Sun-kissed hair is the color of summer. Or maybe it reminds you of ocean waves on a beach?

There’s something about blonde balayage that says sunshine and warm days, making the bespoke technique irresistible to try on our tresses.

If your natural or dyed hair lightens in the summertime from extended periods exposed to the sun, you’ll know that the base color transitions into the lighter color as it grows out. This is known as ‘sun-kissed hair‘, as the sun’s rays naturally bleach melanin from the hair.

Balayage is a French word that means ‘to sweep’. Blonde balayage is a hand-painted highlighting technique where the colorist sweeps bleach and blonde hair color onto the hair from the mid-shaft to the ends. It creates a gradual, natural-looking transition between the exisiting hair and the blonde color.

Blonde balayage is popular because it:

• Blends highlights with the base color
• Gives hair a sun-kissed effect
• Creates natural-looking highlights
• Is bespoke on every client
• Allows everyone to be a blondie

Blonde Balayage vs. Blonde Highlights

Blonde balayage is a highlighting technique, as it partially lightens select areas of the hair. Balayage is not the same as traditional highlights, with key differences in their application and results.

The chart below compares blonde balayage to blonde highlights.

Blonde Balayage	Blonde Highlights
Natural or existing base color Blonde tones swept onto the mid-shaft to ends Densley colored blonde ends Hand-painted	Natural or existing base color Blonde highlights from the roots to end All over thin highlights Applied with aluminum foil

Classic highlights first became popular in North America in the 1980s. The foil application, root-to-tip, and visible streaks remained the hair industry standard for several decades. While North American salons first started using the bespoke balayage highlighting technique in the 1990s, the balayage hair trend has only become a huge phenomenon in the past decade.

Blonde balayage involves three main steps:

1. Selecting the hair to apply balayage
2. Hand-painting bleach highlights into the hair
3. Applying a blonde hair color all over or hand-painting colored highlights to the bleached hair

Are you ready to check out some beautiful blonde balayage hair ideas? We’ve combined 44 blonde balayage hairstyles for you to try in 2023.

Blonde Balayage on Brown Hair

Gone are the days of choosing between being a blonde or a brunette. Balayage’s sun-kissed approach to highlighting hair allows you to be both simultaneously.

Blonde balayage on brown hair is the most popular choice for balayage hair because there are so many stunning combinations to choose from.

Popular blonde balayage on brown hair ideas include:

• Blonde and brown caramel balayage
• Brown and ash blonde balayage
• Sandy blonde and golden bronze balayage
• Platinum blonde and dark chocolate balayage

Strawberry Blonde Balayage

“Tastes like strawberries on a summer evening.” Strawberry blonde balayage is our favorite sun-kissed summer hair color.

Strawberry blonde hair color combines light red and warm golden blonde tones. It gives hair the perfect natural-looking sun-glazed color. The strawberry blonde base with sandy blonde balayage is the ultimate summer hair color.

Copper Strawberry Blonde Balayage

Infused with light gingery tones, strawberry blonde naturally compliments the vibrant red hues of copper hair color. Copper strawberry blonde balayage is a golden red fusion of a summer hair color.

Dark Strawberry Blonde Balayage

Classic Strawberry blonde hair is a light golden blonde with hints of berry red. Dark strawberry blonde is a darker shade with bronze undertones. Dark strawberry blonde balayage is the perfect color to combine with light reddish-brown colors like golden honey brown.

Icy Blonde Balayage

Ice blonde baby! Icy blonde hair is a trend we can’t resist. Cool platinum and ashy blonde hair colors give us the chills, but in a good way! Choose ice blonde balayage if you want a frosty way to accentuate your hair.

Icy Blonde Balayage with Dark Roots

There’s something just so alluring about icy blonde hair with dark roots. Ice blonde balayage with dark roots creates a stunning multidimensional color sure to spark compliments. The best part is that dark roots make ice blonde hair much less maintenance.

Brown to Blonde Balayage

Whether you choose brown balayage on blonde hair or blonde balayage on brunette, you can’t go wrong with brown to blonde balayage. We love the transition between buttery blondes and golden bronze to create a multicolored caramel balayage.

Medium Blonde Balayage

Somewhere between ultra-light bleach blonde and dark caramel blonde sits a range of tones known as medium blonde colors. Medium blonde balayage is perfect if you’re looking for a blonde hair color that isn’t too light and high-maintenance but not too dark.

Honey Blonde Balayage

Oh honey, that’s some sweet balayage.

Honey blonde hair is golden with amber, blonde, ginger, and chestnut undertones. You’ll love honey blonde balayage if you want a warm, subtle blonde balayage or a partial balayage that goes well with warm hair colors.

