Balayage is the hot new way to color hair… and it is quickly becoming the most popular treatment at salons. And with good reason – it is painted on rather than using traditional foil, so it looks much more natural and prevents harsh growth lines. Here are 25 of our favorite balayage styles to inspire you.
1. Light Brown Balayage
This first style is a medium toned balayage style which ranges from dark brown at the roots to light brown (almost blonde) at the bottom. And the loose, beachy waves add a lovely texture that helps to show off the balayage look. Found over at The Right Hairstyle.
2. Bright Blonde Balayage
This hairstyle is much lighter than the first, beginning with a dirty blonde color at the top and gradually transitioning into a super bright blonde color at the bottom. This would work well for anyone with naturally lighter hair. This look was found here.
3. Brown Black Balayage
Here we have a super dark version of balayage. The almost black hair fades gracefully down to a warm brown color, almost verging on an auburn hue. The deep colors would be very flattering on anyone with a darker complexion. Found over on Instagram.
4. Blonde Bob
Balayage is a great way to color straight hair as well. Here, a short blonde bob style is elevated by a beautiful balayage application. The roots are similar to her eyebrow color, while the blonde gradually gets brighter toward the bottom. Found at Stay Glam.
5. Balayage Before and After
This blog post explains all of the benefits of balayage, and it also shares the details of the full process so you can familiarize yourself with it if you’re on the fence. Make your way over to Camille Styles to check out the full post and to see the “before” photo.
6. Orange Ombré
This eye-catching bright orange hair color is sure to garner plenty of compliments, thanks to its unique color. It has a super noticeable ombré effect, whereas other balayage styles are more subtle. This works best on hair that is naturally darker. Photo found here.
7. Chocolate Brown Balayage
This incredible style has a deep, luscious variety of browns and reds painted into hair that is almost black naturally. And this proves that healthy, shiny hair helps to show off the balayage style. This example was found over on Ashley Michelle Artistry’s Instagram account.
8. Gray Blonde Balayage
If you have some natural gray in your hair (or if you want to jump on the dyed gray hair bandwagon), you might want to consider this gray balayage style. The key is to create a mix of light and dark blonde with the gray to make it look natural. Image found here.
9. Cool Brown Balayage
This look is super subtle, which gives it a very natural look. Her cool brown hair is highlighted with lighter cool brown highlights (almost ash blonde). It is also easier to maintain, thanks to its subtleness. Found over on Mane Interest’s Instagram account.
10. Red and Blonde Balayage
This red and blonde look is super bold, and will add some serious pizzazz to any hair. The top is a deep, saturated reddish brown color which fades down to a medium brown and then a bright blonde at the ends. This photo was found on Behind The Chair’s Instagram account.
11. Red and Purple Balayage
If you’re interested in going bold, give this super bright hair color a try. The top of her head has an intense red color, which then fades down into a violet color and then finishes as a blueish purple hue. Not a good choice for the wallflower in the crowd! Image found over on Flickr.
12. Deep Gray Balayage
If subtlety is more your style, you might consider this look. This would be perfect for those of you who may be starting to go gray and would like to just embrace it. This looks especially lovely on super long hair like that above. Image found over here.
13. Copper Hair and Blonde Lowlights
This look has a lovely copper color throughout, which is then accented by warm blonde lowlights underneath. A deep brown at the roots transitions quickly to lighter and warmer hues. This works as well on straight hair as it does on wavy. Found at Stay Glam.
14. Purple Balayage
Here we have a deep purple balayage style that looks striking on darker hair. The deep brown (almost black) is the perfect base for the purple highlights that begin about halfway down. Bits of red add some extra dimension as well. Image found here.
15. Caramel Balayage
This style is more traditional than some of the others, with a subtle warm honey color highlighting the lower half of this caramel colored hair. This would be a lovely look for the summer, mimicking those sun kissed locks we used to get as kids. Image via Mane Interest.
16. Red Velvet Balayage
This hairstyle is incredibly unique, with a bright blonde base which is then balayaged with a deep, saturated red color. The effect is reminiscent of one of those delicious red velvet cupcakes. Straight hair is the key to success with this one. Image found here.
17. Strawberry Blonde Bob
This pretty style is very subtle, for those of you who want to keep your balayage natural-looking. Her color, a dark strawberry blonde, is highlighted with a warm blonde to get that beautiful sun-kissed appearance. Found over at Mane Interest.
18. Bold Blue Balayage
If you’re a fan of super daring hair effects, then this might be perfect for you. This blue look begins with a white blonde color at the roots which then transitions quickly into a smurf-blue color. There are also some darker blue lowlights underneath. Found here.
19. Rose Red Hair
This is one of those styles that looks fairly traditional at first glance, until you take a closer look at the back and see the beautiful rose red highlights that are balayaged into the lower portion of her hair. Check out this and lots of other ideas here.
20. Fiery Red Balayage
With summer in full swing, fiery coppers and golds are very trendy. So this bold balayage style is right in fashion. The intense red top gradually extends down into a very warm gold tone at the tips of the hair. Check it out over at Pop Haircuts.
21. Bright Blonde Balayage
This blonde looks is super natural looking, with white blonde highlights through the bottom sections and warmer dirty blonde sections showing through from underneath. The hand painted ends look much more natural than traditional foiling. Found at Vivace Salon.
22. Wood Grain Balayage
This style has a lovely variety of brown and warm blonde sections, giving it a look reminiscent of wood grain. Rather than the typical ombré look, this balayage style begins much closer to the roots. And the twist at the top really accentuates the style. Image found here.
23. Pink Fade
If you like unique colors but you aren’t ready to go super bold, this ombré fade look might be the perfect solution for you. This naturally blonde hair gradually turns pink down towards the ends. Bonus: it looks great on straight hair! By Jade Yasminn on Instagram.
24. Perfect Purple
This bride chose an alternative look for her wedding, with a wavy hairstyle that had purple balayage highlights. The purple looked somewhat subtle on her almost-black hair but it was definitely noticeable in certain lights. Head to Capitol Romance to see more photos.
25. Blunt Blond Balayage
And last but certainly not least, we have this expertly done blunt cut hairstlye with ombré balayage highlights. The painted on highlights are perfect for this super straight hair type where the application must be absolutely flawless. Image found here.
