While many girls think that balayage is all about making your hair multicolored, there is much more to this technique. Since it implies hand painting, a colorist is free to place color touches and streaks wherever it is required to highlight your bone structure, complement your cut, show off your complexion, or add something lacking in your hair texture. Sure, this freedom allows for better customization, and we are going to show you the best balayage hair colors to show to your stylist in 2024.
1. Sandy Blonde Balayage
“With a bob, the balayage highlights — blonde or warm brown — should be blended carefully with the root tone, otherwise the whole head of hair is going to look single-process,” says Linda de Zeeuw, master stylist and colorist at NYC’s salon of award-winning Rob Peetoom, to Refinery29. Here is a sweet bob that needs no other bells and whistles apart from a seamless color transition from the initially brown base to sandy blonde.
via @lunaarhair
2. Caramel Blonde Balayage
Caramel highlights work great to emphasize piece-y texture on dark heads and add them a bit of shine through tiny lighter streaks. Combine it with beachy waves for a chic look.
via @hairbykatlin
3. Black Hair with Red Balayage
If you’re a fan of vivid colors, go for a red balayage to dramatize your sassy asymmetric cut. A transition from black to red is one of a kind.
via @shmoakin_hair
4. Warm Blonde Pixie Balayage
Even if your cut is very short, there is still some room for creativity with colors. It’s a great idea to dye the longer tresses on the top for a vibrant contrast.
via @parinica_cristina
5. Balayage On Curly Hair
The balayage does wonders on naturally curly hair, giving it a fresher and airier look while retaining an authentic feel. The mix of caramel and toffee looks gorgeous on dark base.
via @curlfactor
6. Chestnut Balayage on Black Hair
There is no reason to change your color scheme drastically when you want to add a little depth to your dark hair – just go 1-2 tones lighter. For example, experiment with chestnut tones on your dark brown or black base.
via @hairbykatlin
7. Subtle Ash Blown Balayage
For a brighter, yet still unforced effect, add teasy lights your brown locks – this collar-bone lob boasts some really nice ones. Caramel on dark chocolate is one of the most popular balayage combos.
via @meltedbymish
8. Blonde Ombre Balayage
We adore this crisp voluminous hairstyle featuring both a spectacular color lift and artistic highlights to soften the transition. This is a great example of a perfect blend of light brown to bronde to pure blonde ends.
via @prettylittleombre
9. Multidimensional Brown Hair Color
The recipe for upgrading your average shoulder length style is simple – blend in a couple of lighter tones to get dimension galore. This style is a mix of brown, auburn, toffee, and caramel tones.
via @stephanie_stylist
10. Chestnut Blonde Balayage
What a relaxed feel this nice straight lob has. Note how highlights at the front work here to frame and illuminate the face.
via @petermenezes
11. Honey Blonde Balayage
Want a mermaid effect for your long locks? Ask for slicing on the bottom and don’t forget about honey blonde streaks around the face and throughout, starting from the mid length.
via @igorkhonin
12. Warm Blonde Balayage
“Lived-In Color creates a look that has a natural regrowth with no noticeable grow outline, since the darker regrowth blends into the lighter hair with no stopping or starting point,” says one of today’s most requested colorists Johnny Ramirez, who works with celebs like Jessica Alba and Miranda Kerr, to Glamour. While a piece-y texture gives a modern bed-head touch to the long bob, a seamless mix of bronde hues keeps it fresh and vibrant.
via @stephengarrison
13. Bright Red Balayage with Dark Red Roots
Want to enhance your auburn hair and go for a more foxy vibe? We just cannot take our eyes off this ginger palette showing how sophisticated, deep, and beautiful long red hair can be.
via @chrisweberhair
14. Mushroom Brown Babylights
Mushroom brown has been trending over past seasons, and we can understand why – it opens floodgates to the world of amazing cool-toned shades for dark-haired girls. The seamless transition from darker to lighter tones is simply breathtaking.
