Dreaming of beautiful sunkissed hair for summer? Whatever your current base colour, you can achieve this high impact but low maintenance look with balayage. This salon technique can be adapted to suit all different hair tones and textures, and it's also a look that’s forever being reinvented, with fresh trends emerging each season. For summer 2024, it's all about sunlit shades that give a shimmery, beach-inspired effect.
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We’ve asked the experts for their advice on getting the best balayage hair colour for you right now, and how to keep your results looking fresher for longer. Here’s everything you need to know about balayage before you book.
What is balayage?
"Balayage, originating in France during the 1970s, derives its name from the French word 'balayer', meaning to sweep or paint," explains top hairdresser Gustav Fouche. "It's a hair colouring technique seamlessly transitioning from darker roots to lighter ends. Balayage offers versatile options, ranging from stark contrasts to softer, sun-kissed effects, tailored to enhance your natural beauty. Your stylist can select the most suitable variation based on your skin tone, ensuring a flattering and gradual transformation."
How does it differ from regular highlights?
Balayage involves painting scattered pieces of colour to the hair by hand. Unlike traditional highlights, these start well away from the root. “Balayage is a free-hand colouring technique,” explains Emma Vickery, creative director at Percy & Reed salon. “It’s more versatile than highlights, as you can pinpoint exactly where you would like to see the colour. For instance, you may like it to frame your face and enhance your eyes or cheek bones.”
The effect is also more subtle than traditional highlights, explains Adam Reed, celebrity stylist and founder of Arkive Headcare. “Balayage was originally designed to look like sweeps of colour through the hair: think ultra-natural, fresh and young looking. Traditional balayage gives that natural sun-lightened lift that looks like you’ve been away and you can see beautiful soft highlights running through the hair.”
What hair types and lengths does balayage suit?
“Balayage as a technique can be applied to any hair length, texture or cut - even relatively short styles - and we especially love it with a layered look to show off that dimension,” says Liz Wilson, colour expert at Live True London.
How can I find the right balayage colour for me?
By all means trawl Pinterest for inspiration, but there’s no substitute for speaking to your hairdresser. “They will be able to tell you the right colour for your skin tone, hair type and hair depth, and what they’ll need to lift it to the right shade,” says Adam. They’ll also be able to advise on what’s realistic. “People often request balayage but show an image that’s a totally different colour to theirs,” adds Adam.
Your hair history should also be taken into consideration, says Liz. “If your hair is in good condition or is already quite light, you can try out much brighter balayage colours,” she says. “But in general we recommend starting just a few shades lighter than your natural root colour. This will allow for seamless regrowth and give the perfect sun-kissed look.”
Getting the right tone is vital. Your final balayage result comes from the toning process, where a coloured gloss is added once the hair has been lightened. It’s the colourist’s way of making the balayage pieces warmer or cooler, and it’s something you’ll need to top up to maintain the result you walk out with.
Your colourist will be able to advise on tone, but there are a few general rules to bear in mind. “If you have a darker base naturally, your hair and skin will nearly always suit having a slightly warmer tone to it with balayage,” says Emma. “The opposite is true with naturally lighter bases. Think of a Scandi blonde: it’s more of a mushroom tone, so slightly cooler which sits against the skin nicely.”
Can balayage have an anti-ageing effect?
Definitely, says Gustav. "Balayage does this by recreating the naturally youthful look seen in children, where darker roots transition into lighter ends due to sun exposure. This technique not only brightens the face but also adds dimension and softens harsh lines, enhancing a more youthful appearance overall."
I'm grey, can I have balayage?
It's trickier but certainly not impossible. "If you've gone grey, balayage is more difficult as you need a darker root for the balayage to sit on," explains Gustav. "So in order to create this, you would do more of the blonde balayage and then go in with a ‘root shadow’. This is when you slightly darken the roots in-between the foil to soften the whole effect."
Any 'don'ts' I should be aware of when having balayage?
Don’t over-tone your balayage, advises Adam. “Applying toners is like putting makeup onto a colour,” he explains. “Toner fades from the hair, and you then get a result that doesn’t look like the colour you wanted.” If you’re having a more vibrant tone added to balayage pieces, ask your colourist how long it will last and what the upkeep will be.
Are there any key balayage trends I should be aware of?
Seamless blend balayage
For summer 2024, Gustav is seeing a move towards what he's calling a "seamless blend balayage". He explains "This trend is mimicking a naturally occurring fade. It's subtle, smooth, and effortlessly chic."
Sandy blonde balayage
"This is a beach-ready summer shade that is neutral-warm toned. We love it for that lived-in blonde look as it’s the perfect naturally sunkissed shade," says Stéphane Ferreira, Senior Colourist at Live True London. "Jennifer Lawrence is a perfect example of a sandy, natural blonde."
Sunlit brunette balayage
“Sunlit brunette is the perfect way to take your natural brunette into summer without a drastic change," says Stéphane. "This balayage weaves warm, golden highlights through your natural hair to create a sunkissed effect."
Textured balayage
"This balayage trend adds dimension and depth with concentrated pops of colour," explains Gustav. "It's perfect for brunettes looking to brighten specific areas, such as around the face for a radiant glow."
What's the upkeep?
Balayage is a low-key look and that’s true for the upkeep too. “The maintenance can be as low as every 6-9 months, as you usually start out with the aim of blending the colour with your natural root colour,” says Emma. “You can come into the salon for a toner every 8-12 weeks - tie this in with your haircut. If you go into the sun, your colour will naturally go lighter so you may want to tone it back down. It’s the same with the autumn/winter months, when you may want to ditch the lightness and aim for a more caramel or copper tone.”
If you’re opting for a balayage look that’s more statement than subtle, be aware that it will be higher maintenance. “Speak to your stylist and ask what the genuine upkeep is and make sure you are happy to sustain that,” says Adam. “Any hairdresser will be honest.”
What’s the best way to style balayage hair?
“There’s a reason most media images of balayage show it on wavy hair,” says Emma. “It should look good on straight hair too, but the wave just helps to give the hair more dimension and can show off the tones more.”
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How can I keep my balayage looking good?
As well as booking in for regular toner top-ups, you’ll want to use good haircare at home and avoid excessive use of heat. While balayage isn’t as damaging as traditional highlights, it does still compromise condition to some extent. For that reason, the experts advise using strengthening shampoos, conditioners and masks to protect against breakage and keep hair looking healthy.
Gustav recommends using natural and organic hair care products like his GF Fabulosity shampoo, conditioner, and a weekly Hair & Scalp Recovery Elixir to keep your hair hydrated and healthy. "Washing your hair less frequently helps preserve the colour, while using cool water during washing seals the hair cuticle and locks in the colour."
"To prevent your balayage from lightening too much, shield it from UV exposure with a heat protection spray or by wearing a sunhat, especially during the summer months. Regular trims are essential to keep your hair looking fresh and maintaining the style."
Best home haircare products for balayage hair
Redken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo
The experts advise investing in your balayage with good-quality shampoos, and you can’t go wrong with Redken. This formula washes away dulling dirt but is gentle enough to keep your hair soft and salon-fresh.
Get instantly stronger with this intensive wash-out treatment. It adds moisture for more snap-resistant hair, shores up each strand with keratin and provides ingredients to boost circulation at the scalp.
Guard against damage from blow-drying, tongs and straighteners with this heat-activated product. It forms a veil of protection that allows you to dry and shape your hair, making the most of its new colour.
If you want to add an extra gleam to your balayage, this high-shine mist is the nearest thing to standing in front of a selfie light. The glossy effect adds a professional-looking polish to any DIY blowdry.
