If you’re considering trying out a brown and blonde balayage, you might have questions about the process, aftercare, and choosing the right shades to match your skin tone. Rachel Kuhnash, a seasoned stylist with years of experience, has some expert advice.
Meet The Expert
Rachel Kuhnash
Rachel is a hairstylist with over 14 years of experience.
You can find her at Perry Heights Barbershop in Massillon, OH.
Choosing the Right Shades for Your Skin Tone
Your skin tone is crucial in determining the tone of your brown and blonde. Rachel explains, “On my more fair-skinned clients, I would do a warmer to a gold base. On my more tan/warmer skin-toned clients, I tend to go for more ashy.”
Consult your stylist if you need help determining which shades suit you best. They can help you choose based on your skin tone, hair type, and personal preferences. And remember, if the color ends up being too warm or ashy, your stylist can always add a glaze or toner to adjust the tone.
Maintaining Your Balayage
You’ll need to follow a few simple aftercare steps to keep your balayage fresh and vibrant. Rachel recommends visiting your stylist every 6-8 weeks for touch-ups, glazes, or toners. Additionally, professional color care shampoos and conditioners can help maintain the color.
For more ashy tones, Rachel suggests using purple shampoo to maintain the brightness of the blonde. And if you plan on spending a lot of time in the pool this summer, it’s important to use the Malibu system for swimmers to prevent damage from chlorine.
Talking to Your Colorist/Stylist
When you’re ready to book an appointment, you should discuss a few things with your stylist. Rachel advises transparency about your lifestyle and the time you can dedicate to maintaining your hair. Your stylist can recommend a color and maintenance routine that fits your lifestyle and budget.
Pictures of Amazing “Brown and Blonde” Balayage Hair Colors
#1: Low-Maintenance Bronde Balayage Ombre
The perfect place between blonde and brunette, bronde balayage hair isn’t too dark or too light. If you want a very natural tonal color, this is for you. Ask for your weaves to be small and blended for the ultimate low-maintenance color. Toners will be your friend. Ask your stylist how often you will need this done.
#2: Blonde to Lived-In Brunette
Are you seeking a laid-back look? The transition from blonde to plain brunette is perfect if you prefer a natural appearance. The short cut offers a chic style and bouncy feel, while the highlights bring in a touch of the beachy atmosphere. To keep this look, a routine involving highlights twice a year, trims every 8 weeks, and periodic glossing for the upkeep of length and texture will be essential. For extra emphasis on your style, consider using a texture powder that can absorb oil at the roots and boost volume effortlessly.
#3: Long Blonde and Brunette Colored Hair
If you want to freshen up your look with a new hair color, consider long blonde and brunette-colored hair. This look is a balayage with blonde and brunette tones. This coloration technique creates a natural-looking effect that adds depth to your locks. Combining blonde and brunette shades complements skin tones, including fair, medium, and warm. Consult your stylist for a blend that suits your features and preferences. A long balayage is a low-maintenance style with roots that grow gracefully. This makes it a popular choice for busy women.
#4: Pearl Blonde Accents for Dark Brunette Hair
Adding a pearlescent shade of blonde to dark brown hair will break up the solid dark and give you a sun-kissed look. The balayage for brunettes will blend in a dark root to give you a more natural look!
#5: Dark Brown Hair with Caramel Blonde Balayage
Ask for a dark brown with caramel balayage. A warm sultry caramel is a perfect pair for brunette bases. Balayage creates a soft and seamless highlight technique. It brings out your underlying pigments. Paired with the perfect gloss, you can tone down any unwanted hues.
#6: Warm Bronde Babylights with Shadow Root
Try a warm blonde babylight with a root shadow. Babylights compliment medium to fine hair textures best, giving high-impact results. More coarse textures benefit from a little heavier weave or slices. A warm blonde and brown tone flatter each other by creating a soft diffuser color that looks lived in.
#7: Dark Brunette with Ashy Blonde Hues
Here’s a dark brunette with ashy blonde balayage hues. For a lived-in color, try a balayage on your brown base that gives you a low-maintenance look. The perfect combination of ash and gold will give you a reflective tone that will impress. Ask your stylist about sealing your hair with Urban Alchemy Prescription Care System. It helps with moisture, hydration, and repair options.
#8: Reverse Platinum Balayage on Dark Tresses
A reverse platinum balayage on dark tresses is interesting. You may have been doing a lot of blonding to your hair over the years, and the more you do, the blonder it will get. You can bring back the darker tones to create a dimensional blonde. They will make your blonde pop and add some depth to the hair. Always use color-safe shampoo or cleansers that your stylist recommends.
Related: Best balayage for dark hair ideas.
#9: Long Brown Waves with Blonde Face-Framing Strands
Consider long brown wavy blonde with face-framing strands. Ask your stylist for a hand-painted balayage with topped-out ends. It will give you a soft, diffused effect through the crown, creating a low-maintenance look. Plus, it gives you bright finished ends for dimension.
#10: Chunky Highlights on Dark Brown Waves
A chunky highlight on dark brown wavy hair is worth a try. A dimensional brown and blonde is a low-maintenance balayage technique. Follow-up sessions are recommended if you want to keep yellow tones at bay. A refresh is simple and effective if your stylist keeps a ‘less is more’ mentality with color placement.
