As 2015 came to a close, three hair trends stole the spotlight: balayage, ombre, and babylights. For those who fell head over heels for these stunning looks, there’s reason to rejoice. The good news is that these styles are not only here to stay but will also evolve in creative ways throughout 2016. This year promises to be a game-changer, with innovative balayage highlight ideas that can transform your hairstyle from ordinary to extraordinary.
From delicate, subtle nuances to bold and contrasting statements, the possibilities are endless when it comes to incorporating these trends into your new look.
Silver Blonde & Caramel Balayage Highlights
Jessica Biel is one Hollywood A-lister who has taken the beauty world by storm with her stunning balayage hairstyle. This cutting-edge technique requires hairstylists to painstakingly hand-paint highlights onto specific sections of hair, mimicking the way the sun would naturally illuminate locks if one were basking in its warmth outdoors. The end result is a look that effortlessly blends multiple shades and colors, allowing for creative freedom and versatility.
According to renowned beauty expert @constancerobbins, balayage’s natural-looking results make it an ideal choice for those seeking a low-maintenance yet high-impact hairstyle.
Golden & Caramel Brown Highlights
The ‘dark to light’ hair trend is a game-changer for those seeking low-maintenance beauty routines. By embracing this aesthetic, individuals can enjoy longer periods between hair appointments, as the subtle transition from dark to light creates a seamless look. The genius of balayage highlight ideas like this lies in their ability to deceive – it’s impossible to tell whether the dark color at the top is intentional or simply the result of a recent dye job growing out.
As this trend continues to gain popularity, it’s clear that it’s here to stay. In fact, even supermodels like Gisele Bundchen have jumped on board, sporting stunning balayage blonde looks that are sure to inspire. With its natural, effortless vibe, the ‘dark to light’ trend is an absolute must-try for anyone looking to upgrade their hairstyle.
Sun-Kissed Lob
While some may assume balayage is reserved for those with longer locks, nothing could be further from the truth. Case in point: this stunning individual, whose barely shoulder-skimming hair still manages to boast a gorgeous gradient of light to dark hues. The key takeaway here? Anyone can rock this look, regardless of their hair length. The subtle baby blonde highlights woven throughout their strands add a touch of depth and dimension, effectively creating the illusion of thicker, fuller locks.
Meanwhile, those textured layers at the end serve as the perfect finishing touch, especially when styled with a bit of tousling and flicking to create that effortless, undone look. And the best part? This entire getup can be achieved in mere minutes, courtesy of a hair dryer and round brush in the morning.
Golden Blonde Highlights
For many of us, the balayage highlight ideas popularized by celebrities like Miranda Kerr evoke a sense of nostalgia for carefree summers spent playing outside. The subtle, sun-kissed effect they create is reminiscent of those hours spent basking in the warm sunshine, free from worries and concerns.
Inspired by this trend, @darlene_the_stylist notes that balayage baby lights offer a more understated alternative to traditional highlights, blending seamlessly into one’s natural locks rather than making a bold statement.
Honey Blonde Highlights for Brunettes
For those considering a bold hair transformation, going from brunette to blonde can seem like a daunting task. However, it’s not necessary to make such a drastic change to achieve a stunning, sun-kissed look. As demonstrated by these honey-toned highlights for brunettes, a subtle blend of blonde and darker hues can create a summer-perfect style that turns heads. The beachy waves add an undeniable allure, making this look a must-have for the season.
Caramel Brown Highlights On Dark Hair
If you’re a natural brunette looking to add some warmth to your locks for the upcoming season, you might be wondering what’s the best way to achieve caramel brown highlights on dark hair. The solution lies in embracing the best of both worlds. By going lighter on the ends and trimming a few inches off for a fresh cut, you can create a stunning balayage-highlighted look that’s perfect for transitioning into the warmer months.
Meanwhile, where new growth is emerging at the top, it’s essential to treat this area with minimal intervention, leaving the hair unaltered by bleaching or dyeing it. This subtle approach ensures a seamless blend of old and new, resulting in a look that’s both effortless and alluring.
