Chicago Top
Balayage Salon

Balayage first emerged in France in the early 1970’s and has since taken the cosmetology world by storm. It refers to a specific hairstyling technique in which the coloring is applied, as the word literally means “to sweep” or “to paint on” in French. The color is applied in a sweeping motion of the wrist, to create very soft, natural looking color.

As with most trends, Balayage was first worn by A-list celebrities and supermodels – but soon the fad trickled down to major cities. Over the last few years, we’ve seen this hair coloring technique is more than just a fancy trend, but a new way of coloring that is here to stay.

You can opt for as little or as much highlighting as you wish, really being able to articulate the look of your Balayage. Depending on your consultation, and what you discuss with the stylist, the thickness of the highlights can vary, as well as how much or how little dimension you wish to achieve. Doing this technique can give you a completely unique look that will stand out.

The stylist will typically try to use the highlights as if they’re contouring the client’s hair, and they’ll paint on color in areas where sunlight would naturally touch the strands. By doing it this way, your hair will really accentuate your overall look and light up the features on your face!

You can go subtle with a light base and soft highlights, or you can go bold with a dark based and very light, contrasting highlights. Clients with naturally dark hair will likely have to come for a series of appointments to reach their desired shade if the highlights they wish to obtain are much lighter than their natural hair color.

It is not advised to go from very dark to very light in a single appointment because it can be very damaging to your hair and dry, brittle ends are never in style! Your stylist will be able to advise you on approximately how many visits you’ll need to reach your desired shade so that your hair remains as healthy as possible in the process.