Blonde may be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of balayage, but balayage on brown hair can be just as transformative. The popular colour application technique can lift and brighten your existing shade without disguising what makes it so good in the first place: all that rich brunette depth.
The change can be as subtle or statement-making as you like. A few lighter pieces through the lengths can give the impression of hair naturally lightened by the sun, while brighter, face-framing pieces create more contrast. And because balayage typically leaves the roots untouched, it grows out softly – an added bonus if regular trips to the salon aren’t your thing.
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What is balayage on brown hair?
Balayage is a freehand colouring technique that originated in France – the word translates as ‘to sweep’ or ‘to paint’. Rather than saturating an entire section of hair from root to tip, colour is painted onto selected strands, close to the surface, allowing your colourist to control exactly where the lightness sits. The result tends to be softer and less uniform than traditional foil highlights.
And while the technique works across all hair colours, a brunette base can make those lighter pieces especially impactful. “Balayage works great on brown hair due to the contrast in levels; you will see the lighter pieces more, due to the brown depth in the hair,” explains Christel Barron-Hough, founder and creative director at STIL Salon.
How light you go is entirely up to you. “Typically, any shade works as a balayage effect, you just need to ensure that the level is one to two tones higher than the backdrop colour to see variation,” says Barron-Hough. Your colourist can then tailor the tone to your complexion, dialling up the warmth with honey and caramel hues or keeping things cooler with beige and ash blonde tones.
Placement matters, too. For the most natural-looking result, Barron-Hough recommends concentrating the colour towards the ends of the hair to mimic the way it might naturally lighten in the sun.
Why is balayage on brown hair trending?
“Balayage has become a classic colouring technique, and most people want it to look super natural now, rather than too chunky,” says Barron-Hough. It makes sense in the context of the ongoing quiet luxury hair movement, where healthy-looking hair and expensive, understated colour trump anything too obviously ‘done’. And while beachy blonde may be the balayage blueprint, brunettes have far more shades to play with – from rich chestnut and copper tones to caramel, honey and cool beige.