Balayage is a technique that creates lighter, sun-kissed highlights in the front of your hair while leaving darker inner or under strands. It is designed to mimic the way hair naturally grows. To do balayage at home, brush your hair out, clip it up, draw a straight, vertical line down the center of your part all the way to the back of your neck, mix your lightener, put on gloves, section your hair, avoid a harsh line, paint your hair, and blend the lightener by hand.
To prepare and mix the Balayage at Home Kit, divide your hair into two even sections and use a wide comb to part it evenly down the middle. Lemon juice, with its acidity, can lift color by changing the hair’s pH. Before starting, make sure to put on an old shirt or towel to prevent staining.
To apply the lightening mixture, use the Expert Touch Application to apply the color, let the color process, rinse and apply the Pro Toning Mask, and style as usual. For a more natural look, spray each strand with hydrogen peroxide before applying the paste.
For first-timers, Jillian Paige’s tutorial is the best option, using the teasing method to achieve the balayage look. Follow these simple steps to create a sun-kissed effect at home.
📹 BALAYAGE AT HOME 😳 | DIY Highlights
I’ve been highlighting my hair at home and clients at the salon using the balayage technique for nearly 8 years. In all that time, …
Will my balayage get lighter after wash?
Balayage hair color treatment involves a process where the color pigments settle into the hair, causing it to fade within a few days. To prevent this, it is advised not to wash hair for three days after the treatment, as this interferes with the amount of toner on the hair, leading to a faded appearance. Although it is important to wash hair after three days, it is crucial not to wash it every day, as shampooing and conditioning daily will quickly fade the color, requiring a salon retouch. If hair becomes greasy without cleaning, it should be washed every two days. If hair can be left without washing, shampoo and condition it only 2-3 times a week.
How do salons lighten your hair without bleach?
A super-lightening color treatment represents an alternative to bleaching, whereby the hair can be made to become three to five tones lighter in a single step. Although less aggressive than bleaching, this process alters the structure of the hair, making it an appropriate alternative for those seeking to achieve blonde tones. The process employs an alkaline agent, such as ammonia, in a more concentrated form, following a methodology analogous to that employed in the production of traditional oxidation-based hair dyes.
What to do if I hate my balayage?
In the event of dissatisfaction with the balayage, the client is advised to consult with the stylist, who can make the requisite adjustments to the tone, depth, or propose alternative solutions to achieve the desired look. Alternatively, the client may contact the salon directly.
How do I brighten my balayage?
Balayage is a technique that brightens hair without the need for harsh highlights or a full bleach job. It is a subtle and technical look that can turn brassy if exposed to elements like hard water, metals, and ultraviolet radiation. However, with the right hair care habits, you can keep your balayage looking salon-fresh between appointments.
Balayage comes from balayer, a French verb meaning “sweeping”. It involves lightening the hair by free-hand painting individual strands to produce a more natural-looking result. This laid-back, beachy look is customizable and has made it a favorite among celebrity trendsetters and influencers. To prevent brassiness, it is recommended to choose cool-toned colors, like ash blonde, which are less likely to take on a yellow hue than warmer, more golden shades. Finding the right shade for your strands often requires an expert, so it is recommended to visit a salon for help determining what shade suits your hair best.
How do I go from balayage to natural hair?
To transition your hair to a natural color, consider using a gloss or tint-back service. A gloss can help blend the natural root color as it grows, while a tint-back process requires a filler to replace the missing pigments needed for a darker color. Some fillers are added directly to permanent color formulations. Proper hair filling ensures even hair tone and prevents it from turning green or muddy.
It is recommended to see a professional for a tint-back service, as the cost to fix a mistake made during the process will far outweigh the savings from replacing your natural color yourself. The cost of fixing a mistake during a tint-back service will far outweigh the savings from replacing your natural color yourself.
Can you tone your own balayage?
Hair toning is a crucial technique in hair styling that can enhance color, shine, and condition. It involves applying semi-permanent colour-depositing pigments to the hair’s tone, such as tinted shampoos, conditioners, and colour-depositing masks and glosses. These products help to remove brassy tones, such as yellow tones from blonde hair and orange tones from brunette hair. Toners can also bring out certain shades you love, such as golden glosses, to emphasize extra warmth in your hair color.