Red Balayage Highlights + Lob
The versatility of balayage is one of its most alluring qualities. With its ability to seamlessly blend with any hair style, shape, or color, the possibilities are truly endless. The wide range of tones and hues available on the blonde, brown, and red spectrums provides a canvas for creativity, allowing you to reinvent your look every time you step out of the salon. From subtle, face-framing highlights to bold, end-to-end coloring, balayage offers an unparalleled level of customization.
By simply adjusting the placement or color palette, you can dramatically transform your appearance with each visit to the salon. For instance, you could opt for a more dramatic look by starting the balayage painting closer to the top of your hair, or play it cool with just a hint of color at the ends.
Natural, Dark Brown Root + Silver Blonde Highlights
For a low-maintenance yet stunning hairstyle, this natural dark brown look is a great option. The subtle silver blonde highlights add a touch of elegance without requiring an excessive amount of styling effort. Inspired by @annahdoeshair’s effortless approach, you can achieve this look in no time.
In the morning rush, use your blow dryer and round hairbrush to create bouncy waves that require minimal upkeep.
Alternatively, if you have a bit more time, quickly run your straighteners over your hair on a lower setting, finishing off with a light spritz of hairspray to keep everything in place.
Voilà! A chic hairstyle that’s ready in just five minutes.
Warm Brown and Golden Blonde Highlights
The primary objective of balayage is to create natural-looking highlights, unlike anything previously achieved. Originally hailing from France, this technique has gained immense popularity worldwide, with numerous celebrities and non-celebrities alike flocking to hair salons for a fresh new look.
As showcased by @lemastyyles, the stylist’s mastery of length manipulation is striking in this particular style, incorporating multiple layers throughout.
The subtle blending of golden blonde and warm brown hues creates a timeless appearance that can be effortlessly adapted to suit any season – simply add lighter highlights for summer or reduce them for winter. The result is a low-maintenance yet stunning look.
Copper Caramel Highlights
Balayage’s versatility is what sets it apart from other hair coloring techniques. With the right combination of colors, you can achieve looks that range from sun-kissed and natural to bold and daring. Whether you’re looking to add subtle warmth or make a statement with vibrant hues, balayage offers endless possibilities. For instance, if you’re considering trying out red for the first time, you could opt for a copper caramel look that combines strawberry blonde tones with darker brown roots.
This approach allows you to dip your toes into bold color without going overboard, resulting in a look that’s both flattering and unexpected.
Honey Blonde + Natural Root
What truly sets these balayage highlight ideas apart is their ability to seamlessly integrate with natural root growth. The positioning of the highlights allows for a flawless transition between darker roots and lighter ends, eliminating any visible grow-out lines. This clever design makes it impossible to distinguish between what’s natural and what’s dye, creating a look that’s both stunning and low-maintenance.
To recreate this effortless style, work with your stylist to leave the roots naturally dark (or slightly darker than your natural color) and blend the balayage highlights down to the ends. This will create a gradual lightening effect from top to bottom. For added texture and bounce, use a medium-barrelled curling iron to achieve loose waves that can be worn both fresh out of the salon and at the end of the day.
Caramel & Honey Blonde Highlights
We couldn’t help but be struck by the uncanny resemblance between this hairstyle and our favorite chocolate bar. The similarity was undeniable, making us appreciate the creativity behind it even more. As we gazed at the vibrant locks, we found ourselves fantasizing about rocking this look.
If you’re as captivated as we were, you’ll need to consult your stylist about incorporating caramel and honey blonde highlights, hand-painted from around ear level to the ends, with a gradual transition to lighter shades towards the tips.
Caramel Highlights
When looking to incorporate these stunning balayage highlight ideas into your style, consider opting for a lob or long bob haircut. This versatile length allows for creative experimentation with colors and shades, while still being short enough to be considered low-maintenance.
By cutting the length of your locks, you’ll not only reduce styling time but also alleviate tension on your scalp and hair, making it a great opportunity to give your hair and scalp a well-deserved break from the usual high maintenance routine.