via @guy_tang
15. Blonde and Brunette Blend
A mix of lights blonde thin streaks and brunette tones look spectacular on dark hair. It’s natural for a brunette to want some highlights throughout her hair to add a bit of warmth and depth while avoiding dullness.
via @kellynaso
16. Creamy Auburn Balayage
Well, we know that balayage can make straight hair look crisper, as well as it has the power to deliver depth to thin and fine tresses. Layering is great for straight strands to make them pop, but there is a chance to enhance the effect by blending in some creamy hues.
via @erblinxerxa_studiovolume
17. Blonde Balayage on Natural Hair
Balayage works on all textures, and in some ways, curly hair is easier because you can pick out each curl you want to apply colour to. The pre-lightener (bleach) or colour choice is dependent on the finished look you want to achieve, not the texture,” says international colorist Jack Howard, who styled Gillian Anderson and Andie MacDowell among other stars, to Elle. The bouncy coils spiced up with ashy tones is a wonderful balayage inspo for curly locks when you want to combine depth with dimension.
via @curlpop
18. Ash Blonde Highlights and Lowlights
Thin tresses cannot do without added depth, and both highlights and lowlights can be suitable depending on your current color scheme and preferences. Wispy bangs look great on balayage styles too, whether you decide to dye them or not.
via @zimmermanhair
19. Chocolate Balayage Ombre
Long hair can pull off any balayage style, especially when it’s all glammed up. These wavy locks are painted just as little as it is required to get a subtle sun-kissed effect to the tips while retaining its authentic warm tones.
via @ayanahairdesign
20. Blonde Balayage with Dark Roots on Short Hair
You cannot go wrong with highlights for fine strands no matter how short your cut is. They will brighten up your hair and give it more volume for sure.
via @chelscaruso
21. Dimensional Warm Chestnut Streaks
This dark balayage incorporates warm light tones through tiny stitches just to illuminate the natural color from the inside. Chestnut streaks are mixed with lighter copper for a multidimensional effect.
via @colorsbyjaime
22. Golden Blonde Balayage
You can opt for a kind of bronde with a mix of brown and blonde in equal proportions to get a streaked, yet smoothed look. Go for a light palette, especially when your hair is long enough to show off the entire color transition with all its diversity of shades.
via @cris_cobucci
23. Platinum Blonde Balayage on Dark Hair
A cool toned brown base works well with ashy and platinum blonde, so if you’d rather stick to that color scheme, take the plunge. This style looks great with curtain-shaped face-framing layers.
via @singi.vo
24. Caramel Bronde Balayage
The yummy caramel tone is a go-to for warm toned brown-haired girls. It brings in all the shine and emphasize the hair texture.
via @romeufelipe
25. Face-Framing Balayage
Those who prefer rocking their hairstyles without bangs should definitely consider highlights around the face to give it a spotlight. This works well for emphasizing your features and making your eyes pop.
via @chrisweberhair
26. Lived-In Balayage on Short Bob
If you’re an owner of short dark hair, you probably wondered if you can pull off a balayage. The answer is simple – just look at this example. Nobody can deny the fact that this short bob looks way brighter thanks to light flares touching its perimeter.
via @foxandjane
27. Milk Chocolate Blonde Balayage
Dark roots with blonde hair deliver a spectacular contrast we all love so much, but it works even better when the light accents are placed strategically. A mix of trending milk chocolate and honey blonde hues creates a stunning effect on dark base.
via @frances_hairartist
28. Caramel Blonde Root Melt
While straight hair often tends to look monotonous, this is not the case with the professional balayage coupled with a layered cut. This is a great example of a well-blended balayage with color transition so subtle we can barely notice it.
via @styled_by_carolynn
29. Subtle Salted Caramel Balayage
“Balayage is a great option for dark hair looking to go just a touch lighter. But instead of blonde, you should opt for warm caramel tones that are still in the brown color family. Too much contrast will look harsh, so a warm brown is almost always flattering,” says celebrity colorist George Papanikolas to Refinery29. The partial balayage placed around the face is a go-to option in between your visits to a salon for a full coloring service.
