Hair balayage women hair color technniques various hair colors - Garnier Hair balayage women hair color technniques various hair colors - Garnier

How to Get Beautiful Balayage Highlights at Home

It’s always exciting to try a new hair look, but the ultimate question is how far should you go? Total color change? Perm? Rainbow streaks? Hair makeovers don’t have to be drastic to look amazing. If you want any sort of lightened streaks, we recommend starting with pro tips on choosing the right highlights for you.

There are a lot of color techniques out there, and one highlight application called “balayage” is super popular. Not only does this technique look natural while adding multi-dimensional depth, it’s also really easy and fun to do at home.

Plus, you can achieve head-turning results on a wide range of hair colors because Garnier developed the Icing Swirl Balayage Kit that does balayage for blondes and brunettes, too!

What is Balayage?

Hair Balayage Colored Hair blonde highlights dark roots Freehand application technique - Garnier

Sometimes confused with a hair color or style, the word “balayage” means “sweeping” in French. It’s actually a freehand application technique where you brush highlights onto your hair so they look totally natural.

Hair balayage is a great technique that adds thin or thick ribbons of lightness to natural hair. The results are more subtle on previously colored hair. Balayage is the ultimate in customized highlights because you decide where it goes, as well as the amount and intensity of the blonde highlights.

Since you can never apply too much lightener with this method, you won’t get dark roots as it grows out (unlike with foil highlights). Balayage breaks the endless cycle of having to re-highlight your roots, because this technique incorporates a darker root into lighter tips and strands!

Balayage at Home

The Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Color Icing Swirl BY1 Balayage Kit makes it a simple and creative process. This is the kit if you’ve been wondering how to do balayage on dark hair at home or how to do balayage on blonde hair. The warm golden results are perfect for a late summer pick-me-up or extra dazzle on special occasions.

Balayage dark hair Nutrisse Ultra Color Icing Swirl BY1 Balayage Kit balayage blonde hair - Garnier

The Best Way to Balayage

Balayge brush applicator enhance hair balayage drip free creme formula nourish conditioner - Garnier

Your Icing Swirl BY1 Balayage Kit comes with a unique brush applicator that makes balayage free of stress and mess. Note: always do a patch test for the Anti-Brass Conditioner 48 hours in advance (see package insert).

Garnier enhances your balayage hair at home experience with a drip-free creme formula and a nourishing conditioner.

Step-by-Step: How to do Balayage at Home

Tip: The lightening mixture stains clothing so make sure to put on an old shirt or towel before starting.

Prep and Mix the Balayage at Home Kit
 Start your easy balayage at home by following the package directions on mixing the lightening mixture. Make sure to also check out how to do a preview lightening test. This will allow you to determine how long you should leave the lightener on to get your desired results.

Care for Your Balayage

We've got your balayage hair care covered! Keep your new do looking its best with our tips on caring for it. If you notice your balayage strands are warmer than you want, follow up with the included Nourishing Anti-Brass Treatment. It only takes 5 minutes to control unwanted warmth and add lasting richness. Try the color care mask for vibrancy as well. Meanwhile, your go-to balayage shower products are the ultimate color guards: Garnier Color Shield Shampoo and Conditioner or Whole Blends Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner with argan oil and cranberry extracts.

Try an All-Over Base Color Before you Balayage

If you’re looking for an all-over base color for balayage, try our 1-minute hair shade quiz to find the best Garnier shade, and then learn about all our hair color brands. But if you want to do a little more research before taking the plunge, it’s best to start with your hair color needs. 

And if you choose to do a balayage at home, we hope you love your new ‘sweeping’ highlights!