Platinum Blonde Balayage

Platinum blonde is the hair color of the classic ‘blonde bombshell.’

Many iconic women are known for their platinum hair, such as:

• Marilyn Monroe
• Madonna
• Pamela Anderson

Platinum blonde balayage is an ultra-light, icy shade and a timeless choice that’s always sexy and in style.

Dark Blonde Balayage

Dark blonde hair is a rich shade between blonde and brown. It’s the lower-maintenance alternative to platinum, golden and icy shades because it blends in with natural mid-brown hair colors. Combine light and dark blonde into a natural, sun-kissed dark blonde balayage.

Dirty Blonde Balayage

Let’s get dirty.

When you’re looking for a shade of blonde balayage that’s a little on the grungier side, you’ll love the effortless look of dirty blonde balayage.

Dirty blonde is a medium to dark blonde with brown and wheat-colored undertones. It’s a genuine hair color, perfect if you’re looking for a blonde balayage that looks like your natural hair.

Short Blonde Balayage

You know what we love the most about blonde balayage? It looks incredible on short hairstyles.

Short blonde balayage adds dimension to bobs, pixie cuts, and choppy layers. A sun-kissed color is an excellent way to lighten up any hair length.

Dark Root Short Blonde Balayage

Here’s a hairstyle that will make you want to chop off your tresses. Dark root short blonde balayage is one of the sexiest hairstyles for short hair.

Keeping your roots intentionally dark allows you to go longer between visits for color touch-ups. We love the contrast between charcoal grey and icy blonde hair.

Blonde Balayage Straight Hair

Let’s get one thing straight; balayage doesn’t have to be worn with wavy hair. Sure, big loose curls accentuate the bespoke highlighting technique, but blonde balayage straight hair looks gorgeous too. Balayage highlights on straight hair create a much more blended effect than traditional highlights.

Caramel Blonde Balayage

Indulge in the sweet taste of dulce de leche. Caramel blonde balayage is a delicious swirl of buttery blonde and warm toffee tones. Try brunette hair with caramel balayage and blonde money pieces for a slightly darker hairdo.

Natural Blonde Balayage

Natural-born blondies have it easy; no need for hair dye or damaging bleach. As we age, most lose that bright, youthful color, as natural blonde hair tends to get dull or mousy.

The good news is it is relatively easy to achieve hair that looks like natural blonde balayage on darker blonde to light brown hair. Adding some blonde balayage highlights to natural blonde hair gives it that sun-kissed color we crave.

Golden Blonde Balayage

Let these be your golden years of hair color. Golden blonde hair is a warm shade of gold, honey, buttery, and caramel. Golden blonde balayage combines golden hair with buttermilk blonde to create a 24-karat balayage.

Ombre Blonde Balayage

Blonde ombré or blonde balayage? That seems to be a question that comes to everyone’s mind at some point when they contemplate what technique would look good for their hair.

While the two techniques sometimes appear similar, key differences exist in the application and colors used to create blonde ombre vs. balayage hair.

The chart below compares blonde balayage to blonde ombré hair.

Blonde Balayage	Blonde Ombré
Natural or existing hair color base Hand-painted blonde highlights from mid-shaft Sun-kissed transitions from dark to light blonde	Natural or existing hair color roots Two or more shades or blonde blended down from mid-shaft Gradient transition from dark to light blonde

When you combine the two techniques, you get a stunning ombré blonde balayage. Working chunky balayage highlights into ombré hair creates an even more multi-dimensional effect.

Brunette Blonde Balayage

When we think of classic balayage hair, chances are we picture toasty brunette hair with creamy blonde balayage highlights. Brunette blonde balayage is a versatile term for any shade of brown hair with hand-painted blonde highlights.

Beige Blonde Balayage

If a sandy shore with pearly shells is your happy place, you’ll love this beach-inspired balayage. Beige blonde balayage paints buttery yellows and pale sandy browns on a canvas of creamy medium blonde hair. It’s perfect if you want a blonde balayage that is light but not overly vibrant.

Blonde Balayage on Black hair

Dare to do something dramatic with dark hair. Blonde balayage on black hair sweeps bright blonde tones onto raven dark tresses. It’s ideal for people with black hair looking to give their hair a makeover while keeping an intense color.

Black to Blonde Balayage

Maintain the allure of dark hair with a splash of blonde balayage. Black to blonde balayage paints hand-painted blonde highlights into the end of your hair. We love ultra-light ash blonde hair swept into the tips of black hairstyles.

Natural Red Hair with Blonde Balayage

If you have a rare and beautiful natural hair color, it can be hard to give in to dying your hair. Fortunately, with blonde balayage, you get the thrill of a hair makeover while maintaining the color of your natural hair.