via @carla.jean.styles
30. Auburn and Eggplant Blend
Auburn, eggplant, and mahogany tones are perfect for dark base, too. Adding some glare to a deep base produces an amazing (quite subtle) effect, making the hair look so touchable.
via @hairbyamybee
31. Bright Blonde Balayage on Black Hair
If you want to get back to your naturally black hair after rocking blonde, balayage is your go-to for making the transformation seamless. This style features bright blonde front strands and ends.
via @haircolorkilla
32. Beige and Ash Blonde Balayage
Mushroom balayage works well for both brunettes and blondes with its stunning mixture of ash and beige hues. The cool-toned brown base looks gorgeous with streaks of perly hues.
via @frances_hairartist
33. Platinum Blonde Balayage
Long hair gives a lot of space to combine various painting techniques. Ombre and highlights for a customized color scheme bring layered long hair to another level.
via @erblinxerxa_studiovolume
34. High-Contrast White Blonde Balayage
Those wishing to enjoy a more dramatic effect can opt for white streaks, contrasting with a dark base and adding depth to it. Looks great styled in messy beachy waves, too.
via @hairby_gabbs
35. Creame Blonde Balayage
This lovely lob looks even more delicate and airy due to the feathered and flipped out tips emphasized with bright blonde shades. Long curtain bangs look stunning with a color transition.
via @idolapiazzabovio
36. Toffee Face Framing Balayage
Everybody loves money pieces on dark hair – it is perfect for brightening up the face. Here we have a nice example of working face-framing highlights into a honey blonde balayage.
via @hairby_gabbs
37. Dark Blonde Balayage on Curly Hair
While full color natural hair may feel a bit dull, blinks of lighter shades can be a game-changer. When done right, balayage accentuates the texture and gives it shine.
via @curlpop
38. Dark Gray Balayage
The gray color palette is hot at the moment, so you have a perfect chance to steal from this cool smokey look with no transition noticeable. A perfect choice for those who want a more subtle yet trendy look.
via @hairbyamberjoy
39. Bright Purple Balayage
Are you into vivid colors? Bolder girls will love to slay an eye-popping purple balayage that is destined to suit brunettes with its wonderful low maintenance.
via @evalam_
40. Auburn and Mahogany Blend
Just look at this awesome auburn hairstyle radiating warmth, depth, and shine! It’s perfect if you want to give sparkle and dimension to dark hair. All shades of red, including mahogany and auburn, are made for natural dark base.
via @off7thsalon
41. Honey Blonde Balayage
Golden shades are a go-to for warmer seasons. When searching for inspo for your next color transformation, think of voguish sun-kissed hair with gold sheen.
via @hairby_gabbs
42. Peach and Rosegold Balayage
If you’re into colorful pastel hair, we’ve got you covered. Here is a nice way to give a new twist to your blonde balayage turning it into a delicate peach and rose fascination with simple toning.
via @igorkhonin
43. Pale Blue Balayage
You can take it a step further and let ashy shades melt into blue hues. Quite unexpected and creative while totally beautiful on younger girls!
via @hairloungenyc
44. Copper Balayage
This straight hair looks anything but monotonous thanks to the reviving copper streaks. Blending into flipped up tips, this color transition illuminates dark base with lighter tones.
via @petermenezes
45. Berry Pink Balayage
Who said that pink hair is garish? We simply adore this sophisticated combo of chocolate and strawberry hues, which ladies of any age can pull off.
via @hairbynoora
If you’re feeling as inspired by these beautiful balayage examples as we do, all you need to do to join the squad is take one or two of our pictures to your next visit to a salon. Whether you go for warm or cool blonde tones, red hues, or bright and vivid colors, make sure to rock your new hairstyle with confidence!