Balayage, the trendy hair coloring technique that delivers natural-looking highlights, is all the rage, especially for those with medium-length hair. To delve deeper into this captivating hair artistry, we sat down with the renowned hair color expert Katie Wells. With her extensive expertise and years of experience, Katie shared invaluable insights on achieving the perfect balayage, complementing various skin tones, maintaining the look, and communicating effectively with your stylist.
Meet The Expert
Katie Wells
Katie is a hair colorist with over 3 years of experience.
You can find her at Maggie The Salon in Pembroke Pines, FL.Creating Dimensional Magic on Medium-Length Hair
Katie emphasizes achieving a dimensional yet lived-in look for medium-length hair. The focal point is a heavy face-framing highlight, adding fullness and drama to the hair. “This technique creates a more captivating appearance,” Katie explains.
For an ideal balayage, ensure the color complements your skin tone. Warmer tones, such as golden or caramel blonde, flatter warm skin tones, while cooler shades, like platinum blonde or ashy colors, suit cooler or fairer complexions.
For olive skin tones, Katie suggests neutral to warm shades like beige blonde and rich chestnut brown. She adds, “For warm olive skin, go for warm shades; for cooler tones, choose colors that emphasize the skin tone.” Dark complexions can benefit from warm to neutral medium brown balayage, brightening the face and enhancing the overall look.
Maintenance Made Simple
Keeping your balayage vibrant and beautiful requires some post-service care. Katie’s recommendations include using professional products like Redken acidic bonding shampoo and conditioner, K18 molecular bonding leave-in, and Kenra professional heat protectant for heat styling.
She advises incorporating Amika purple shampoo weekly, Olaplex number 1 at-home treatment bi-monthly, and regular trims. Additionally, toner “glazes” every 4-6 weeks helps maintain the color’s freshness, especially for ashy tones that tend to fade quicker.
Consultation is Key
When consulting with a colorist, Katie underscores the importance of covering all aspects, from hair history and desired tone to budget, time, and lifestyle. Understanding the hair’s previous chemical treatments is crucial for setting realistic expectations. Bringing reference images helps the colorist comprehend your vision precisely. “A colorist’s professional input on suitable shades based on your base color is valuable,” Katie shares.
She also advises considering maintenance, as ash colors require more frequent toning to stay vibrant. Clients who swim frequently or have an active outdoor lifestyle should opt for warmer, budget-friendly options.
Photos of the Most Envious Balayage for Medium-Length Hair
#1: Medium Sun-Kissed Blonde with Root Smudge
Medium sun-kissed blonde with root smudge is a stunning hairstyle. It combines natural-looking blonde tones with a soft, blended root effect. The medium blonde shade adds warmth and brightness to your hair. This creates a sun-kissed appearance. This versatile hairstyle works well with different skin tones and hair textures. It provides a fresh and youthful look that is perfect for any occasion.
#2: Balayage with a Swoop Bang
A hairstyle featuring a balayage and a swoop bang will add dimension to your style. The swoop bang provides a nice framing for your face, and the balayage adds a brightening contrast. Whether your hair is short or long, subtle changes like these can help you stand out. Your stylist might first trim your fringe. This is done before adding color to help place the balayage better. After applying the balayage, your hair will be toned carefully. The stylist will work with you to find a tone that best suits your skin and style.
#3: Mid-Length Light Brown Balayage Hair with Dark Roots
Mid-length light brown balayage hair with dark roots is a natural-looking hairstyle. It adds depth and dimension to your locks. The light brown balayage highlights create a beautiful contrast against the darker roots. This gives a sun-kissed effect. This hairstyle is versatile and suits various skin tones and hair types. It provides a soft and blended transition from the roots to the ends. The mid-length cut offers a balance between short and long hair. And it allows for easy styling and maintenance.
#4: Burgundy Balayage Lowlights on Medium Black Hair
Go for a dramatic hairstyle that combines medium black hair’s richness with burgundy’s depth. The burgundy lowlights add a bold and vibrant contrast to the black base. This mix of colors adds depth, dimension, and a touch of edginess to medium-black hair. This makes it a perfect choice for those who want to make a statement with their hair color.
