A balayage is a gorgeous way to get brown highlights. It’s trending all over Pinterest and Instagram right now! Below, I’ve gathered pictures of the best ways to pull off this dimensional and natural-looking highlight.
👉 Key Things to Know First
- What is it, exactly? Using the French hand-painting coloring technique, a brown balayage is when highlights are added to brunette hair.
- The best balayage highlights for brown hair are various warm shades of light brown and blonde. This creates a dimensional and natural-looking color.
- Getting a balayage hair color is more expensive than traditional foil highlights because it requires more time to paint them.
- You won’t have to pay as much for frequent touch-ups because this coloring technique is better at blending in the highlights with your natural hair. This means the natural color could be more distinguishable as your hair grows out.
Before your next hair color appointment, get inspired by these photos of the best brown balayage hair colors!
#1: Curled Light Brown Balayage
One of the best ways to wear a light brown balayage is with curls. Whether you use a curling iron or flat iron to achieve your waves, adding curls to your balayage hair will make the dimension of your hue pop.
#2: Brown Balayage with Face-Framing Foils
Let’s go for a brown balayage styled with face-framing foils. To keep your hair looking fresh, I recommend adding face-framing and partial highlights during your full session. Scheduling appointments every 10-12 weeks is adequate, with a full hair treatment done 1-2 times a year, based on what you want to achieve with your hair.
#3 Beautiful Rose Gold and Chestnut Balayage
A cool tone of rose gold and chestnut balayage looks stunning on long hair with loose waves. This is the perfect balayage on light hair. It’s beautiful. However, pastel colors always fade fast. It’s unavoidable. The positive side is that it’s a commitment-free hair color as it fades to a beautiful pastel cool blonde.
#4: Violet-Based Brown Balayage
A brown balayage that is violet-based will have a slight purple hue. A violet-based brown color is perfect for brunettes who want a unique, cool-toned color going into autumn.
#5: Romantic Brown Balayage
If you wish to add style and romance to your mid-length hair, try a romantic brown balayage. This hair color technique uses hand-painting to add subtle and soft highlights to your hair for a natural, sun-kissed effect. Choose warm, caramel-toned highlights that blend well with your base color and add depth to your hair. For women who want to boost their natural beauty with class and style, brown balayage works well on mid-length hair. Pair this hair color with soft curls or waves to maintain a romantic look and achieve soft and feminine hair.
#6: Color-Corrected Brown Balayage
A color-corrected brown balayage is a hair coloring technique. It corrects and lightens dark hair using a teasey highlight technique with a full head of lightening. This placed highlight can give you an overall lighter effect while creating balance. My best advice is to add bond-building treatments to any corrective lightening work. My favorite is the K18 treatment line for best results.
#7: Dusty Balayage
Achieve a natural and effortless look by opting for a dusty balayage. This technique involves painting your hair to create a gradient effect. It produces soft and subtle highlights that blend with your natural hair color. This hair color works best for women with long, wavy hair.
#8: Demi-Permanent Balayage
If you want to enhance your hair, try a demi-permanent balayage. This coloring technique involves hand-painted highlights that blend with your natural hair color. This creates a soft and natural look. The demi-permanent formula is a great option. It provides long-lasting color without the commitment of permanent dye. It will help you achieve a beautiful, sun-kissed effect that complements your complexion. It’s a versatile choice that can be customized to your desired contrast level.
#9: Light Brown Balayage with Blonde Highlights
Go for a light brown balayage with blonde highlights. Color your balayage hair brown for a soft, diffused, low-maintenance look. But be aware your hair can pull warmer with open-air applications like balayage.
#10: Blended Caramel and Brown Balayage
Try a caramel balayage to brighten up your brunette’s side. The tones will help you soften your facial features. You must consider curling your style to show off the color combo in this brown-to-blonde balayage hair. Your stylist will know the perfect placement. So make sure to tell them how you generally style your hair.
#11: Brown Balayage Long Pixie
Consider a brown balayage if you would like to add dimension to your long pixie. Avoid over-highlighting to conserve depth and dimension. Give your pixie a voluminous boost with Kevin Murphy’s Doo Over Powder Hairspray. It gives the best bouncy hold that will brush out the next day.
