26 “Dark Blonde” Balayage Ideas to Transform Your Look

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Dark blonde balayage ideas for women
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Cindy Marcus
Cindy Marcus Hairstylist, Editor-in-Chief

Are you considering “dark blonde” balayage but unsure how it will suit you? Look no further! We interviewed Kim Tvedten, a skilled colorist with expertise in balayage, to provide you with valuable insights and recommendations. Kim has years of experience in creating stunning looks for her clients, and she is here to share her knowledge with you.

Meet The Expert

Kim Tvedten
Kim Tvedten
Kim is a hairstylist & color specialist with over 16 years of experience
You can find her at Lovely By Kim in Scottsdale, AZ

Ideal Dark Blonde Shade for Various Skin Tones

This dark balayage is suitable for the majority of skin tones. What makes it versatile is that your colorist can customize blonde tones to complement your unique skin tone perfectly. Think of beautiful shades like honey, caramel, or beige-sandy blondes.

Tips and Product Recommendations

This balayage offers the best of both worlds. It requires relatively low maintenance while delivering a striking blonde effect, especially around the face where it matters most. You can go several months between appointments without worrying about touch-ups. For a quick and refreshing touch-up, I recommend a halo touch-up technique. This method focuses on brightening the hair around your face and nape area, instantly making you feel radiant and fresh without spending excessive time at the salon.

To maintain your balayage between salon visits, I suggest using KEVIN MURPHY Everlasting color Wash And Rinse. These products are specifically designed to help your color last longer and retain its vibrancy. They are an excellent investment to keep your color looking beautiful and lustrous.

Communicating with Your Stylist: Important Considerations

When discussing with your stylist, there are a few key factors to consider. Your current base color is crucial, as it sets the foundation for the balayage process. Additionally, understanding your lifestyle and how much time you can dedicate to maintenance is essential. Dark balayage offers flexibility and can be customized to suit various price points. For instance, transitioning from a high-maintenance platinum or heavy highlight may involve a higher initial cost, but subsequent services will be more spread out and require less maintenance.

If you have naturally dark hair or previous dark color treatments, it may take several sessions to achieve your desired result. Communication with your colorist is key to developing a customized plan that aligns with your time and investment expectations.

Photos of Loveliest Dark Blonde Balayage

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Waist-Length Wavy Dark Blonde Balayage with Waves
Instagram @jadebyida

#1: Long Wavy Dark Blonde

Long wavy dark blonde balayage is a stunning way to transition out of a bright blonde look. If you’re looking for a soft classic way to add depth and darkness to your platinum, this is a great way to achieve that! I suggest adding a deep melted root and lowlight for an optimal blend. For a soft feminine touch, try adding a loose wave.

#2: Darkened Blonde Balayage

Try a darkened blonde balayage if you want to update your long locks. This hair color combines a darker root melted into lighter ends. There’s a seamless blend of dimension and depth. The darker base adds richness, while the lighter ends brighten your hair. This color works well on most skin tones but flatters those with warm undertones the most.

Medium-Long Dark Chocolate Brown Base with Light Blonde Balayage Highlights
Instagram @hairbyrgg

#3: Chocolate Brown Base with Light Blonde Highlights

Ask for a chocolate brown base with light blonde highlights. For a darker blonde, adding in some lighter pieces will give you a reflective contrast. Golds and caramels look great as a natural-looking highlight. They give your hair dimension so it doesn’t look flat.

Dark Bronde Balayage for Straight Long Hair with Subtle Layers
Instagram @hairbysaaraa

#4: Dark Bronde for Straight Long Hair

Go for a dark bronde balayage for long straight hair. Ask your stylist for hand-painted highlights on your naturally dark blonde hair. A balayage technique will give you a soft, lightened blonde that will be low maintenance. You can maintain in between with a gloss or toner to add shine and tone to your hair. Otherwise, you can come every 3-6 months for touch-ups and haircuts.