Golden Caramel Highlights
While bold and bright colors can certainly make a statement, this look strikes a perfect balance between creativity and restraint. The key to achieving this subtle blend lies in employing a light blending technique that seamlessly integrates the two colors. Unlike streaks of color, the majority of the blending work is almost imperceptible, creating a harmonious fusion where one hue seamlessly transitions into another.
Honey Beige Highlights
For those who want to go blonde but not too extreme, consider a balayage highlight technique that adds dimension without fully committing to a new shade. By incorporating this blended style into the bulk of your locks, you can create a stunning gradient effect. To really make it pop, focus on adding more light and feathery layers around the face, which will frame your features and provide a sneak peek at what you’d look like with an all-over lighter color.
This approach not only enhances the highlighting properties but also adds a touch of sophistication to your overall look.
Light, Face Framing Highlights
While showcasing an exaggerated version of our desired outcome – transforming your ‘do with just a few strategically placed tendrils around the face – we’re highlighting the world of difference it can make. Inspired by the work of @jeanpierresosa, this look takes subtle to a new level, offering a slightly bolder take on previous styles we’ve showcased. The best part? You can easily flip the script and try darker face-framing balayage highlights if you typically opt for light locks.
Golden Blonde Highlights on Dark Hair
Why not take the opportunity to push boundaries and try something bold? That’s the beauty of incorporating golden blonde highlights into dark hair – it’s a rebellious, edgy vibe that screams ‘summer festival mode’.
Soft Caramel and Blonde Highlights
By combining balayage highlight ideas and ombre gradients, you can create a striking look that transforms dull brown hair into a vibrant, multi-dimensional masterpiece. This stunning style, showcased by @paintedhair, is deceptively versatile despite its relatively short length, offering ample opportunities for creativity and experimentation. As one of the most anticipated trends of 2016, this unique fusion of techniques is sure to make waves in the world of hairstyling.
Gold, Caramel and Mocha Highlights
The allure of a rich cup of coffee is undeniable, but for many, it’s the mesmerizing fusion of gold, caramel, and mocha highlights that truly captivates. The tantalizing tapestry of blonde and bronde hues creates a look that’s undeniably show-stopping. According to @lemastyyles, this low-maintenance hairstyle achieves perfection without requiring an eternity to style, allowing you to enjoy it for weeks on end before your next appointment – a true #hairgoals achievement.
Copper + Caramel Highlights on Dark Hair
While caramel balayage highlight ideas may appear intricate, they’re surprisingly accessible. By opting for a hand-painted approach over traditional foil methods, which can be time-consuming and laborious, you’ll find that these designs are actually more manageable. The key to achieving this look is blending the colors in a sweeping, random pattern, with lighter shades applied towards the ends.
This technique takes advantage of curly layers, allowing for maximum visual impact and showcasing every aspect of your new color job – a benefit not typically associated with straight hair.
Dark Red Hair + Golden Highlights
While red and blonde may not be a conventional color combination for many women, when executed correctly, dark red hair with golden highlights can produce stunning results. It’s essential to work with a skilled hairstylist who can tailor the cut and color to your individual features. If you’re hesitant to try a bold color that might clash with your skin tone, consider incorporating the brighter shade as an accent towards the ends of your hair.
This allows for a more subtle introduction of the color while still offering versatility in terms of styling options.
Chocolate Caramel Highlights
Achieving that effortless summer vibe? It’s all about embracing the beachy boho aesthetic. And, in our opinion, nothing screams ‘beachy’ like a stunning combination of beachy blonde and caramel balayage highlights on neutral, brown or dirty/dark blonde hair. The look is so iconic, it’s favored by supermodels like Victoria’s Secrets’ own Lily Aldridge – and you can recreate it at home with just the right styling products.
Start by adding some relaxed, wavy texture to your locks using a generous spritz of salt spray.