#12: Long Reddish-Brown Balayage Hair
A reddish-brown color looks great with a balayage technique on long hair. My best advice is to ask your stylist to keep the root darker than the rest. This will help avoid a hot root. Warm colors on the root can often appear lighter because the scalp produces more heat. This style will give you dark to light dimensions. Try to wave your hair for added texture.
#13: Sun-Kissed Bronde Balayage
Sun-kissed bronde balayage is the perfect color if you want some dimension. The bronde will give you a low-maintenance, beautiful color that won’t damage your hair or leave a harsh line when it grows out.
#14: Loose Brown Curls
For effortless waves on brown balayage hair, I advise using a curling iron with a larger barrel. My favorite one is a 1.25″ barrel curling iron by Bioionic. Curl your hair away from your face (or you can alternate directions if you like a more tousled look). But remember to leave the ends out (about the last 3 inches of hair in each section). This gives a beachier, more natural wave than if the ends were curled. I like to use This Is A Dry Texturizer Spray by Davines for a dry workable hold before I brush them out.
#15: Long Sandy Brunette Tones
Try long sandy brunette tones if you’re craving a more beige blonde! To prevent your hair from toning too light, your hairstylist should use more of a level eight blue toner. Sandy blondes are stunning, with women with warmer skin complexions.
#16: Mushroom Brown AirTouch Balayage
Go to the cool side with mushroom brown Airtouch balayage. It’s a highlighting technique that keeps your hair looking natural and blended. The key to mushroom brown is adding lots of cool tones. Always add a few warm tones to maintain its shine so the tone is smooth and smooth.
#17: Soft Black and Brown Balayage
Go for a knockout combination and pair your soft black hair with a brown balayage. Brown Balayage is a great choice for black hair because it’s gentler to achieve, causing less damage than blonde while still giving you beautiful dimension. Keeping your black roots will make this look extra low-maintenance for the perfect lived-in look. I suggest booking a toner every 6-8 weeks to balance your color.
#18: Bright Bronzed Balayage Sombre
Try a bronzed-toned blonde if you want the highlight glow without the damage. A sun-kissed, sombre tone will play off the natural undertones in your hair and have a big impact on your hairstyle while maintaining its health. Less can be more with perfectly placed highlights.
#19: Light Hazelnut Balayage
Brown hair pairs perfectly with a light hazelnut balayage. If you’re looking for change but want to keep a low-maintenance look, a creamy blonde blend is perfect for your brunette locks. Hazelnut tones bring a subtle pop of warmth but stay cool with a violet balance, making it a great choice for all skin tones.
#20: Long Brown Balayage Hair for Long Faces
Consider balayage on your long hair if you’re a woman with a long face. Balayage will help soften your hair color by adding natural sun-kissed strands. Avoid over-highlighting to keep your tresses low-maintenance to keep a more natural balance. Cut soft-moving layers to balance your face shape and prevent your hair from hanging.
#21: Warm Balayage with Dark Roots
Bring some spice to your life with warm brown balayage. Gorgeous flowing strands of sparking caramel tones make your hair look luscious and luxurious. Balayage is low-maintenance, but make sure you make time for regular toning and haircuts to keep your hair looking fresh.
#22: Dimensional Light and Dark Brown Bob
Make your hair soft and sultry with a dimensional light and dark brown bob. Balayage is the perfect combination to lighten your hair with a natural look. A low-maintenance hand-painted balayage will make your strands glow when the sun hits.
#23: Dimensional Auburn Brown
Try a dimensional auburn brown if you want to change your hair color. This auburn balayage is the perfect color combination for any season. This photo shows how auburn combines copper, caramel, and gold tones, which looks great on any skin tone you may have.
#24: V-Cut Brown Hair with Caramel Balayage
Spice up your boring locks with a V-cut, especially if you have hair paired with a caramel balayage. Brown hair with highlights will look multi-dimensional and bring lightness to your strands.
#25: Ashy Brown with Ash Silver Highlights
Ashy brown paired with ash silver highlights is unique if you want dark and light throughout your hair. Great for neutral skin, ashy tones can be achieved by hair highlighting and balayage color techniques.
#26: Natural-Looking Brown
Show off your raw beauty with natural-looking brown locks. A natural balayage can work wonders on your ordinary brown tresses. Warm or cool subtle highlights will give your hair a multi-dimensional color and shine. Create a new image for yourself with stunning new tresses.
