The dirty blonde balayage trend has gained popularity due to its ability to enhance your natural hair color instead of fighting against it. Danon Christoffers, a renowned hairstylist and colorist, shares valuable insights on achieving the ideal balayage for different skin tones and maintaining its beauty. With years of expertise and experience, Danon provides expert guidance on achieving a low-maintenance, luminous, and flattering look.
Meet The Expert
Danon Christoffers
Danon is a licensed cosmetologist & educator with over 17 years of experience.
You can find Danon at The Beauty Collective in Grayslake, IL.
Choosing A Flattering Dirty Blonde for Major Skin Tones
When considering a dirty blonde, selecting the right shade or tone to complement your skin tone is essential. Danon suggests that this trend can be customized to flatter your unique complexion. A muted golden look is achieved by softly blending dark and light hues. The golden warmth is controlled by cooler tones, creating a soft and beige appearance. Danon emphasizes, “Gold is important in the hair so it looks luminous.”
Maintaining Your Balayage
Danon recommends starting with your natural hair tone to maintain your color. The balayage should be subtly feathered down from your natural color, gradually transitioning into hand-painted highlighted pieces that are about two levels lighter. Incorporating your natural color as a backdrop or lowlight running through the ends enhances the beauty of the balayaged dirty blonde highlights. Danon advises, “You have to have darkness to see light.”
Effective Communication with Your Colorist/Stylist
When consulting with your colorist or stylist, Danon suggests providing clear instructions to achieve the desired look. Mention that you prefer a high contrast and dimensional color, with darker roots melting into lighter pieces. Express your interest in maintaining a natural lowlight and a root that grows out seamlessly without a visible line of demarcation. Bringing three photos of dirty blondes that closely resemble your natural hair color and complexion will help you visualize the outcome accurately. Danon also advises discussing what you like and dislike about the reference photos. Aim for a highlight color about two levels lighter than your natural shade, with muted gold, beige, and mousy tones.
Essential Aftercare and Product Recommendations
Danon recommends using Color WowShampoo and Conditioner to ensure long-lasting and low-maintenance color Color Security. These products are specifically designed to maintain your color vibrancy. Following a proper hair care routine and using the recommended products can keep your balayage looking fresh and beautiful for an extended period.
Pictures of the Best Dirty Blonde Balayage Hair Colors
#1: Middle-Parted Muted Beige Blonde
Try this muted beige-blonde color. This is a great option if you like ashy tones for your hair. It’s cool but still has subtle golden undertones. Add a middle part to this color for a sleek finish.
#2: Rooty Dirty Blonde
Are you a low-maintenance girl living in a high-maintenance world? A rooted dark blonde balayage is just what a low-maintenance girl needs! Having a rooted color lets you wait longer between appointments. It helps you keep the bright blonde ends you love without the regular upkeep.
#3: Dimensional Balayage for Long Hair
If you want to add dimension and warmth to your hair, consider a dimensional dirty blonde balayage for long hair. This hair color technique combines shades of blonde, creating a natural and sun-kissed look. The balayage technique, involving hand-painting the color onto the hair, allows for a seamless blend of warm, white, and neutral tones. This versatile hair color works well with various skin tones, particularly olive and tan. For fairer skin tones, we recommend lightening the blonde to a level 7 or higher to achieve the desired result.
#4: Dirty Blonde on Long, Thin Hair
If you have fine hair and want a balayage, consider a dirty blonde balayage for your long, thin hair. Dirty blonde and bright brunette balayage hues are perfect for giving fine hair a fresh look!
#5: Dark Dirty Blonde
Try a dirty blonde balayage to get a beachy look on dark brown hair. The most effective way to get this color on dark hair is a technique called “foilayage.” It gives the balayage effect while being able to lift the hair lighter in foils.
#6: Low-Maintenance Dirty Blonde
Try a dirty blonde if you want a low-maintenance hair color to brighten your look. This hair color is a seamless blend of warm, cool, and neutral tones, giving your hair depth and dimension. The result is a natural-looking color that works best for those with an olive or tan complexion. With its low maintenance appeal, you won’t have to worry about constant touch-ups or trips to the salon.
#7: Dirty Summer Blonde for Long Bob
A dirty blonde balayage on a long bob is a summer vibe. Try an all-over balayage with bright money-piece accents for an extra light dirty blonde. Balayage is a great technique to achieve brighter blonde in level 7 and above. It allows for a gentle grow out. When you may want to transition to other tones, you can with accents of blonde in the balayage.
#8: Dirty Beachy Blonde with Soft Honey Hues
If you have dirty blonde hair, try these soft honey hues! These tones will warm up your whole look. Not to mention the honey undertone will give you tons of shine.
#9: Soft Blonde Highlights for Brunette Hair
Ask about a soft blonde highlight if you have brunette hair. For a sunkissed creamy blonde, try babylights throughout a dark blonde base. You can ask for a balayage for the sun-kissed effect if you’re naturally a dirty blonde. If you have been blonde for a while, try a semi-permanent gloss of dark blonde. But leave out pieces of highlights to create dimension.