Golden Balayage Highlights
The latest craze in hairstyles is the alluring, bouncy curl phenomenon, which effortlessly exudes femininity, elegance, and sophistication. This versatile look can be worn both day and night, with the ability to easily dress up or down depending on your style choices. Accessories such as hair bands or a few strategically placed grips can elevate this look to new heights.
As with any hairstyle that involves frequent manipulation, it’s essential to limit the use of heated styling tools whenever possible. However, if you do find yourself relying on them, make sure to take necessary precautions by using a heat-protecting product to preserve your locks’ natural luster and prevent damage.
Caramel Blonde Highlights for Dark Brown Hair
For those seeking a gradual transformation from dark brown hair to a stunning blonde hue, caramel highlights offer an attractive middle ground. This approach allows for subtle shifts in color without the need for drastic changes at once.
By embracing the balayage technique and gradually building up lighter shades over time, you can achieve a beautiful, multi-dimensional look that’s perfect for those who want to experiment with different color combinations before committing to a full-on blonde makeover.
Caramel Waves
For those who prefer to keep their dark locks intact, don’t worry – the same balayage highlight ideas can still be applied with a twist! By incorporating different colors into your look, you can add depth and visual interest without going too light. Take this stunning example from @paintedhair as inspiration. As you can see, there may not be any bold blonde tones, but the subtle highlights still do wonders in creating the illusion of thickness and lusciousness.
In fact, these same techniques would struggle to achieve the same impact if applied to straight hair with only one color – it’s all about adding layers and dimension!
Bronzey Highlights
When selecting between ash blonde tones and brassy, coppery golden hues, consider the nuances of your skin tone. A mismatched choice can have unintended consequences. For instance, if you opt for an ash look but already possess a pale, ashy complexion, you may find that the new dye job leaves you appearing washed out rather than radiant. It’s essential to think about how the color will interact with your natural pigmentation before making a final decision.
Copper and Golden Blonde Highlights
When it comes to choosing between balayage and ombre, why not combine the two techniques? In reality, many creative balayage highlight ideas merge these styles seamlessly. Ombre, as you may know, involves a gradual fade from dark to light, offering a striking yet bold or subtle look depending on your preference.
Balayage, on the other hand, presents a more natural approach to hair coloring, with the added benefit that it often doesn’t require bleaching to achieve the desired results – although this ultimately depends on the colors used. In many cases, balayage is the more forgiving design option.
Mocha + Ice Tone Highlights
While the allure of bold and vibrant blonde highlights is understandable, there’s no rule that says you have to opt for a fiery tone. In fact, taking an ice or ash-inspired approach can be a great way to balance out your look without sacrificing too much edge. By combining these tones with darker browns and mocha hues, you can create a unique blend that suits your personal style.
Ultimately, the key is finding a shade that resonates with you, whether it’s a subtle, icy blonde or something more dramatic. With so many options available, there’s no need to feel pressured into adopting a bright blonde tone – explore and find what works best for you.
Caramel and Beige Blonde Highlights
Looking to shake up your hairstyle without straying too far from your usual color palette? Balayage might just be the ticket. This innovative technique offers unparalleled control over where the lighter sections of your hair lie, allowing for a more natural-looking gradient effect and reduced regrowth maintenance.
Light Chocolate Highlights
While traditional foil highlighting typically requires touch-ups every six to eight weeks, balayage highlights offer a more relaxed maintenance routine. In fact, many people can go without needing a re-dye for up to ten weeks or even longer, depending on their individual hair growth and styling habits.
Dark Brown Hair + Caramel Highlights
While it’s ideal to perfect the balayage highlight look at a salon, you can still achieve a natural blend of color at home with kits available at local drug stores. To succeed in this DIY endeavour, focus on the longer lengths of your hair and work with your natural layers or those cut by your hairstylist. Having a friend assist is also recommended, as this isn’t a look that’s easily achievable without experience. Start with subtle and discreet results to avoid any mishaps.
If you’re new to at-home hair dyeing, it’s best to begin with small, incremental changes rather than attempting a dramatic transformation. With practice and patience, however, you can still create stunning balayage highlights that complement your unique features and personal style.