#27: Brown Lived-In Balayage on a Long Bob
If you have a long bob hairstyle, go for a rich brown lived-in balayage. This is one of the best balayage brown hair ideas, with undertones of beige gold to compliment pink and warm skin tones. A subtle yet bold color with a contrasting money piece with the same tones as dark brown will give this color a low-maintenance grow-out.
#28: Short Bob with Blonde Balayage
Add depth and movement to your brown hair with a short bob and a blonde balayage. Brown highlights are low maintenance and will give your strands a pop of seamless color. Balayage blends perfectly into your natural hair color to spice up your dull locks.
#29: Dark Brown to Cool Light Brown Color Melt
Opt for a dark brown base color that melts into a cool light brown. Your stylist can best let you know if you should have warmer or cooler tones based on your complexion for a personalized, stunning color. It’s a low-maintenance color that will bring you into the salon every 4-6 months.
#30: Deep Brown Base Melted to Light Chocolate Brown
A deep brunette base color melted into a light chocolate brown can be amazing if you have longer hair. Staying within ranges of browns can be gentler on your hair than trying to go super light from a darker base. This is also great if you want a low-maintenance color with glossing between 4-6 month touch-ups.
#31: Dark Brunette to Warm Brown Ombre
Consider doing a dark brunette to warm brown ombré for your next style. In making dark hair lighter, it lifts through warmer tones first. This means that if you have dark hair and want warmer tones, you won’t be causing as much damage to your hair as if you wanted cooler tones. Remember, healthy hair is happy hair.
#32: Ashy Brown with Blonde Money Piece
Look at an ashy brown base color with a blonde money piece if you want a flattering new look. Naturally, dark hair looks beautiful with a bold light gold/beige money piece complementing your skin complexion. A cool dark brown color will make your blonde pop with a high-contrast look. Factor in how your face shape can determine how high you want the bold money piece placed in your hair. Just remember, highlights bring out your features, and lowlights shadow your features.
#33: Light Balayage Highlights on Dark Hair
Transform your dull locks with shimmering light balayage highlights if you have dark hair. Get your hair kissed by the sun with a natural balayage that is surprisingly low-maintenance. Subtle highlights glisten in the sun and will make your hair look luxurious.
#34: Short Curly Hair with Balayage
Show off your beautiful ringlets if you have short hair paired with a balayage. Balayage highlights blend seamlessly, giving your strands a sparkly glow. Balayage is a great technique for curly locks because any harsh lines are magically hidden into the curly tendrils, making your hair look natural and sun-kissed.
#35: Chocolate Rose Brunette
The chocolate rose brunette is a rich, warm color. If you have warm brown, hazel, or green eyes, this hair color will show off your eyes. This is a great choice if you can handle the maintenance of the red rose tone. Remember to ask your colorist what the maintenance entails for your specific hair texture and lifestyle.
#36: Long Mushroom Hair with Waves
Long mushroom hair with waves is perfect for a warmer skin tone. This mix of ashy blonde-brown is beautifully paired with a dark brown tint. This specific color can be adjusted into many different shades to create a subtle yet noticeable contrast within your hair.
#37: Soft Balayage on Long Hair
Consider wearing soft balayage on long hair if you want some dimension without much maintenance. I recommend doing a few shades of lighter balayage than your natural color. By doing this, your hair will remain healthier with a shiny glow.
#38: Champagne Beige Brown
A balayage is perfect if you want a hair color that is low-maintenance and beautifully blended. The base color goes well with the champagne beige brown. Everyone will love the gradient and seamless look!
#39: Curly Chocolate Balayage
Consider a curly chocolate balayage if you want to spice up your look! Some pops of color intertwined with your natural curls will leave people obsessed. Finish your hair with a curl cream and defuse it to show off your new look.
#40: Golden Blonde-Brown Balayage
A golden blonde-brown balayage is a stunning, warm, natural-looking hair color you will love. This balayage would look stunning on a woman with a warm skin complexion. Keeping the base dark will allow for a seamless grow-out!
#41: Balayage with Face-Framing Layers
A balayage with face-framing layers allows for easy upkeep with attention and brightness drawn to the face. Layers can be cut to work with any face shape, and balayage is very versatile for all lengths and face shapes and can be customized to work with almost any client.