Dark Honey Blonde Ombre Balayage with Long Waves
Instagram @zelistemima

#5: Honey Blonde Ombre Balayage

A honey-blonde balayage is a chic way to add lighter tones to your natural blonde or light brunette locks. A soft, chic way to complement your natural hair tones. It’s important to note warm tones reflect light and cool tones absorb light. Adding in those warmer hues allows you to feel lighter and brighter.

Dark Ashy Blonde Balayage on Waist-Length Wavy Brown Hair
Instagram @steindorf.coiffure

#6: Dark Ashy Blonde on Brown Hair

Try this dark ashy blonde if you have dark brown hair! This look is best in a darker color to help make that blonde pop. You will want to use a purple shampoo at home to keep this look ashy and cool.

#7: Lived-in Short Blonde Bob

A lived-in short blonde bob is a flattering and timeless hairstyle. This style is great for women who embrace their new short hairstyle while keeping dimension around their faces. Communicate with your stylist about face texture and soft texturized layers. It’s important to keep this shape soft and shattered.

Textured Bob with a Choppy Fringe for Heart Faces and women with short hair
Instagram @vikachekahair

#8: Dark Blonde Babylights with Root Melt

If you have blonde or medium brown hair and want to add depth, try adding a root melt with dark blonde balayage. This is a fairly low-maintenance look, as the root melt helps give you a seamless grow-out.

Rooted Dark Blonde Balayage for Long Brunette Hair with Choppy Ends
Instagram @maddiemelts

#9: Rooted Dark Blonde for Brunette Hair

A rooted dark blonde for brunette hair is a trendy way to stay blonde while embracing your natural hair. This new take on a balayage is beautiful and youthful. Adding in a soft-rooted look keeps this traditional style fresh. Ask your stylist to use a demi-permanent root color to keep your color longer lasting with a softer grow out.

Mid-length Hair with Dark Brown Base and Cool Dark Blonde Balayage Ombre
Instagram @hair_glam_efi

#10: Dark Brown Base with Cool Blonde Balayage

This balayage is done through the mid-lengths and ends, creating an ombré effect. This is a low-maintenance lover’s dream. You can create this with a color melt of a darker blonde into a lighter end. Or you can balayage the mid-lengths and ends with your natural base color. Glossing and toning any unwanted tones can be a helpful tool. Your colorist will know what will work best for your hair and skin tone.

Medium Brown Layered Hair with Caramel Dark Blonde Balayage Highlights
Instagram @aprilmaestyles

#11: Medium Brown with Caramel Blonde Highlights

Here’s a medium brown color with caramel-blonde highlights. For the perfect caramel tone, you will want to do all-over highlights or balayage lifted to level 8. Combining gold and cool tones can create a beautiful caramel effect. It will balance brassiness and also still be warm and reflective.

Rooted Dark Mushroom Blonde Balayage for Shoulder-Length Wavy Lob
Instagram @sammy__hairbyi

#12: Mushroom Blonde for Wavy Lob

Ask about a mushroom blonde on a wavy lob. A reverse balayage is all the rage. Why? It’s low maintenance, adds dimension, and can be done when your hair has been over-lightened. A mushroom blonde is a cool brown that works great with a cool-toned blonde.

#13: Dimensional Beige Blonde Highlights

Consider a dimensional beige-blonde highlight. When you want a beige blonde, this can be a mix of the base color and the highlights toned with gold and coolness. This creates the perfect muted gold. Because this is a muted gold, it suits most skin tones. The key is picking what level works best with your hair.

Mid-Long Light Brown to Dark Blonde Balayage Hair with Voluminous Waves
Instagram @hair.by.hanby

#14: Light Brown Balayage with Voluminous Waves

Try a light brown balayage with voluminous waves. For a soft natural look, ask for a balayage with your light brown hair. A balayage will give you a sun-kissed color and grow out with a seamless look. Try a voluminous style with some hot rollers left in the hair for 30 mins minimum to cool down. Hold your style all day long and even into the next day.