#5: Wavy Lob with Blonde Babylights
The wavy lob with blonde babylights is a trendy and versatile hairstyle. It combines a textured lob (long bob) with delicate blonde babylights. The wavy texture adds volume and movement to the hair. The babylights create subtle, sun-kissed highlights throughout. This combination of waves and babylights offers a fresh and youthful look. This gives the hair depth and dimension. It’s a popular choice for those seeking a dimensional and glossy chic hairstyle.
#6: Medium-Length Rooted Blonde Balayage for Straight Hair
The hairstyle is a straight, medium-length blonde balayage with roots. When applying balayage to straight hair, it’s vital to have a soft, diffused root. This avoids unwanted streaks that straight hair will reveal quickly. Balayage is the best technique for soft color.
#7: Honey Balayage Highlights for Mid-Length Fine Hair
Honey balayage highlights on mid-length fine hair are a great option. Did you know they can help make your hair look thicker? The light reflection from the highlights and the blunt ends give fine hair a more voluminous look.
#8: Feathered Thick Hair with Creamy Blonde Color
Go for this cut with feathered layers with creamy blonde color if you have thick hair. The layers will help remove unwanted weight and bulk from the hair. While the shade of blonde gives this whole look a soft and shiny finish.
#9: Choppy Haircut with Face-Framing Balayage Highlights
Try medium choppy layers and face-framing highlights for your next look. The way the layers fall gives this whole look ton of texture. The highlights give off that beachy, lived-in vibe with low maintenance. It’s a win!
#10: Copper Peach Hair with Shadow Root
Ask for a copper peach hair color with a shadow root. For a gorgeous bright peachy color with depth, try a balayage toned with copper, red, and gold. Each help to reflect all of the peachy goodness. A root shadow with give you depth and low-maintenance color. It can be refreshed with just a toner every 6-8 weeks and refresh your balayage every 8-12 weeks.
#11: Mid-Length Icy Blonde Balayage Hair
Go for a mid-length icy blonde balayage hair color. A balayage can sometimes bring out some gold in the hair. This is a good thing for a reflective blonde. But sometimes, adding some icy tones can help balance the gold and create a gorgeous icy blonde.
#12: Honey Blonde Lob with Face-Framing Bangs
Ditch the usual ash blonde for a warm, rich honey blonde lob with face-framing bangs. Honey blonde is a great tone to bring warmth and brightness to the hair and best suits a warm or neutral skin tone. Face-framing bangs are a perfect choice to try bangs but not commit to a full bang with balayage. They will create softness around the face. Ask your stylist to blend your curtain bangs into your face frame for a seamless blend. Ask for many pieces to leave out to enhance your face when wearing a ponytail with your balayage.
#13: Pastel Pink Balayage on Wavy Mid-Length Hair
Pastel pink balayage on wavy mid-length hair is a gorgeous and trendy hairstyle. It combines the softness of pastel pink tones with the natural texture of wavy hair. The balayage creates a blend of pastel pink color in the hair, adding a touch of femininity. The mid-length hair provides the perfect canvas for showcasing beautiful colors. The waves enhance the dimension and movement. This gives the hairstyle an effortlessly chic and romantic look.
#14: Beige Highlights on Side Part Medium Hair
Beige highlights on medium hair are an elegant hairstyle. It features delicate beige highlights on medium-length hair with a side part. The beige highlights add a subtle and natural dimension to the hair. This creates a soft and sun-kissed effect. The side part enhances the overall look by adding a touch of asymmetry and framing the face. This results in a polished and timeless hairstyle that suits a variety of occasions.
#15: Medium Dark-Rooted Mushroom Blonde Hair
Medium mushroom blonde hair is a hairstyle that blends brown roots with a mushroom blonde hue. The dark roots add depth and contrast to the overall look. The mushroom blonde shade infuses a cool, ashy tone for a unique, edgy twist. This mix creates a versatile style perfect for those seeking a trendy hair color.