#42: Red Balayage with Curled Ends
Rock a red balayage hair color with curls and achieve that “awesome, trendy girl” vibe! This hair color is one of the easiest ways to pull off edgy locks. It demands lower maintenance compared to a solid red color. Though it may offer a rebellious-looking finish, it still looks chic on long, wavy tresses.
#43 Yummy Chocolate Balayage
This yummy chocolate balayage showcases rich, chocolate brown tones seamlessly blended with soft waves for added dimension and texture. Ideal for medium to thick hair types, the waves enhance the balayage effect, making the hair look fuller and more voluminous. The warm chocolate hues complement a variety of skin tones, providing a natural yet striking look. This style is relatively low-maintenance, but the curls help highlight the different shades, giving a luxurious and polished finish. Perfect for those looking to add depth and warmth to their brunette locks.
#44: Bright Brown with Platinum Blonde Highlights
Hair with platinum blonde highlights is a beautiful way to brighten up darker hair. Keeping a natural base while adding money piece highlights toward your face helps create a low-maintenance look that only needs to be retouched every 10-12 weeks.
#45: Bronzed Balayage
Bronzed balayage is natural and subtle but gives stunning results. If your hair feels dull and needs some spice, ask your hairstylist for a bronze-toned glaze over your balayage for your next appointment. Bronze tones range from golden hues to caramel swirls, full of warmth that adds much richness and shine to your hair color.
#46: Blended Balayage with Brown and Blonde Tones
A blended balayage with brown and blonde tones is stunning and versatile and can be customized to fit your skin tone. A shadow root allows for better growth maintenance, while the highlights and lowlights create dimension.
#47: Stunning Brown and Burgundy Balayage
This brown and burgundy balayage style does a great job with a fuller mane. The depth from the roots to the mid-lengths complements thicker hair density. It looks soft yet dramatic when styled with subtle volume.
#48: Seamless Sun-Kissed Balayage
A natural sun-kissed balayage color is perfect for ladies who don’t want to settle with classic brown or blonde hair. The golden/neutral tones create a dirty blonde effect and are a great accent to a natural color with a seamless lightening effect.
#49: Eye-Catching Brown Copper Balayage
Copper is an eye-catching way to get a balayage on your brown hair. It takes away the dull, boring element of black hair. It offers a softer blend of tones and gives you a youthful finish. The best thing about this copper balayage trend is it demands minimal upkeep. Thanks to the balayage, it enables a more natural grow out.
#50 Softer Auburn and Medium Balayage
This stunning auburn and medium brown balayage features long, voluminous waves that add depth and dimension to your hair. Ideal for those with naturally wavy or curly hair, this balayage blends rich auburn tones with medium brown highlights, creating a warm, sun-kissed effect. The soft waves enhance the color transition, making it perfect for women looking to add a touch of elegance and natural beauty to their look. This style is low-maintenance, with the auburn tones providing a vibrant yet subtle pop of color. Avoid this look if you have fine hair, as it may lack the volume needed to showcase the waves effectively.
#51: Trendy Honey Blonde Balayage
A honey blonde balayage allows you to enjoy trendy, brighter tones. This hair color can be achieved with babylights, traditional highlights, and open-air balayage. Finish it with a glaze and a root tap for a smoother transition. To prolong your color, use salon-grade products. A good home care routine is also encouraged.
#52: Blonde and Dark Brown Balayage on Natural Hair
This blonde and dark brown balayage is a total gem! Pair it with soft waves to give your tresses a nice upgrade. It’s ideal for hair with a thin density that requires more texture and dimension. The depth of the natural hair is guaranteed to enhance the shine of the added blonde hue. The face shape can be adjusted with the painted sections.
#53: Delicious Toffee and Espresso Balayage Ombre
A toffee and espresso balayage with a lighter shade on your ends provides a soft, flawless color melt effect. The dark brown roots have the depth that makes the bronde tones accentuate your hair. Turning your hair from dark to light requires using purple shampoo to fight brassy tones. A weekly hydrating mask and aftercare conditioning treatments are also necessary.
#54: Rich Light and Dark Chocolate Balayage
A light and dark chocolate balayage makes for a rich hair color. This is how to fire up a typical darker mane. The result looks soft but does a great job of giving your hair a few lighter pieces for a subtle dimension.
