Fine, light highlights ensure naturally radiant skin and a summery touch to the face. Through the playful use of light and dark shades of brown and blonde hair, areas of the face are emphasized, optically brightened and made to shine. Other, less advantageous facial contours can be cleverly concealed in this way. Unlike ombré, a soft, flowing gradient is created here. Hairstylists achieve a natural sunkissed effect with highlights on brown and blonde hair. And the big hair color question is: Balayage brown vs Balayage blonde – which hair color suits whom best?
The technique behind balayage: freehand highlights for a natural look
Depending on the hair structure, balayage highlights can be used on brown and blonde hairusing freehand technologyachieve with a brush or with a comb. When painting, individual strands are brushed on in a light shade. For shorter hair, the comb technique may even be more appropriate. However, the hairdresser chooses the appropriate method. The goal is to achieve a soft and natural-looking hair colorindividually adapted to the typeand is particularly rich in nuances. Depending on your personal wishes and tailored to your skin tone and eye color, you can conjure up light, strong or soft tones in your hair.
Braun vs blond
Brown or blonde is the eternal hair color question. A cliché or not, every woman has asked herself the question at some point: Do I want to be seen as an attractive blonde or would I rather be seen as a down-to-earth brunette? Furthermore, color changes are simply part of female nature. Thanks to the ombre or balayage technique, you don't have to definitely decide between the blonde or the brown version. Below we explain which hair color suits which type and how you can add variety to your hair without drastic experiments.
If you are thinking about dyeing your hair blonde or brown, you should first take a close look at yourself in the mirror and determine your type. Theoretically, any woman can become a blonde or brunette with just one visit to the hairdresser. What is most important is that the hair color matches the individual type. To determine this, skin tone and eye color are generally taken into account. Once you are clear about which hair color suits you best, it is important to choose the right shade. The technology allows you to enjoy the full range of colors that hair coloring has to offer.
Blonde balayage: radiance and summer feeling
It's no secret that the blonde mane attracts attention and admiration everywhere. Regardless of the season, blonde shades are associated with summer, beach and sun. The perfect blonde look is a mix of medium and light tones. The ash blonde shades are simply perfect for women with pale, light complexions. A warm honey or golden blonde goes well with tanned skin. This supports the natural glow and emphasizes it in a natural way. Ladies with a rosy complexion that has a bluish undertone should always opt for hair color with a small amount of red. Otherwise the skin will appear even redder.
Multiple layers in the haircut and blonde balayage update the look and give it an extra glow touch. This little trick is immediately visible and ensures a really summery appearance. Beautiful flowy waves strengthen the effect and are a popular hair styling for both long and short hair. This allows you to go much brighter and make the result clearly visible.
If a subtle look is desired, darker shades are used and light shades of brown and blonde are combined with each other. But you still stay blonde with balayage. Beautiful, soft color transitions are recommended for medium-length and short or fine hair. This creates more volume and makes the hairstyle appear longer. The light strands are concentrated primarily in the front part, creating a soft facial framing.
Balayage brown: elegance and versatility
Brunettes can look forward to an even more diverse selection of color shades, as the initial color or natural hair color is darker than for blondes. You should also choose the right brown palette. The following applies here: the darker the skin color, the more intense and dark the brown tone can be. A light complexion with a yellowish undertone works best with brown shades that are not too dark, such as caramel or golden brown. If the skin is tanned, it can be a mahogany tone or a strong chocolate brown. Ash brown shades look best on a rosy complexion with a slightly bluish undertone. You can also aim for a Snow White look and deliberately achieve a contrast between skin and hair color. It is important to note that the face should not appear too pale.
As a modern French hair coloring technique, balayage has gained international popularity and creates soft, natural-looking highlights that are truly universal and flattering for all women. The biggest advantage is that up to four months can pass between color treatments. This particularly benefits women with naturally brown hair color, which is why brown balayage is a very popular solution for brunettes. Chocolate brown mixed with reddish tones and a pinch of blonde to offset conjure up a modern, elegant and at the same time playful look. This rich blend of brown looks simply enchanting on shaggy waves.
Whether subtle or intense, a balayage brown look always looks modern and structured. Sometimes additional colors and contrasts are not desired and the focus is on beautiful, healthy hair. In this case, soft highlights are exactly what matters. Caramel highlights incorporated around the face brighten it and conjure up a fresh appearance. This also adds an additional accent, but it doesn't have to. Because caramel and chocolate brown are not only pleasing to the eye, but also go together perfectly in the culinary sense, they always look twice as appealing.
Esdepends on the hair styling
The trend colors are particularly effective when the hair is styled in casual waves or in the so-called “undone” look, which has now established itself as a hot trend. This is the best way to style balayage:
Casual waves– Apply volume foam to towel-dried hair, especially in the lengths. Then blow dry upside down to create more volume in your hair. Then take individual strands and twist them in with the curling iron. Secure the resulting waves with clips and let them cool for about 10 minutes to maximize the durability of the hairstyle. Finally, comb the waves gently with your fingers and secure with hairspray.
“Undone” Look– The hair should not be freshly washed. On day two, spray some dry shampoo into the roots. Using a curling iron, twist individual strands into waves. Hold the hot rod for a maximum of ten seconds and avoid the ends of your hair. Then tousle the waves and push them gently upwards towards the crown, creating a deliberately casual look. Finally, fix with hairspray.
Whynot both?
When it comes to hair color, women can have it all and don't have to choose between brown and blonde at all. That's what the trendy balayage look is for. Balayage brown and balayage blonde are simply the ideal solution. The roots are dark - this is usually the natural hair color, while different light highlights are incorporated into the lengths and tips. However, it is also important to choose nuances that suit your own type and that harmonize with each other. It is best to seek advice from a specialist. The good balayage hair coloring technique can be recognized by the flowing, soft color gradients that gently frame the face. Hard contrasts are completely excluded.
Variants and differences
The ombré technique, which was current until recently, is already being replaced by the new hair color trend – balayage. The two differ significantly from each other. Brown or blonde balayage involves delicate strands that are usually only a few shades lighter than the original color and are distributed irregularly throughout the hair. With ombré, on the other hand, only the lengths of the hair are colored lighter and there is a strong contrast between the roots and the tips. So if you want a natural, sun-kissed look, choose balayage brown or balayage blonde, depending on your natural hair color.
Woand at what cost?
Balayage is almost like a color art for hair. Accordingly, specialist knowledge, good technology and creativity are required. That's why it's better not to experiment with your hair at home. Whether you want to add golden accents to your brunette mane or lighten your natural hair color by a few shades - everything is possible and has its price. For good balayage highlights you have to expect around 100 euros. Depending on the original color, hair length and structure, the costs can of course vary. It's a lot of work because for the best, natural-looking results, you work with several colors. With balayage blonde, a lighter shade of blonde may be added and the hair is partially bleached. Then you should definitely think about a hair therapy or hair treatment that eliminates the damage caused by bleaching or repairs the damaged hair.