“Balayage” is the French word for “sweeping.” What on Earth does sweeping have to do with achieving gorgeous, graduated hair color through natural-looking highlights?
As it turns out, balayage hair is all about the technique. The difference is that balayage hair color is always hand-painted. That ensures your stylist achieves a unique and authentic look every time.
“Sweeping” refers to the long, painterly strokes that stylists use to get balayage color looking just right. It’s the same technique we use on many of the toppers and extensions in The Lauren Ashtyn Collection!
Whether you choose a balayage wig or want to get it dyed, there are a few things you need to know. Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of rocking this gorgeous hair trend!
What Is Balayage Hair?
We bet you’ve seen balayage hair before. This stunning style features a head full of carefully hand-painted highlights. Similar to ombre, the highlights naturally get lighter toward the bottom of the hair. It adds depth and lightness, making even the longest styles appear breezy.
Because balayage grows lighter toward the ends of hair, there is rarely dye applied near the roots. This is what makes it different from traditional highlights. On natural hair, this makes the style much easier to maintain.
As hair grows out, it blends into the darkest part, near the crown of the head. This allows women to go longer between touch-ups without impacting the look of their lovely locks. Women with balayage in their natural hair can go as long as four months between reapplications.
What About Balayage Wigs and Toppers?
We didn’t forget about the lovely ladies who wear hair toppers!
Every piece in The Lauren Ashtyn Collection is already hand-tied, hand-dyed, and hand-styled. Adding beautiful balayage to our toppers seemed like a no-brainer! Many of our most popular hair toppers feature this gorgeous coloration.
Ladies who wear wigs can also achieve brilliant balayage style! We make our wigs from 100% European Remy human hair, the highest quality hair available. That means a licensed stylist can cut, dye, and style them with few limitations! You can rock a balayage look in Lauren Ashtyn wigs of any length.
Can You Do Balayage on Short Hair or Wigs?
You might imagine that balayage is only possible on long hairstyles. While we do love the look of subtle, ombre-like balayage on long hair, it looks great on short styles! Remember, it’s only balayage if it’s hand-painted. That means a talented stylist with an eye for subtle gradation can make even short, sassy bobs look lighter and brighter.
On short hair, we recommend applying balayage to a layered haircut. It helps bring out the dimension and create a sense of bounce and movement. No two balayage applications will ever be identical. Your intuitive stylist will apply the color where it will look the best, adapting to your unique cut.
The same goes for short wigs or toppers cut to shorter lengths. Length does not limit your ability to rock this natural, dimensional style!
What Color Balayage Will Look Best on My Base Color?
The personalized, hand-painted nature of the process means it’s common for stylists to create bespoke colors for balayage clients. Most will mix up a shade that’s similar to your base shade.
In general, aim to match your balayage color with the tone of your natural hair (or the hair of your wig). Cool hues look best with cool balayage. In contrast, warmer hues go best with warmer-colored highlights.
With that said, you can achieve a balayage look with bold or pastel colors, too! Likewise, let your stylist know if you’re aiming for a subtler look. Blonde-on-blonde balayage is a gorgeous way to add subtle dimension to lighter hair.
Our Favorite Balayage Toppers
The easiest way to rock a balayage look is to choose a balayage topper from The Lauren Ashtyn Collection. A great stylist will ensure each hand-painted piece will seamlessly blend into your current length. It will make your hair look thicker, fuller, and more luxurious with very little effort.
Here are a few of our favorite balayage toppers from the collection.
Our Favorite Dark Topper
Fall in love with the Audrey Balayage Full Volume topper. This luxurious dark brown hair base pops with hand-painted auburn and bronze balayage highlights.
Our Favorite Medium Topper
Your brown hair will sing with the Mila Balayage Full Volume topper! Glowing golden highlights create a graduated lightening effect from root to tip.
Our Favorite Medium Blonde Topper
Blondes will add dashing depth and movement with the Elise Balayage Full Volume topper. This unique hand-painted piece features dark and light brown highlights. You’ll fall in love with the magical sense of movement.
Our Favorite Warm Toned Topper
The Amber Balayage Full Volume topper is perfect for anyone craving a kiss of rose gold. Dark roots fade into a stunning, variegated sea of ginger, blonde, and light brown. Don’t act surprised if people start asking for your stylist’s number!
Our Favorite Light Topper
You’ll look sunkissed and stunning in the Summer Balayage Full Volume topper. This beachy piece features dark roots and subtle blonde highlights. Everyone will think you’ve spent months basking in the tropics!
Maintain Your Balayage Hair With Lauren Ashtyn
Each unique balayage hair wig in The Lauren Ashtyn Collection is a bespoke, hand-painted work of art. Naturally, you want to maintain your wig to keep that gorgeous color looking fresh! With the right nitrate-free products, your balayage wig or topper will look brand new for years to come.
Browse our collection of products today and keep your balayage beauty looking its best!