#55: Popular Mushroom Balayage
Dark hair with a mushroom balayage is very popular right now. This mushroom grey will give you a modern stunning look and not age you. Ask your stylist for a full head backcomb bleaching, then tone with the color.
#56: Yummy Honey Balayage
Paint your hair with honey-brown balayage if you’re looking for the least damaging coloring technique. It’s low-maintenance and keeps the warm tones in the honey brown hue, too. To add more dimension, style your hair with waves.
#57 Cooler Milk Chocolate Balayage
This cooler milk chocolate balayage features long, luxurious waves that add depth and dimension to the hair. Ideal for medium to thick hair, this style beautifully combines rich milk chocolate tones with cooler undertones, creating a subtle yet striking look. The soft curls enhance the balayage effect, making it perfect for women looking for a low-maintenance, natural-looking color. This color is especially flattering for those with cooler skin tones and provides a seamless grow-out.
#58 Cool-Toned Ash Balayage
This cool-toned ash brown balayage on long, wavy hair is perfect for those wanting a low-maintenance yet stylish look. The soft, cascading curls highlight the dimension of the ash brown tones beautifully. Ideal for medium to thick hair density, this balayage suits women with natural brunettes looking to add depth without a drastic change. One unique feature here is the subtle blending of darker roots with the cooler ash tones, offering a seamless grow-out and a modern, sophisticated appearance.
#59: Chocolate Brown and Honey Caramel Balayage on Short Hair
A caramel balayage has high contrast and depth when you add honey caramel highlights. A chocolate balayage on short hair gives a much healthier reflection, with gold pigments in your color mixture.
#60: Trendsetting Mocha and Light Brown Balayage
A mocha light balayage is the perfect hair trend if you are trying a balayage for the first time. Light brown hair with balayage creates movement and depth. It combines tones that work great with wavy, long hair.
#61: Gorgeous Mahogany and Caramel Balayage
A mahogany and caramel brown balayage is a low-maintenance color for natural brunettes. The subtle reddish and brassy tones result in a vibrant finish. To protect the tones, wash your hair with a shampoo that has turmeric and saffron. That’s how you make its shinier finish stay for a while.
#62: Balayage Butterscotch Brown
A balayage looks great when it’s enhanced with butterscotch hues. It has nice, subtle brightness pops that help pull all the warm-colored tones together.
#63: Flattering Golden Balayage
A golden brown features warm, rich tones that look great on straight, wavy, and curly styles. It flatters olive skin complexions the best. If you’re searching for vibrant hair color, this is one to consider.
#64 Coffee and Cinnamon Balayage
This luscious coffee and cinnamon brown balayage features long, wavy locks that cascade beautifully. Ideal for women with thick hair and medium to dark skin tones, the warm cinnamon highlights add dimension and depth to the rich coffee base. This style offers a low-maintenance option with stunning visual appeal, perfect for those seeking a natural, sun-kissed look. However, the warmth in the tones may require periodic toning to maintain the desired vibrancy.
#65 Low-Maintenance Sandy Balayage
This low-maintenance sandy brown balayage features soft waves that add a natural, sun-kissed effect to medium-length hair. Perfect for women seeking a subtle yet stylish look, the sandy tones blend seamlessly with a darker base, providing depth and dimension. The gentle waves enhance the balayage’s multi-dimensional color, making it ideal for those with wavy or straight hair. This style is especially flattering for warmer skin tones. A key benefit is its low-maintenance nature, though it may not be as striking on very fine hair.
#66: Lucious Dark Brown Balayage
A great color choice for any season is a dark brown balayage. Commonly referred to as “rich girl hair,” this deep hue appears high-class but is easy to maintain. Call your stylist and schedule a toner or gloss as your color starts to fade. This service will revive your color and boost your softness and shine.
#67: Deep Balayage on Shoulder-Length Hair
A deep balayage on shoulder-length hair looks stunning on olive complections with brown or hazel eyes. Bronze sun-kissed balayage blends beautifully with natural hazelnut and chocolate brunette tones.
#68: Easy Balayage
A balayage is a fun way for women with dark hair to add flair to their color without being high maintenance. If you need help determining what tone of brunette would look best on you, your hairstylist will be able to help.
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