#10: Dirty Dark Blonde Waves
If you love muted tones, try this dirty blonde color with waves! Keeping the base darker is a great way to create depth and dimension.
#11: Soft Baby Blonde Balayage
If you want a subtle dimension, try this soft blonde baby balayage! You still get that beautiful dimension with a beautiful trendy finish!
#12: Blonde Highlights and Lowlights with Root Melt
If you want added dimension, try adding highlights and lowlights. And if you want additional depth, do a root melt, too. All of this together keeps your maintenance low and depth high!
#13: Melted Creamy Blonde Balayage
This melted creamy blonde balayage is stunning! This is great if you like having a darker root but still enjoy having blonde tones throughout.
#14: Dirty Bright Blonde with Money Piece
If you crave the ultimate dimension, add a money piece and dirty bright blonde to your hair! You can wear this look straight or wavy. It’s a good all-around versatile color.
#15: Rooted Platinum Blonde Balayage
If you love platinum hair but need a bit lower maintenance, this rooted platinum is a great option. You still have that illusion of platinum with a stylish rooted color to pull the vision together!
#16: Medium-Length Rich Bronde Hair
This brined color on medium-length hair is a great option if you want a blonde for all seasons. You get light and dark contrast for a bright yet subtle bronde look!
#17: Messy Waves on Dirty Neutral Blonde
Give this messy wave look a try! This is a great option if you have straight hair and want added dimension. Or, if you have natural waves and need a more polished look, try it!
#18: Short Hair with Light Blonde Chunky Highlights
If you have short hair, try these chunky light blonde highlights. The color will give you tons of depth!
#19: Dimensional Warm Caramel Blonde
If you prefer warmer hues for your color, try this warm caramel blonde. These tones will give you a seamless blend of your natural color.
#20: Sandy Blonde with Dark Roots
For a glamorous blonde, try a dimensional highlight with natural sandy tones. Focus on the bright pieces at the mid-lengths and ends for a brighter blonde. It’s also low-maintenance. Keeping this color fresh is easy, with a few key partial highlights and glossing every 8 weeks.
#21: Face-Framing Winter Blonde Balayage
If you want to add more natural volume to your hair, try this winter blonde balayage. Adding balayage highlights creates reflection, which gives the illusion of height and volume. Highlights also help add texture.
#22: Dark Base with Ashy Blonde Tones
If you have a dark base naturally, try this ashy blonde. You can root shadow your base to get this look if you naturally have light-colored hair!
#23: Rich Ash Blonde Balayage for Dark Hair
Try this rich ash-blonde balayage if you have dark hair and love cool shades! This color palette can be classy and trendy!
#24: Medium Layered Cut with Lived-in Blonde
If you are looking to add some dimension to your medium-length hair, try this lived-in blonde look. This is a great low-maintenance color! This is also a good option for natural light and dark hair.
#25: Sun-Kissed Blonde with Money Pieces
Ask about a sun-kissed blonde with a money piece. The summer season brings us outdoors and starts to lighten up our hair naturally. If you want to create a brightening effect, ask your stylist for ribbon money pieces. They can be placed around the face and throughout the ends of the hair. Try a warm glowing gloss that will give the hair a gorgeous reflective shine.
#26: Dirty Blonde Partial Highlights
A partial highlight on dirty blonde hair is something to consider. Sometimes all you need to do to elevate your color is with a partial highlight. This can be a low-maintenance color with a chic finish. Chunkier ribbons will give high-dimensional highlights. A diffused root will give it a low-maintenance grow-out. Your stylist can use a few techniques to create a soft grow-out. Ask about a root smudge, teasy lights, or a balayage application.
#27: Dirty Blonde Ombre with Beach Waves
Consider a dirty blonde ombré with beach waves for a gorgeous, low-maintenance blonde who wants to keep their natural base color. When asking for a highlight, ask your stylist for an ombre. With ombre, the blonde is focused on the mid-lengths and ends of the hair.
#28: Light Honey Blonde Hair with Long Layers
Embrace the warmth by trying out light honey-blonde hair with long layers. I always add warmth to my blonde toners because warmth creates brightness. Sometimes ash makes the hair look darker. Opting for a warmer tone is great for people with warm, golden, or olive skin tones. When going lighter than your natural color, remember to book maintenance appointments. Ask for a toner to keep your hair from looking brassy, and it creates shinier hair.
#29: Medium-Length Dirty Vanilla Blonde
A medium-length dirty vanilla blonde is a soft way to embrace the blonde lifestyle. I love this look for the client who enjoys a low-maintenance lifestyle. This is also a great way to incorporate natural salt and pepper without looking washed out. For the best maintenance, you can get this touched up every 10-12 weeks.
#30: Dirty Bronde Balayage Hair with Loose Waves
A dirty bronde balayage with loose waves is a gorgeous style and color. To transition from a light blonde to a darker dirty blonde, try a color melt with a level 6-7 base that melts into a blonde. Using semi-permanent color is a great option for opacity and shine. These two elements create a soft transition and also wash out nicely.
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