#15: Natural Dark Blonde with Face-Framing Layers

A natural dark blonde balayage is a great compliment to face-framing layers. Focus the lightness around the face to bring attention to the front. Blow-dry the layers back to get a lovely, rounded bounce and lots of movement. Ask your stylist to show you how if you lack experience!

Brunette Dark Blonde Balayage with Long Waves and Layers
Instagram @vloveinhair

#16: Brunette Balayage with Waves and Layers

Try this honey balayage if you want to add dimension to your brunette hair. You can add layers and loose waves for additional texture.

Dark Blonde Foilayage Highlights with a Money Piece for Long Layered Locks
Instagram @emily_hair_nyc

#17: Blonde Foilayage Highlights with a Money Piece

Blonde foilayage highlights with a money piece are great if you want big dimension. The money piece gives you that bright pop around your face. And the foilayage gives you a soft and seamless grow out.

#18: Soft Blonde Balayage on Light Brown Hair

Light brown hair looks stylish with a soft blonde balayage. Leaving the root natural creates depth, making the balayage pop against it. It will be a low-maintenance style and will work with any skin tone. For loose waves, style with a double barrel waver or curling wand.

Sun-Kissed Dark Blonde Balayage Hair for Long Choppy Hair
Instagram @maxgourgues

#19: Sun-Kissed Dark Blonde Hair

Try this sunkissed dark blonde hair if you are looking for a subtle and natural-looking color. With this low-maintenance look, you’ll get a seamless grow-out with a perfect blend!

Soft Creamy Dark Bronde Balayage Highlights on Long Wavy Hair
Instagram @pajuneuss

#20: Soft Creamy Bronde Highlights

Bronde highlights are perfect for color with a creamy, sun-kissed tone. Depending on your natural level of color, your stylist can customize your color to blend better with the grow-out. It will give you a natural look while working with your natural color.

Golden Dark Dirty Blonde Balayage Hair with Long Layers and Waves
Instagram @workbycarina

#21: Golden Dirty Blonde Hair

Do you have dirty blonde hair? The best way to enhance this color is to apply a dark golden blonde balayage. This style is great for adding dimensional blonde and brown tones. Stylists can apply highlights in a V pattern to keep the root more natural. And this makes it low-maintenance.

Reverse Dark Blonde Balayage with Dark Brown Hair and Medium to Long Cut
Instagram @emmalouisehlb

#22: Reverse Blonde Balayage with Dark Brown Hair

A reverse blonde balayage with dark brown hair is a versatile hair color. All types of brunettes can pull this tone off. This soft, lived-in hair trend shows the natural highlights and mimics a sun-kissed look. An olive or honey skin tone is ideal for warm highlights.

Dark Bronde Balayage Waves on Ladiess' Long Brown Locks
Instagram @sandy_cdc

#23: Dark Bronde Balayage Waves

Dark bronde balayage is a gorgeous yet dramatic way to add dimension to your natural color. Doing a technique like a foilayage can softly add a multi-dimensional vibe to the color. Add a little volume with a soft wave at the end to enhance the overall hair color.

Muted Warm Blonde Balayage Babylights for Dark Medium-Length Hair
Instagram @janes.manes

#24: Muted Warm Blonde Babylights

Ask about a muted, warm blonde with babylights. Some may fear warmth in their color. But warmth can be gorgeous if the brassiness is controlled with correct lifting and toning. Create your next soft sun-kissed color with a babylight and gold-tone.

#25: Dark Blonde Straight Hair

Try this dark blonde balayage for straight hair. To achieve this look, consider getting a keratin treatment. It will help keep this look sleek and easy to manage, especially during summer.

#26: Warm Blonde Ombre Balayage with Dark Roots

This dark-rooted ombré with warm blonde is gorgeous! The dark root makes that warm honey blonde stand out. Make sure to use a good shine serum at home to keep your locks vibrant.