Natural red hair with blonde balayage creates a stunning contrast between buttery blondes and gingery tones to create strawberry swirl hair.

Copper Blonde Balayage

Spice up your life with this stunning balayage inspiration! Copper blonde balayage infuses bright gingery copper hair with vibrant buttery blondes. It’s a spicy color combo that’s sure to draw attention and compliments.

Sandy Blonde Balayage

If you like piña coladas and long walks on the beach, sandy blonde balayage is the color for you. Sandy hair color is a mix of creamy blondes and dusty browns,a great choice if you’re going for a more natural-looking blonde balayage.

Asian Blonde Balayage

You have to envy ladies with naturally coarse, thick hair, as they seem to pull off almost every hair color. Though it may take multiple lightning sessions to get the right blonde color, Asian blonde balayage hair looks stunning with hand-painted highlights.

Sunkissed Blonde Balayage

There’s something mesmerizing about sun-kissed hair. The gradual highlights from the sun’s rays create the perfect natural hair color. Sunkissed blonde balayage is a technique to highlight hair to look like it’s touched by the sun.

Ask for the foliage technique when you want the perfect sun-kissed blonde balayage. It combines traditional balayage and foil highlights for natural-looking, lightened hair.

Silver Blonde Balayage

Bring home the gold with silver blonde balayage. This smoky-colored balayage looks great with ash and platinum blonde hair.

Silver hair is metallic with blue, green, and violet undertones. The shimmering shade pairs elegantly with a backdrop of blonde hair.

Rose Gold Blonde Balayage

Life is pretty in pink, but it’s stunning in rose gold! If you like the metallic shine of gold with the soft color of powdery pink, rose gold blonde balayage is for you.

Inspired by the particular hue of rose gold jewelry, rose gold hair blends pink, red, and golden blonde shades. It looks gorgeous when painted on a backdrop of buttery blonde hair.

Fall Blonde Balayage

Did someone order a pumpkin spice balayage? If you’re looking for a fall blonde balayage idea, why not try pumpkin spice?

Pumpkin spice blonde balayage takes a gingery pumpkin-colored base and infuses it with wispy balayage highlights. It’s the perfect color for when the leaves change, and you can embrace the magic of fall!

Mushroom Blonde Balayage

Get in touch with nature. This blonde balayage is giving some seriously earthy vibes. Mushroom blonde balayage is perfect if you’re looking for a dark blonde balayage.

Infused with creamy browns and dusty greys, the mushroom hair color resembles the portabello mushroom cap it is named after.

White Blonde Balayage

Hey there, angel. White blonde hair color is a heavenly shade of icy blonde. You can have white blonde balayage on sandy blonde hair or dare to make a dramatic contrast with dark roots.

Greyish Blonde Balayage

If you haven’t heard, grey hair is so in style in 2023. Whether you’re embracing grey hair naturally or intentionally going for the metallic hues, greyish blonde balayage is an irresistible blend of silver and ashy blonde tones.

Neutral Blonde Balayage

What do we love about a neutral blonde hair color? It’s neither a warm nor cool color.

Neutral blonde balayage looks good on everyone, no matter your complexion or skin tone. It is a medium blonde that blends natural tones like sandy blonde and light mousy brown into a multidimensional color.

Long Blonde Balayage

Don’t we all envy those with long, thick tresses? Long blonde hair provides a canvas for showing off bespoke balayage highlights. If you have long locks, consider long blonde balayage and a couple of face-framing money pieces to compliment the length of your hair.

Grow thick, long hair faster by taking daily biotin supplements like Aviva Advanced Hair Nutrition capsules.

Blonde Balayage Bob

How can you not love balayage highlights? Blonde balayage is a technique that looks good on every length of hair. Go for partial vanilla blonde balayage bob if you want to add dimension to your short layers.

Champagne Blonde Balayage

Put the bubbly on ice, and let’s get ready to party! Champagne blonde balayage is a call for celebration.

Champagne hair color is a very pale shade of icy and golden tones with a slight hint of pale pink. If rose gold blonde balayage is just a little too rosy for you, then you should definitely consider champagne blonde balayage.

Blonde Balayage with Money Piece

Money in the bank! There’s nothing sexier than blonde balayage with face-framing highlights. If you didn’t know, a money piece is a chunky highlight that frames your face. Blonde balayage with money pieces is perfect for all-over multidimensional hair.

Beach Blonde Balayage

Calling all beach babes! Are you ready for some fun in the sun? Beach blonde hair color looks like it’s naturally lightened by saltwater and sunshine.