Hair toning is a common mistake in the hair styling industry, as it can lead to oxidisation of hair due to exposure to hair treatments, chemicals, and UV light. Despite consumers becoming more aware of toning, there is still confusion about its effectiveness. Toners can be used to refresh and soften blonde looks, such as balayage and sun-kissed highlights, but it is essential to apply them tactically and target the warmest parts of the hair first to neutralize them.
Is it possible to do a balayage without bleach?
No-bleach balayage is a hair coloring technique that uses alternative lightening agents to avoid hair damage and is best suited for lighter hair colors. It requires less upkeep than traditional methods and requires consultation with a professional stylist for best results. No-bleach balayage involves hand-painting the color onto the hair, creating a natural, sun-kissed look. It is best suited for those who want to avoid the potential damage caused by bleach. There are various styles and trends available in no-bleach balayage, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a more customized and softer look.
Can you change the colour of your balayage?
Balayage highlights are a hair coloring technique that involves freehand painting highlights onto hair to create a natural-looking gradation of color. This technique is often used to achieve a lighter, sun-kissed look, which is easier to achieve and maintain than an all-over dye job. However, if you want to go darker, reverse balayage is a great option. This technique focuses on adding darkness and dimension back to light hair.
While it is low-commitment and easily reversed, factors like cost and hair type should be considered. Master colorists Mark DeBolt, Rita Hazan, and Tiffanie Richards have shared their knowledge about reverse balayage to help you decide if it is right for you.
Does balayage get lighter after wash?
Balayage hair color treatment involves a process where the color pigments settle into the hair, causing it to fade within a few days. To prevent this, it is advised not to wash hair for three days after the treatment, as this interferes with the amount of toner on the hair, leading to a faded appearance. Although it is important to wash hair after three days, it is crucial not to wash it every day, as shampooing and conditioning daily will quickly fade the color, requiring a salon retouch. If hair becomes greasy without cleaning, it should be washed every two days. If hair can be left without washing, shampoo and condition it only 2-3 times a week.
Can you tone down a balayage?
Reverse balayage is a technique where dark colors are used to add lowlights near roots and throughout strands to add depth and texture to hair color. It can be used to tone down brassy blonde balayage or to counteract it. Balayage is low-maintenance and can be applied over existing hair color. Highlights are applied from mid-lengths downwards, and roots can be refreshed with natural balayage color to cover up greys. It doesn’t require growing out existing foil color, and is an ideal option for those who have never colored their hair before. Butter blonde, ash, or honey balayage are popular choices.
Can you lighten hair with balayage?
Balaage is a hand-painting technique utilized by hairdressers to lighten select hair strands by two or three tones, thereby achieving a natural, sun-kissed appearance.
📹 Step By Step Guide For Flawless Balayage
Hi Beautiful! Today I teach you my simple tricks to doing a full head of beautiful balayage highlights. Shop XMONDO HAIR: …
This is exactly what I needed! I am doing it today with supplies I purchased at Sally’s. They kinda talked me in getting a cap to pull it all through but I don’t like a ” Striped ” look and also I’m lazy and don’t want to take the time to do it and who can pull it through on the back of you head without eyes back there?! I don’t have the clay lightener and wish I could find that because the concept seems really smart to me- I’m gonna do it with regular bleach kit using 30 volume and I did get a toner just in case it looks brassy and like you I just picked out one that seemed right. I’m a little nervous but I’m going for it! If it really is crazy I can always color over it right?!… I’m not a professional but after doing my hair at home for years I feel like I should have an honorary degree! Lol. Thanks for breaking it all down so well your tutorial is the best on YouTube without all the dumb stuff about a person’s personal life! Bravo !!
Hair stylists always say “don’t try this at home” instead of realizing it’s not rocket science. People don’t want to pay $500 for a balayage and CAN do their hair at home. I wish there was a step by step out there that actually empowers women that they can do it and it’s just simple knowledge… Not horribly complex. It may take a couple years of practice, but it’s doable!
40 vol developer not 30 for hair that isn’t in foil. Make sure the bleach will lift to 7 levels . Been doing mine for 30 years but only pull mixture through top layer and smaller strands. As a professional hairdresser for 30 yrs. I also use Sun In spray hair lightener with a blow dryer, not sun in between bleachings which I do 4 times a year.
