The world moves fast, and the world of fashion moves even faster, especially hair fashion. By the time you learn about a new hairstyle or hair trend and book an appointment, the trend has already passed with something new taking its place. Not to mention the maintenance that is required for all these styles.
This is why it is rare to find a hair trend that has stuck around. One of these rarities is balayage. This hair color trend began early in 2014 and is still a much loved and requested style today. One reason for its longevity may be its ability to suit every hair color, brown hair, ginger hair, black, and blonde.
Balayage is a hair color style that is relatively easy to execute by your stylist and easy for you to maintain. It provides you with an instant change that can be as subtle or as bold as you want.
What is Balayage?
Balayage is a hair coloring technique much like highlighting. The difference between balayage and highlights is that balayage does not require the use of foils, unlike highlighting. Your hairstylist can freely paint the hair color directly onto your hair without the need for foils, which are both troublesome and bad for the environment.
Balayage offers a softer, seamlessly blended, and subtle appearance than regular highlighting techniques. Your hairstylist has greater control in providing you with a subtle and uplifting look, giving your hair a new life. Balayage can be subtle or as bold as you want it due to the way the color is applied to your hair.
Why Do Hair Colourists and Clients Love Balayage?
We all know the drill with hair coloring. First, you spend a lot of money coloring your hair, and then you spend an equal amount of money maintaining the color. For standard highlights, you find that your hair needs to be revamped once every eight weeks due to hair growth. You can choose not to, but then your hair just doesn't look the same. With balayage, the maintenance is less than traditional highlights. You can push the retouching well into 12 weeks and sometimes even longer, depending on the color and type of balayage.
Another reason why balayage has become a much-loved hair coloring technique is the variations it offers. You can have balayage on brown hair, blonde hair, black hair, and ginger hair. It can give you an ombre hair look, provide you with subtle blended looks like a brown ale, or can be a bold and bright coloring like electric blue. This is important because not all hair colorings suit everyone but balayage can be tailored to the individual so that it is universally flattering.
Balayage Techniques
There are numerous balayage techniques available, so you are bound to find a style that will suit your hair and your sense of style. There are styles for balayage on dark brown hair, balayage on light brown hair, and fun colored balayage like pinks and purples.
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Tweed Hair
Named Tweed hair by Rex Jimieson, a hair colorist based in Chicago. This form of balayage is a change from his client’s previous block ombre looks. This technique involves an even dispersion of the highlight in a blended manner. Allowing for the contrast and color difference without it being very loud and for a more blended seamless appearance. The contrast can be seen beautifully with a brown balayage mixed with a subtle golden shade.
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Brown Ale
This is a form of balayage on dark hair. Brown Ale is given its name because of the warm amber highlights that this coloring gives to people with dark hair, especially brunettes. The color payoff of this balayage is incredible, and it gives a rich mahogany undertone/base with subtle hints of amber. This balayage gives a warm and rich tone to brunette hair without the commonly associated mousy and brassy undertones that come with brown hair. This is a great choice of color during the winter months, and it offers a hint of warm tones with richness and depth.
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Pastel Balayage
We have pastel balayage for those who want something different from the usual browns, blondes, and blacks. From pastel pinks, purples, and blues, you can choose from any color that suits your fancy. The change is both bold and subtle simultaneously. It is bold because it strays from the traditional colors that people look for in their hair but is also subtle due to how balayage works. The color is subtly blended into your natural hair color to give it a more together and unified look, rather than a blocked or choppy look.
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Twilighting
It's an interesting name for a coloring technique, but rest assured it has nothing to do with Twilight's vampire series. This balayage technique is formulated for those with brown hair, specifically those who have warm undertones to their brunette locks. It gives their hair a golden tone. It adds depth and tone to brunette hair while also being low maintenance. Not to mention it looks gorgeous with the mixes of brown and golden blending together beautifully.
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Cool Brown Balayage
Changing the color of your entire hair can be a drastic change, and not for everyone. For those with brown hair, your hair can look one-toned, which can make it look like it lacks volume. So, if you want a change in your hair color while sticking with your brown locks, then this cool brown balayage is perfect. It adds depth and tone to your hair. Giving it a refreshed and new look by minimizing any red undertones and adding some much-needed definition and shine to your locks.
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Ombre-like Balayage
This is a form of balayage that is great for those looking to accentuate the front of their face and add some color to their ends. This balayage gives an ombre-like appearance but in a more blended and subtle manner. Giving you a pop of colour, definition, and some much-needed life to your hair.
Conclusion
If you have been looking for a hair coloring style that will stay in fashion for quite some time, then look no further than balayage. Not only is it becoming a hair coloring staple, but it also comes in numerous techniques and is much less maintenance than other options like traditional highlights.