#16: Soft Golden Balayage for Choppy Wavy Hair
Check out this soft golden balayage for choppy wavy hair! It’s a beautiful and textured hairstyle that adds a balayage color to choppy and wavy locks. The golden tones add warmth and dimension to the hair, creating a sunlit and radiant effect. The choppy and wavy texture adds movement and a carefree vibe to the look.
#17: Strawberry Bronde Lob with Money Piece
Here’s a trendy hairstyle that combines a strawberry blonde and bronde color palette. The strawberry blonde and bronde hues create a beautiful blend of warm and cool tones. The money piece adds a pop of color and frames the features, adding a trendy and edgy touch to the overall style. This mix is perfect for those who want to make a statement and rock a stylish and eye-catching bob.
#18: Shoulder-Length Buttery Blonde Balayage Hair
Shoulder-length blonde balayage hair is a stunning and unique hairstyle. It combines a shoulder-length cut with a beautiful buttery blonde balayage color. The buttery blonde hue adds a soft and warm tone to the hair, creating a sunlit and luminous effect. The balayage technique enhances the natural movement and dimension of the hair. This results in a shiny look that is chic.
#19: Warm Caramel Hue and Middle Part Waves
This hairstyle is a soft choice combining warm caramel hair color with tousled waves. The warm caramel hue adds a rich tone to the hair. And the middle part enhances facial features and creates a balanced look. The waves add texture and movement, lending the style an effortless vibe. This mix is perfect for those wanting a natural and bohemian-inspired look.
#20: Medium Brown Hair with Soft Balayage Ombre
Medium brown hair with soft balayage ombre is a versatile and gorgeous hairstyle. It has a medium brown base color and subtle and blended balayage ombre highlights. The balayage blends the hair from darker brown roots to lighter tones towards the ends. This creates a natural and sun-kissed effect.
#21: Mid-Length Curly Cut with Chunky Blonde Balayage
The curly cut with chunky blonde balayage is a dynamic and trendy hairstyle. It combines a mid-length curly cut with chunky blonde balayage highlights. The curly cut adds volume, bounce, and texture to the hair. The blonde balayage highlights create a striking contrast against the natural hair color.
#22: Medium U-Cut with Subtle Honey Tone
Ask for a medium U-Cut with subtle honey tones. If you have or want medium-length hair, two ways to switch your style are perimeter shape and color. Try a U-shaped perimeter cut if you want your ends to look full and rounded. Adding balayage highlights will give you a highlighting effect on your brown hair.
#23: Soft Shag with Golden Brown and Blonde Hues
Try a soft shag with dimensional golden brown and blonde hues if you have fine hair and want it to look fuller. The layers and texture in this cut help create more volume in the hair. Dimensional blonde and brown shades help create the illusion of fuller hair.
#24: Light Ash Blonde on Medium V-Cut
A medium-length haircut with light ash blonde hair color creates a trendy look. The cool-toned, ashy shade adds a touch of variation and complements various skin tones. The medium length allows for versatility in styling. Style it sleek and straight or with loose waves. The light ash blonde hue brings a refreshing quality to the overall hairstyle.
#25: Caramel Bronde Shade with Mid-Length Waves
Try this stunning caramel bronde shade with mid-length waves. The bronde tone gives just enough dimension with a more natural-looking result.
#26: Shoulder-Length Light Blonde Hair with Black Roots
Try this light blonde hair with black roots if you have collarbone-length hair. The darker root assists in giving a blended result.
#27: Caramel Highlights for Dark Brunette Hair
Transform your hair with a touch of caramel highlights for dark brunette hair. This hairstyle adds warmth and dimension to your hair, creating a beautiful contrast. The caramel highlights blend with your dark hair, providing a soft and natural look. For styling, use a curling iron to create loose waves for an effortless and romantic vibe. Finish with hairspray for a long-lasting and nice result.
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