Highlights v. balayage

12/01/2016 / Don't try this at home

Beachy and blonde or high maintenance and highlighted? Our editorial director Liz Hambleton talks you through her personal preferences and the benefits of both sides of blonde…

I’m five years old. I’m on holiday with my family and my hair is the most perfect shade of Timotei white blonde ever. Fast forward a few decades and it would be fair to say that re-creating this holy grail of hair colour has become something of an obsession. Now, i’m lucky enough to be blessed with the type of hair that catches the sun naturally but without the sun soaked holidays of summer it becomes a much darker shade of golden blonde. And that’s not ok with me.

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I find two sessions of balayage a year, with several beach bound holidays thrown in for good measure, to be the ultimate blonding cocktail.

My kind of blonde

One of the main issues i’ve faced along my blonde and winding journey is that I’m not a very high maintenance person. I simply can’t commit to regular colour appointments which, as any bottle blonde will know is all part of the process. I much prefer to let the sun work its magic (With a little help from a chamomile tea rinse) but alas this natural form of blonding is not always so practical. Step up balayage. Inspired by those sunny Californian beach babes, balayage is every low maintenance girls best friend. Loved by colourists for it’s speed of application (and loved by me for the two-weeks-in- LA look it gives my hair) balayage is to blondes what lash extensions are to mascara addicts.

No foils required

Unlike highlights, balayage is a free hand colouring technique where bleach is applied to different sized sections of hair. No foils are required and it’s a much faster process than traditional highlighting. Another reason it gets my vote – I can take a maximum of an hour and a half in the salon chair before i’m twitching to get on with my day! Results wise I never fail to be disappointed with the lived in effect i’m left with. There’s none of that ‘just coloured’ brashness we blondes can suffer from. I find two sessions of balayage a year, with several beach bound holidays thrown in for good measure, to be the ultimate blonding cocktail.

Do highlights equal healthier hair?

That’s not to say I don’t envy the groomed, glossy glow a full head of highlights gives to my fellow blondes. Their patience and commitment is rewarded with a far more subtle, shiny, shade of blonde complete with a less obvious re growth. I would even go so far as to say it flatters the face in a way that balayage just doesn’t quite manage to do. Interestingly enough, I always found it to be slightly healthier for the condition of my hair as well. A theory which flies in the face of all professional opinion. Blame it on the bleach but my ends seem to drink bottles of Redken Blonde Idol Conditioner by the dozen these days!

To summarise, what highlights lack in edge they more than make up for in benefits. Highlights are uptown and balayage is downtown, it’s like comparing a glossy Blake Lively to a beachy Gigi Hadid.

Well, that’s my opinion and experience anyway. I’d love to know your take on the highlights V balayage debate. Tweet us @Treatwelluk and tell us what you prefer.

Image credits: Stocksy, Phil Taylor

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