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.
