only give this cut depth, but they also make it easy to maintain as it grows out. You don’t need to stick to your routine 6-week touchups. All you need is to keep your big and loose waves fresh with a wide-barrel curling iron.
47. Gorgeous Caramel Brown Layers
Cinnamon makes for a stunning addition to black hair. The beautiful balayage pieces really help the layers stand out, creating an effortless, feminine style that is modern without appearing too fake. Ask your stylist for highlights that start from the temple and angle backwards to the nape level.
48. Sprinkled Chocolate and Caramel Balayage
Tired of espresso brown hair? Why not try a sprinkle of gorgeous burned caramel highlights? Introduce them slowly, with just a handful of fine streaks placed through the front. It will not only create a beautiful face-framing effect, but also look luxurious and cool simultaneously.
49. Very Subtle Brunette Bronde Balayage
The best balayages are the ones where all the colors beautifully melt into each other and seamlessly blend together. As stunning as the mélange of shades is, it’s important to have a good haircut to match. Have your stylist incorporate layers for movement, especially if you have long hair.
50. Pearl Blonde Balayage for Brunettes
Find yourself having a hard time committing to light or dark hair? Your conundrum is over. Brown and platinum hair can actually coexist on the same head thanks to our dear friend, balayage. Start with your natural shade at the roots to make maintenance a breeze.
51. Milk Chocolate Balayage with Blonde Babylights
The subtlety of your tresses transitioning from brown to blonde is what makes the balayage so magical. It’s much more refined and elegant than its predecessor, the classic ombre. The piecey highlights melt together in this luscious mane, giving the already full-bodied hairstyle even more dimension.
52. Complex Medium Brown Hair Color
The medium brown blend with smears of dark honey, streaks of flaxen blonde and occasional chocolate ribbons in between provides the complexity of the color that won’t be so easy to duplicate. You are likely to get something similar, but not exactly the same. This balayage solution is particularly flattering for tanned skin.
53. Blonde Balayage for Brunettes
Incorporating blonde balayage highlights for brunettes has never been so easy, smart and beautiful. Well, easy for someone who is experienced, because you’ll need to blend the lightest shades of blonde through muted golden brown strands. Use the lightest shades for face-framing.
54. Subtle Balayage Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
A modern textured bob worn effortlessly in loose tousled waves always wins from subtle touches of color called to enhance the texture and dimension of your medium length hair when you wear it undone.
55. Warm Balayage and Side-Swept Bangs
Medium length cuts sometimes get the unfair rep of being the ugly step child between sassy short and lusciously long hair. Embrace your in-between length with some face flattering bangs and a head-turning color. Shades of brown with blonde tips make for a gorgeous palette.
56. Chocolate and Dark Brown Hair Color
It’s not the common streaking. The major benefit of this dye technique is creating dimension in the hair. If you enjoy being a brunette, opt for medium-toned brown balayage hair, remaining on your natural dark brown base. This color will look beautiful on medium length layered haircuts for wavy hair.
57. Long Bob with Beige Ombre
Balayage highlights are a stylish way to blend brown and blonde hair. The dark hair from roots to midshaft and the light tips actually make the strands appear longer by drawing the eye downward. This is a great option for those who would like to lengthen a round face shape.
58. Black Lob with Bronde and White Highlights
For those who like their total look to be a little edgy, pick a balayage color palette that is high in contrast. Platinum highlights against the near-black roots are super bold. Want to take it one step further? Pair the balayage with the sharp angles of an asymmetrical bob. Keep things somewhat soft and feminine with easy waves.
59. Mid-Length Layers with Balayage
There are several tricks to making medium length hair look its best. First, start with a killer cut with lots of layers and texture. Then, make sure you throw in some complementary coloring to show off those layers. Lastly, finish with some fun loose curls to set off the cut and color.
60. Dirty Blonde Balayage Lob
This is an exquisite example of subtle balayage. Whether you like your base color or you’re nervous to experiment with heavy highlights, slightly lightening the tips and face framing strands gives enough of a look update.
61. Multi-Tonal Wavy Brown Bob
Balayage hair color options within brown palette are endless. You can go into reddish (caramel and auburn) tones of brown or try golden shades varying from browns to blondes. In case you would like a more neutral solution, it looks like this: dark brown for the under layer, medium browns washed to the lightest ash hues towards the ends and very light thin ribbons of brown blonde throughout the length here and there.
Instagram/ @hairby_chrissy
62. Choppy Bob with Soft Blonde Balayage
Say goodbye to flat color with a brunette balayage completed with soft honey and blonde highlights. Upgrading a shorter choppy cut with soft, feminine streaks feels modern and cool. Add in some understated waves and you’re onto a winner.
63. Dark Brown Mixed Balayage Color
This mix of browns looks adorable on the shaggy waves. It’s truly an art to compose a blend that is so natural-looking and, at the same time, sophisticated and exquisite. A woman who doesn’t want to reveal the efforts she puts into looking this gorgeous will love the idea.
Instagram/ @hairby_chrissy
64. Dimensional Ash Brown and Platinum Balayage
The balayage hairstyle is so popular because it effortlessly gives your locks depth and dimension. You know when you walk out the door every morning that you’ll look amazing. Plus, each style is totally customizable with whatever shades you love, from dark to platinum.
65. Soft Light Brown Balayage
If you prefer a more natural look, start with a medium shade of brown and add in very subtle beige highlights focused around the face and blurred towards the back. The change is just enough to introduce some interest without looking like you’ve done much to change your hair color. A slightly messy straight-wavy style finishes the effortless vibe.
66. Honey Balayage with Flashes of Blonde
A mix of light brown and blonde pieces is a popular choice when it comes to balayage color combinations. Why? They can be tweaked to suit everyone! Ask a stylist you trust for their expert opinion on which combo you should go for, then take the plunge.
67. Brown, Ash Blonde and Platinum Blend
This pretty hair color solution is dazzling, as it reaches the brightest platinum notes at certain points. Brown and blonde blend can give the feeling of warmth or coolness. This is the coolest combination possible.
Instagram/ @josievilay
68. Strawberry Blonde Balayage for Brunettes
Are you interested in going red, but not quite sure if it’s for you? Strawberry blonde may be the perfect transition color. This warm tone brings a gorgeous creamy cinnamon shade you can’t look away!
69. Chamomile Blonde Layered Hair
Everyone will ask your haircolorist’s number after seeing this perfect blend of blonde shades woven skillfully through your mane! Dark blonde roots plus chamomile bottom starting from the midshaft are always a sure fire choice for girls with naturally light locks.
70. Delicate Balayage for Medium Length Hair
Most examples of balayage on the Internet feature long hair. But shoulder-length locks also look very beautiful with ombre and with balayage. Brunettes going blonde who want to lighten up their hair significantly may go with this cute idea with a light brown tone around the face, dark blonde at the ends and a sprinkling of the lightest blonde throughout the length.
Today balayage is our ultimate hair goal. Only with balayage we can achieve the most bespoke hair colors, fine-tune the palette to brighten up our overall looks and express our individuality. A balayage done by a professional colorist is less damaging than a solid hair color, requires less maintenance, and looks more expensive. These benefits are pretty convincing, but what’s even more is the hair color you see on someone and fall in love with. Today it’s definitely a balayage hair color, dimensional, exquisite and exclusive.
