If you’ve ever walked into a salon and wondered, “what’s the difference between highlights and balayage, anyway?”–you’re not alone! These two popular hair-coloring techniques are often confused, but they each create their own unique look and vibe. Let’s break it down so you can make the best choice for your hair goals.
Highlights are a classic hair-lightening technique where specific strands are treated with lightener or color to contrast beautifully against your natural or base shade. To create that bold, defined effect, we use foils to wrap each treated strand for a dazzling, high-impact result.
Why you’ll love them? They’re endlessly customizable—from soft and subtle to bold and dramatic!
Types of Highlights
Whether you’re a fan of natural elegance or crave a retro-chic vibe, there’s a highlight style just for you:
-Traditional Highlights: Evenly spaced and classic—perfect for a polished, all-over glow.
-Partial Highlights: Focused on your face and crown for that sun-kissed, “just back from vacay” look.
-Baby lights: Ultra-fine and delicate for a natural, youthful shimmer.
-Chunky Highlights: Bold, eye-catching, and totally retro!
Who Highlights are Perfect for?
One word: everyone! With a little customization, highlights can compliments any face shape or hair type:
Face Shapes:
Round Faces: Add length with vertical highlights to create a slimming effect.
Heart Faces: Soften your look with face-framing highlights to balance your jawline.
Hair Types:
Straight, wavy, or curly—highlights add depth, dimension, and movement to every style.
How it’s done: The Highlight Process
Hair is sectioned into small pieces for precision.
Lightener or color is applied to the strands.
Foils wrap each section to intensify the effect and keep it clean.
The result? Defined, high-contrast streaks that turn heads and make your style pop!
Balayage, meaning “to sweep” in French, is a freehand coloring technique where your stylist paints color directly onto your hair for a soft, blended gradient. The result?
A natural, sunlit glow that’s effortlessly chic and low-maintenance—perfect for busy babes who want to look fabulous without frequent touch-ups!
Types of Balayage
There’s a balayage style for everyone! Here are a few of our faves:
Classic Balayage: Creates a seamless, blended transition from darker roots to lighter ends.
Reverse Balayage: Add darker tones to the mid-lengths and end to more depth and dimension.
Sombré (Subtle Ombré): A softer, more natural variation of ombré, with less drastic color shifts.
Face-Framing Balayage: Concentrates lightening around the face for a flattering, glowing effect.
Who is Balayage Perfect For?
Face Shapes:
Oval, heart, or round faces shine with balayage, as the soft gradients balance and highlight your best features.
Hair Types:
Works wonders on medium to long, layered hair. Bonus points if your hair has curls or waves—the dimension is next-level gorgeous!
Hair Goals:
If you’re after a natural, low-maintenance glow, balayage is calling your name.
How It’s Done: The Balayage Process
Hair is sectioned into manageable layers.
Your stylist uses a brush to “sweep” lightener or color onto the surface of your hair.
Feathered strokes and untouched sections create a soft, blended effect with natural depth.
Unlike the structured look of highlights, balayage is tailored to YOU—your face shape, hair texture, and unique style.
Whether you’re Team Highlights or Team Balayage, your hair is your canvas, and we’re here to make your vision a reality. Both techniques have their perks, so the choice ultimately depends on what feels right for you.