I have level 4-5 brown hair and want level 5-6 hair with slightly darker roots. I use 2 parts 10v and to one part powder bleach. I leave it on for 15 minutes. I start by dividing the hair into 8 sections plus money piece. I apply the product it in the back with a paddle brush, like literally brush it through, roots to ends.It looks like there is no product and the bleach is dry. This is what you want rather then saturated with bleach. When I get to the front I apply to the money pieces liberally because I want them to stand out, then I got back and pick out some choice pieces as highlights. really tiny strands not high chunky ones. Sometimes I tone it but most the time I dont bother. It just adds a bit of lightness and the best bit is you cant see the regrowth, I touch it up roughly every 5 months at the roots with a tail comb on the top and perimeter where the hair grows it.
After enduring several hair salon mishaps, including unwanted color, stained hair, and a taffy hair mess, I decided to take matters into my own hands for my next makeover. Following your tutorial to the letter, I can’t help but feel like I’m floating on cloud nine with the result I achieved! I can’t help but smile from ear to ear every time I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror! Right from the start, I had a coppery look in mind, so I ventured into bleaching using 10 volumes, did it because I was affraid to mess it up but it was all worth it. After the bleaching, I applied the dye, and voilà! My hair transformed into a cascade of radiant copper shades that seem to shimmer under any light. It’s simply spectacular. But the best part of it all is that my hair feels healthy and lustrous; No more regrets or disappointments when I look at my reflection. I feel filled with confidence thanks to this incredible DIY experience. All of this is thanks to you and your expert advice. So, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you endlessly for taking the time to post this.
I do my sister’s and my own hair during the summer, and this summer we decided to do balayage on her before adding some semi-permanent color. I was SO HAPPY to see a Brad Mondo Tutorial on how to do it because my mom and I are both fans! She thinks you are hilarious and such a personality! You get all the brownie points in this house!
Omg I’ve dyed my own hair since I was 13. And have ALWAYS wanted the” just go for it ” courage to do own highlights and I think this is awesome and I busted watched two others before this . This is do it your self friendly and if I really can’t reach it, I can show these incredibly easy instruction to a friend… thank you . I’ll let you know how it goes
Guys I did it on myself and it honestly came out soooo beautiful!! Thank you Brad Mondo, this worked amazingly 😍 I did use a 20 volume on my hair because I have a lot of hair and it’s long so I was scared that it would go too quick and I’m already dark blonde to begin with, just wanted a nice little lift to a medium blonde and it worked amazingly! Since it was my first time I was a bit slow, so I did rinse out Tha back first and the front just 20 minutes afterwards.
I am utterly in love with Brad only cause of the way he presents himself in the articles. His slogan is live your extra life but he just gives the right amount of drama and spice and love how he is not overtly loud in his articles compared to a lot of YTers. Also BRAD MONDO I want to know where you shop your hoodies from
Okay, i love the articles and I’m getting ready to give it a go- here’s the difference- he’s teaching and critiquing everyone’s diy hair coloring at home, but whenever he teaches, he does it on a mannequin- BRAD MONDO- can you do these dye jobs on a wig on yourself? We’re all doing it at home on ourselves, come give it a try! Will your results be better/comparable or ?? To ours…. looking forward to that article series!
I honestly learned so much from this article. Everything that I questioned before and couldn’t find is here! Yayyy! 😆 since my hubby does my balayage, we had some incidents lol what saved my hair was the hair highlighting cap to give my balayage that full highlight look. But it also depends if you want those shadows, then I might not recommend it.
I can see you started to apply the product on the bottom layers of the hair, closer to her neck. So…I have a question. 🙂I’ve tried to highlight/balayage my hair before, and everytime I started from the bottom layers and went up until the top layers, then let the product sit for the time suggested on the highlighter package (45 minutes to 1 hour) I ended up with lighter hair on the bottom layers of my hair, and darker hair on the top layers, like…I don’t know why but it’s like the product takes FOREVER to lighten the top layers of my hair, ans it never gets as light as the bottom layers. What should I do? Should I start from the top of my head?🤔🤔🤔
Ok so i recently just got a manequin head (because i wanna be a hairdresser when im older, btw im 13), and i did the charlie damelio underdye, and it looks sooooo good. My mom saw, and now she wants me to give her a full balayage or hilights. (My manequin has african hair, so i am gonna get one with caucasian hair, so i can practice before i can do my moms hair.) thank you so much for everything brad! Im only 13, and you have already helped me find the thing i love, and what i wanna pursue in life when im older!