The three characteristics of beach blonde hair are:

1. Layering light blonde colors
2. Combination of sandy, peach, and vanilla tones
3. Natural-looking sun-kissed effect

Beach blonde balayage is a color and technique that naturally goes together to give the ultimate hair that looks kissed by the sun. Your colorist will likely blend two or more light blonde tones for that sun-kissed beach baby vibe.

For temporary beach blonde balayage, try clip in beachy blonde waves.

Cool Toned Blonde Balayage

Does your skin suit those icy, platinum and ash blonde colors? If so, you’re the ideal candidate for cool-toned blonde balayage. Cool-toned blonde colors are light, frosty shades with blue, violet, and sometimes a hint of green undertones. The opposite of cool-toned blonde balayage is warm-toned blonde balayage.

The chart below compares cool-toned blonde balayage vs. warm-toned blonde balayage.

Cool Toned Blonde Balayage	Warm Toned Blonde Balayage
Icy, platinum, or ash blondes Blue, green and violet undertones Suits people with pink skin undertones	Honey, caramel, buttery blondes Red, orange, and yellow undertones Suits people with golden skin undertones

A majority of blonde balayage ideas you see are warm toned; however, ash blonde balayage is a cool toned blonde that is a versatile choice that suits people with both cool and warm complexions.

Subtle Blonde Balayage

Do you describe yourself as modest and humble? If so, you’ll love a simple, subtle blonde balayage. Ask your colorist for partial blonde balayage swept into your underneath layer of hair and maybe a few think face-framing highlights. It’s perfect for someone who likes a pretty hairstyle with little drama!

Butterscotch Honey Blonde Balayage

Butterscotch honey sounds so delicious! If you’re up for a sweet new hair color, look no further than butterscotch honey blonde balayage.

Butterscotch is a blend of warm caramel brown and golden blondes, whereas honey hair provides amber and just a hint of a rosy hue. Your hair will shine like a golden butterscotch toffee under bright lights.

Blonde Balayage Curly Hair

Kick your curls up a notch or two with the bespoke balayage highlighting technique. Blonde balayage highlights accentuate waves and spiral hair. Blonde balayage curly hair is the style if you love when your hair has maximum bounce.!

How to do Blonde Balayage?

Are you ready to get a taste of the sun-kissed hair trend? Blonde balayage is a bespoke hand-painted highlighting technique that looks different every time.

If you want stunning sun-kissed blonde balayage, you have three options:

1. Book an appointment for blonde balayage with a hair colorist
2. Purchase clip-in blonde balayage hair extensions
3. DIY blonde balayage hair at home

Trying out DIY blonde balayage hair at home is simple and fun! You don’t need to get it perfect since it’s a hair-blending technique. Depending on your starting hair color, and the desired shade of blonde, blonde balayage involves bleaching small sections and following with an all-over hair color or toner.

Our tutorial will demonstrate how to get creamy blonde balayage on medium-brown hair.

Here is what you need for DIY blonde balayage:

• Bowl
• Hair dye brush
• Developer
• Bleach powder
• Hair clips
• Light creamy blonde hair dye

Step #1

In the bowl, combine two parts of bleach powder with one part of the developer. One cup of bleach powder and half a cup of the developer should be enough for medium-length hair.

Step #2

Section your hair into four quadrants. Use the pointed end of the hair dye brush to draw a line down the middle of your hair from your nose to neck. Split each half into two at the back of your ears. Clip each section up with hair clips.

Step #3

Start with your lower right quadrant of hair. Take a one-inch section from the bottom of your hair. Dip the brush end of your hair dye brush in the bleach mixture and blend the bleach from the mid-shaft down in a back-and-forth sweeping motion. Add more bleach at the tips.

Step #4

Repeat the process using one-inch sections of hair and leaving one-inch sections of hair untouched between the bleached sections.

Step #5

Once you have finished with the lower right quadrant, you may repeat on the lower left quadrant. Do not clip your bleached hair back up. Leave it flat and straight.

Step #6

Unclip the two front quadrants and take a one to two-inch section of hair on either side of your face to get face-framing highlights.

Step #7

Cover the face-framing areas with bleach from root to tips.

Step #8

Allow the bleach to remain on your hair for at least 30 minutes, then rinse, brush, and blow dry your hair.

Step #9

You should now have a beautiful blonde balayage pattern and face-framing highlights. Color your entire hair, including the face-framing highlights, with your creamy blonde hair dye according to the box instructions.

Light Up Your Life With Blonde Balayage

Refresh your hair with irresistible blonde balayage! For creamy, buttery blondes to warm golden caramels, there’s a shade of blonde balayage ideal for your hair.