10 Balayage Highlight Ideas Perfect for Spring

By Victoria Moorhouse
Updated May 01, 2019 @ 10:00 am
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Like pastels, floral sundresses, and the need to furiously clean out your apartment, there's one spring beauty trend that returns every. single. season—Balayage highlights. Lucky for you, it also happens to be one of the most low maintenance.

If you're unfamiliar with the term, "balayage" is a highlighting technique that incorporates a freehanded painting on the surface of the hair, according to Michelle O’Connor, a stylist for The Salon by InStyle Inside JCPenney. O'Connor explains the method — which is French for "sweep" or "paint" — starts out with soft and diffused color at the scalp and gradually "gets thicker and more pronounced at the mid-shaft and ends."

"Spring and summer tend to be the months where we naturally want to be lighter and brighter which reflects the sun being out more, as well as beach multiple days," she says. "Balayage tends to mimic what the sun would do naturally."

Bonus? O'Connor says balayage gives a very natural finish which means minimal upkeep. And while the low-maintenance factor is certainly a plus when it comes to the cost of upkeep, O'Connor says it also leads to healthier hair in the long run.

Celebrities like Sarah Jessica Parker and basically every Victoria's Secret Angel iconically wear the look—there's a high chance one of their pictures accompanied your friend to the salon—and the technique is a favorite among top celebrity colorists for creating a super natural, seamless color for their clients.

From warm and rich auburn tints to California blonde strands, keep scrolling to check out 10 balayage hair color ideas that'll finally convince you to get highlights this spring. 

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Khloe Kardashian

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Khloe Kardashian's colorist Tracey Cunningham famously took her from a deep brunette to a bright blonde with this technique focused around the ends.

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Chrissy Teigen

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One of the best things about balayage is that it creates dimension within your hair color without being stripe-y. You can see the proof in Chrissy Teigen's hair, which features deep roots, golden browns, and cool blonde highlights.

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Jennifer Aniston

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If you want to add more movement to blonde hair, look no further than Jennifer Aniston's multi-dimensional blonde strands.

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Gisele Bündchen

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If the word "ombré" makes you think of those dramatic gradients from 2008, it's time to rethink the word. It's purely a color shift, as demonstrated by Gisele Bündchen, and it can be done as subtly as you'd like. 

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Jessica Biel

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It can be as seamless as Jessica Biel's hair color, which features more caramel, light-reflecting tones towards the bottom.

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Jenna Dewan Tatum

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The technique can be used to refresh dark brunette manes with chocolate brown strands placed around the face. 

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Mindy Kaling

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Simply ask for more highlights placed all around the head for a more noticeable look, similar to Mindy Kaling.

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Sarah Jessica Parker

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SJP's hair features a high volume of highlights placed near her roots. The well-blended base allows for a cool, edgy grow-out without harsh lines.

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Shay Mitchell

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Want to try out the cool blonde trend without actually changing your hair color or going platinum? Problem solved. Just look to Shay Mitchell's ash-toned balayage highlights.

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Ciara

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Ciara's auburn-toned highlights bring warmth to her gorgeous base color.

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By Victoria Moorhouse