Can I ask you questions & you answer? Okay so I have two questions. If you’re down. #1. Where exactly would you put those two highlights, when you said one going this way and one going this way? Like where on that hair would you lay the lightener? Cuz when you say one I’m picturing like skunk on either side.. lmk if I’m right or wrong please. And then #2 comes right after that, on Miss Minnie Quinn’s head, you just cut right across and skipped that tiny small section, that was basically like a tiny triangle, then did two sections above that right- so I’m just wondering what the reason is for putting what seems like more on that part of the head? Is that where the most hair is on our heads? Because it seems like that but idk. If that isn’t right… Then is it an optical illusion and there’s not extra lightener on that part of the head but it all just kind of meets up there? Or is it true but there’s another reason 🤔🤔🤔 Please lmk!! Btw I love your personality totally subscribing 🎉
Hello Brad. Living among Taliban is really fucked and hard and knowing that I can’t get the desired hair cut and hair dye in a hair salon because many have evacuated and left the country. I came across your articles and found it really interesting while perusal but I had not tried it. I’m a natural jet black hair girl and I never dyed my hair with henna or other semi permanent hair colors. But my wedding is in September so I wanted to go for balayage because it always attracted me. I researched alot beforehand which hair dye will suit me and personally I like red tones and mahogany and burgundy. But you said in your articles bleach is important for removing the pigment and the dye to penetrate into the hair cortex. So after perusal your this article. I decided to try it out. I knew either I’ll mess up or get the desired color. Fortunately I found hair bleach and 30 volume developer here. Though it’s really hard to get it because living under Taliban reign is horrible and too tight. So I bleached my hair using your steps and technique and of course my sis did it for me. We followed your instructions and taa da, I did Mahogany balayage at home and I’m super happy and really thankful to you for posting such articles because girls like me really need you and people like you who can help us from far away. All in all, thank you so much and stay blessed and happy for the rest of your life. I’m really thankful to you for posting such articles. I really appreciate and honor your work. Keep it up!
i know this article’s pretty old so i’m hoping someone w knowledge will see & respond to this but would this be more or less the same doing lowlights (just with focussing less on saturating the hair where the light usually falls and rather where the hair is already naturally darker)? i’m trying to make my hair look like kenny omega’s black and blond hair (my hair is naturally blond) so if anyone has any clue on any of that. i would be dead grateful
So I’m trying to go ashy blonde again. My hair was previously colored dark violet brown 2 years ago, I haven’t colored it since. I had 10 inches of regrowth. I went to a new salon and got full highlights done. The regrowth is super blonde and light, the ends are orangey blondish brown. Ugh. I waited a month, went and got it done AGAIN! I specifically told her I wanted the ends lighter and she did not leave the bleach on long enough. Literally 15 mins after the last bleach was applied, she washed it off. She had another client coming in, she was very rushed and it was obvious. I ended up brushing AND blow-drying my own hair. The ends are STILL very orange. So I said fuck it and bought Manic Panic 40 volume kits with bleach. I’m perusal this article like 10 times and then trying to bleach my ends myself. Wish me luck! 😭😍😩
Im perusal this and others at 1am, and will attempt to do a pink balayage on my daughter’s biracial black dyed hair in a few hours when she wakes. I knw I hv to bleach it first then I’ll add ion flamingo permanent dye mixed in conditioner. This article has really helped, thank u. Wish I cld find a balayage tutorial going from bleaching dark hair and then adding a color to the bleached pieces. Future article? please.
I’m not seeing much of a difference. I even went back to the beginning to compare. Brad says it looks completely different. I guess I was expecting it to be way more obvious. I doubt anyone would look at that and say it was balayaged. I’d like to see him do a color, like pink, in the middle or something.
I like to go to a stylist to get mine look top notch but bc everytime they barely do anything to it. Like it’s not blonde enough & I can’t afford to do 4 sessions. So what I do is try it myself first but not go crazy with it just incase I fuck it up then I will go to a stylist to fix it up and make it more blonde and toned.
