How to Get Reverse Brunette Balayage

If there’s one thing for certain in the hair color world, it’s that balayage is a technique that is here to stay. Look at your favorite celebs or women walking down the street and you’re bound to see plenty of people strutting their stuff in the sun-kissed highlights that are a signal of balayage. Whereas balayage typically features a darker base with lighter highlights, there’s a new hair color trend making the rounds these days—and it’s known as reverse brunette balayage. Keep reading to learn all about reverse brunette balayage and how to get the look.

What Is Reverse Brunette Balayage?

Reverse brunette balayage features lighter blonde hair melting into darker brown hair. Basically, it’s the inverse of traditional balayage, which usually features a brown base with lighter highlights. Reverse brunette balayage definitely stands out and makes a statement, whereas traditional balayage is often subtler.

What Should You Know Before Trying Reverse Brunette Balayage?

Since reverse brunette balayage features a base of blonde hair, keep in mind that you’ll need to have blonde hair to add pops of brown. If you don’t already have blonde hair, this will require bleaching—and the darker your starting shade, the more work it’ll take to achieve your desired level of blonde. If you’re not already a blonde, you’ll have to touch up your new base color when your roots grow in, because roots on blonde hair are very visible. So, reverse brunette balayage isn’t as low maintenance as traditional balayage.

Who Looks Best with Reverse Brunette Balayage?

The good news is, this is one hair color trend that just about everyone looks gorgeous in! A good colorist will be able to tailor your reverse brunette balayage to you so that you’re left with the most flattering look. Reverse brunette balayage is the perfect hair color choice for someone who wants to take a risk and try something different, as it’s definitely attention-grabbing. Now, your probably wondering how exactly you can get reverse brunette balayage. And that leads us to…

How Do You Get Reverse Brunette Balayage?

Balayage, whether the traditional kind or this reverse option, is a hair color technique best left to the pros as it takes quite a bit of expert skill to hand paint color onto hair. Look for colorists who specialize in balayage, and make sure to bring photos with you so that your colorist knows exactly what you want. To do balayage, a colorist will hand paint color onto your hair without using foils.

How Do You Take Care of Reverse Brunette Balayage?

Once you have reverse brunette balayage, it’s time to commit to a hair routine tailored to color-treated hair. Reach for a system of shampoo, conditioner, and hair mask formulated for colored hair, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Repair & Defend Shampoo, L’Oréal Paris EverPure Repair & Defend Conditioner, and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Repair Remedy Balm. Swap out the conditioner for the hair mask once or twice a week. Remember that you’ll have to touch up your roots if you dyed your base blonde, so schedule an appointment with your colorist to have that taken care of when needed.

How Do You Style Reverse Brunette Balayage?

We tend to think that balayage—whether the traditional or reverse brunette variety—looks beautiful when paired with wavy hair. So, give your heat tools a break and spritz your hair with a wave-enhancing spray, like the L’Oréal Pair Advanced Hairstyle AIR DRY IT Wave Swept Spray, after hopping out of the shower. Let your hair air dry, then tousle your main with your fingers to loosen your waves. You can also show off your reverse brunette balayage in a braid—fishtail braid, rope braid, crown braid, it’s up to you on which one you want to wear!

Want more hair color inspiration? We’ve got another cool hair color trend to tell you all about. Here’s How to Get Peanut Butter and Jelly Hair.