#11: Bronde Macchiato with Subtle Highlights
A bronze macchiato with subtle highlights is stunning. Brighten your bronde color with a balayage that gives you a low-maintenance color. You will need maintenance between sessions with your stylist—for example, a glossing and a cut. But you can extend the lightening sessions to every four months.
#12: Medium Dark Brown Hair with Blonde Ombre
A medium dark brown base with blonde ombré is trending. For a dimensional look, try a blonde balayage that leaves peaks and valleys of brown for depth. This look is very soft through the crown with maximum lightening through the ends for an ombré effect. A brown color of roots looks great with muted gold tones.
#13: Natural Blonde Highlights on Light Brown Hair
Babylights are a technique that works great on brown hair with blonde highlights. You will get a very soft grow-out effect. And if you stay within a few levels of your base color with a warm tone, it will look sun-kissed. Use extra hydrating hair masks and conditioners when doing blonde highlights. They help to maintain shine and color.
#14: Brown Base with Dimensional Light Balayage
Here’s a brown base with dimensional light balayage. If you have grown out blonde that needs to be blended, a dimensional look will give you just what you need. Mix light and dark medium level 7 blonde and light level 10 pearl and gold for a shiny pearly reflective color.
#15: Bright and Warm Balayage
Ask for a bright and warm balayage. Create an effortless style and low-maintenance color when looking for a seamless blend. With undertones of warmth in your blonde, you can reflect lighter naturally.
#16: Blonde Money Piece and Light Brown Highlights
Consider a blonde money piece with light caramel-brown highlights. A balayage will balance the tone for those level 6 and above the natural base. Ask your stylist for a honey blonde gloss over hand-painted balayage highlights. This is created with a level 8 golden ice color.
#17: Lived-in Blonde for a Brown Bob
A lived-in blonde bob for a brown colour base is gorgeous. The stylist and the guest must work together when you want to go blonde with a darker base. You’ll both need the right products in the salon and at home. Ask your stylist for a level 4 brown with foilyage and tipped-out ends to achieve this color. Finish off the color with a root melt to help kick out warmth and give you a seamless low-maintenance blonde.
#18: Light Strawberry Blonde Balayage for Brunette Hair
Here’s a light strawberry blonde balayage for brunette hair. Are you looking for the perfect sun-kissed look? Try a hand-painted balayage technique with your balayage colorist.
#19: Medium Caramel Bronde Hair
Try a medium caramel bronde hair color. If you want to change your highlight routine into a seamless color, ask your stylist for a blonde balayage with a root tap. It will give you a low-maintenance grow out. For this beautiful caramel tone, shoot for a level 8 blonde with notes of natural and gold.
#20: Milk Chocolate Balayage Hair
Consider a milk chocolate balayage hair color. Ask your colorist for a soft chocolate balayage if you have a dark base and want a subtle yet defined color. A beige gold gloss over your fresh balayaged hair will give you a beautiful tone. This low-maintenance look brings you to the salon every 3-4 months. In-between closings are helpful to freshen up the look without needed highlights.
#21: Metallic Bronde Balayage
When you are naturally dark and want to go blonde, choose a bronde that showcases the best of both. You will get depth by maintaining some dark to make the light look lighter. Make sure you use stylist-recommended products to ensure your color stays fresh. For the in-between services when blondes may go yellow, try Linange Anti-Yellow Bi-Phase. It comes with a violet vase and grape extract.
#22: Hot Chocolate Balayage with Milky Accent
Spring is on the horizon, and adding dimension to your color is on the list! Add expertly placed balayage with warm hues to brighten your color. It will have heads turning! Color placement as this is low-maintenance in the long run, so don’t be worried about pricey upkeep!
#23: Honey Blonde Balayage Highlights
Adding blonde balayage highlights to a honey-blonde base is a great transition. Especially if you want to go from your winter blonde to your summer blonde, a honey blonde balayage adds depth while blending in the root for a seamless grow-out!
#24: Brunette Lob with Creamy Blonde Ombre
Creamy blonde is the perfect contrast a brunette should add to their look. Blending and placement are key. You don’t want to overwhelm your look or come out a solid blonde, or you will lose that impact factor. Lightening is where the hair lightens the front and ends naturally. It’s for a more lived-in look that will grow out seamlessly. Add a texture spray to create a funky, more youthful look when styling.
#25: Summer Bronde with a Money Piece
Summery sun-kissed bronde shines bright with this one! You will need a combo of a well-executed balayage blend and a rich tone to achieve this natural look. I recommend gently backcombing sections before you paint the lightener for the perfect blend. It will give you a softer, diffused lightness. Use a tone no more than three shades lighter than the base. Upkeeping this look requires toning every 8 weeks and lightening every three months.
#26: Golden Brown Balayage Hair
Honey shades of blonde look so rich and dreamy. This tone will complement an olive skin tone and won’t wash you out as lighter blondes can do. This tone is also more natural with a brunette, as if the sun lightened it softly. Style this look with curls to show off the dimension in color. But don’t forget to protect your hair with a heat protection cream or spray!
#27: Soft Blonde Hues on Medium Brown Hair
A rich deep blonde dimension that is subtle and soft will enhance your look. Your hair should complement you and your style, and sometimes less is more to bring out your beauty. Ask for a full head of spaced-out baby lights and brown balayage on a few sections, mainly in front of the hair. This will help to brighten the medium brown color. The bonus with subtle looks is they are very low-maintenance. They only need a tone every 8-10 weeks and a lightening session every 3-6 months!
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