Watching this as a 34 yr old adult gives me childhood vibes playing hairstylest with my little sister acting like I have a audience or that I’m on a show when in reality I was just getting into my mom’s hair stuff and scissors like I knew what I was doing as a kid 😂 we’ve all been in here am I right ?? I love this
Notes to self; Have a light hand, mix bleach thick, diagonal parts, rinse in sections, use 30 developer make it faster, use a long bristled brush that are flexible, have a good part comb, use bigger Pyrex bowl for less mess, 2 parts powder 1 part developer, get ready to Balayagebitch. Be patient may take more than once to get desired level.
A stylist messed my hair up so bad yesterday. She teased up the sections and then saturated up to almost my roots. I look like I got my hair dyed 6 weeks ago and my roots have grown out. And she told me it was my fault for being in a rush. My appt was at 1:00pm she didn’t get started until 2:15! Of course I was in a rush. I had somewhere to be!!!
But but but 8GN is green natural… I used it and my hair is blond, but greenish. Wish you’d show the washed out bleach, and then talk more about the toner. 🙂 My mom did this on me and she went heavy on the bleach, so it’s more so that I’m blond now vs highlighted lol. But yeah…. Wrong toner for meeee
OMB (OH MY BRAD): Do you have another bayalage article to produce the “mushroom” or silvery blonde with cool dark lowlights to contrast/pop that two-tone vibe that’s gorgeous on almost any head of hair? I’m asking bc I love YOUR hair color in this tutorial, and would love to see ya demonstrate this technique on a Ms Manny Quinn with SHORT hair (so the rest of us queens don’t get left out, pretty please). I’m currently rockin’ out a wolfy shag with sassy undercut just behind my temples/front of the ears. (Cute, right?) I’ve already lightened my natural dark hair to a honey/sunshine blonde, but can’t seem to cool that copper I keep growing back… Can you please wave your magic color wand, oh fairest Hair Highness, to share with you baby fans?? (Say, “YAAAAAAAS, GRRRRRRL!”) 😅🤩😁
Hey Brad- you’re so much fun. I know this message is ancient lol but I was looking for reverse balayage. I have bleached light blonde hair and want some darker lowlights for fall/winter. So – that’s why I’ve been looking around now nut these pro techniques are making my head spin (like Miss Mannequin) . Thank for making it look9/0 so easy😃😘!
Brad I am going to follow this! Pray I learned well😂😅thank you so much for clear tutorials and you’re an extremely talented artist🥰 I’m in love with this look.. I have very long hair my boyfriend doesn’t want me to cut 🙄but maybe I can cut it and just say I burned off bottom from too much bleach🤣that would be wrong huh.. lol.. ok you best be living your best life friend🥰😄going to watch more articles !! Blessings 🥰
@BradMondo, I am going to try this out on a friend’s hair but I had a wrist question: would using something like a high lift in the color I want (since she has dark hair) work the same way as bleach, doing this balayage so that I don’t have to do a toner? I don’t know if that makes any sense… sorry
Hey Brad, of course, let’s get the prerequisites out of the way… yes, you are the bees knees, the cat’s pajamas, ya jus so day-ahmmm awesome! Fr! And totally appreciate all your tricks and tips! If you have time to read this, dope; time to answer, even better! Ok sorry-I’m rambling but- maybe I’m missing it, but i feel like i have the lightening part down pretty well, but toning- you’d think it would some what simpler… wrong! For me anyways! Can you PLEASE explain the different shades of toners and why do my toning jobs turn out so inconsistent (probably if you have were to guess-I’m a 10 level at-home-tryista ). Thanks bunches!!
I wish i would have came across this article before i went to a salon because they didnt do what i asked and this made me feel like i could have done it myself. How do you fix balayage when 1. Its not bright enough. I think they didnt use the right toner or lightened enough. It was like a yellow and after toner almost looks green. I hate it. And 2. They didnt do the beautiful two high streaks i asked for in the front. I also part my hair on one side so how can i correct this? I almost want to do a bleach bath to lighten everything and them manually paint the front pieces but i wouldnt know where to begin or what toner to use.