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Beauty

19th Jul 2022

Californian balayage is the perfect summer colour

Ellen Fitzpatrick

This is the one.

If there’s one thing we need right now, it’s change. And when we say change, we mean a change in our hair colour.

If you’re someone with dark hair, you’ll be feeling the heat right on top of your head right about this time of year, and that’s comfortable for absolutely none of us.

Going lighter in the summer is a great option to beat the heat, and while it might not fix all our problems when it comes to the sun, it’s better than nothing.

Californian balayage has arrived from the States and it has now become the must have trend of the summer.

Balayage is a colouring technique that burst onto the scene in the 90s, and sees a stylist taking smaller sections of hair and highlighting them to give a more gradual colour.

The highlights are blended more seamlessly through the lengths and no hairs are left unblinded, but leaves a more rooty finish that regular highlights.


According to Tommie Gleed, colour director at Nicky Clarke, the trend is here to stay, only this year, it’s getting a more polished look with the Californian twist.

“Whilst ‘lived in colour’ remains very popular, many clients are requesting a polished, Californian balayage,” Tommie told Glamour.

“Californian balayage is created with a more lived-in root and lighter ends and is normally paired with bangs or grown out bangs. The look is all about the beachy ‘SoCal’ vibes, and colour is distributed throughout to mimic the look of naturally sunkissed strands and give a gorgeous glowing ‘holiday hair effect’.”

As the trend becomes more popular, people are looking to go with something that is easy to style but also low maintenance, which this colour technique is perfect for.

Starting off, head to the salon on the third month mark after getting this for face frame foils, toner and treatment to keep it fresh and after six, go for a fuller look.

Tommie said: “Every six months, I would then opt for the full head balayage, to completely refresh the colour again. The style I personally feel this looks amazing in, is a loose braid or soft beachy waves with smoother ends as both styles again fits in perfectly with that relaxed cool-girl vibe.”

Why wouldn’t you try out this look for summer?