22 Brown Balayage Hair Ideas | Rush Hair & Beauty

The brown balayage is a timeless and versatile colour technique that remains an extremely popular choice for those seeking a natural finish and a colour that is low maintenance. 

It is an extremely versatile look that can work well for most hair types and complement a variety of different skin tones. Furthermore, the balayage technique is completely customisable and can be adapted from anything from warm caramel to cool ash browns. 

What Is Brown Balayage?

A brown balayage is a free-hand colour technique that creates natural, blended lightness throughout brown hair, creating lots of dimension and depth. It typically involves sweeping lighter brown shades onto darker brown hair, resulting in a soft and blended gradient that mimics how hair can be naturally lightened by the sun. The technique can be customised to suit various brown shades, from soft caramel highlights to bolder, brighter tones.  

As well as being a versatile option for those looking to freshen up their look without drastic changes, a balayage also offers a more low-maintenance approach compared to traditional highlights, as the blended effect grows out more seamlessly.

Key Considerations for Brown Balayage

Hair Length

Although a balayage can also look great with short hair with the addition of subtle face-framing pieces, it is particularly well suited for hair that is medium to long. Longer hair allows the balayage’s graduated colour and blended effect to be showcased more effectively as it provides more ample space, allowing for a more intricate and dimensional colour application. 

Incorporating layers can also showcase the colour variation well as they create a sense of movement and texture with different shades catching the light, adding visual interest. 

Hair Texture

The colour variations in a balayage help to highlight the hair’s natural texture and movement, with wavy and curly hair, for example, adding depth and dimension.

For straighter hair, a sleek and high-gloss finish can work well with a balayage by adding a layer of shine that can accentuate the blended colour and dimension of the technique.

Skin Tone

Warm balayage tones such as caramel, honey and golden brown are great choices for warmer complexions. They enhance natural warmth, creating a sun-kissed, radiant look. These tones can work beautifully by blending with warm undertones and adding depth, dimension and shine without overpowering.

Cool tones, such as ash brown, mushroom and mocha, can work very well on cooler undertones, creating a harmonious look with a flattering contrast. 

It is recommended to consult with a Rush stylist via a personalised consultation to determine your perfect match. 

Top 22 Brown Balayage Hair Ideas

1. Cinnamon Brown with Golden Auburn Balayage

Cinnamon brown and golden auburn balayage blends warm, spicy cinnamon with rich reddish-golden auburn tones. The result is sun-kissed and dimensional, with a natural feel. The combination of cinnamon brown and golden auburn creates a multi-tonal effect, adding lots of depth to the hair, and is particularly flattering on warmer skin tones. Seen on celebrities such as Kate Mara. 

Suitable Hair Types: Curly and wavy hair can benefit well from the dimension and movement. It can also create the illusion of more volume and thickness in finer hair.
Styling Tips: Loose waves or curls will beautifully showcase the colour blend of the cinnamon brown and golden auburn. 

2. Rose Brown Balayage

Rose brown balayage combines a brunette base with subtle, rose tones, creating a soft, warm and dimensional look. It is the type of balayage where pink hues are blended into brown hair, often resulting in a raspberry chocolate or a soft, muted pink effect. The goal is to seamlessly blend the rose tones into the brown base, creating a soft graduation of colour. Seen on celebrities such as Bella Hadid. 

Suitable Hair Types: Works well on most hair types but looks particularly striking on medium to long hair with layers. 
Styling Tips: A hair gloss can add extra shine and vibrancy.

3. Chocolate Brown with Chestnut Balayage

Chocolate brown chestnut balayage combines a deep chocolate brown base with warm, chestnut-toned highlights painted onto the hair. The highlights start mid-length and become more prominent towards the end. The interplay of the dark chocolate brown and lighter chestnut highlights adds depth and dimension to the hair, making it appear vibrant and full of movement. Seen on celebrities such as Selena Gomez.

Suitable Hair Types: Very versatile, it is great for adding dimension to finer hair and breaking up the weight of thicker hair.
Styling Tips: Incorporate a nourishing mask weekly to keep the highlights glossy and hydrated.

4. Ash Brown Balayage

Ash brown balayage combines the cool, smoky tones of ash brown with the freehanded blended highlights of a balayage. It results in a multi-dimensional, natural-looking brunette shade with cool, silvery undertones. Seen on celebrities such as Jessica Biel.

Suitable Hair Types: Long wavy hair lends itself well to these hues, showcasing the subtle transitions to create a dimensional look
Styling Tips: Focus on enhancing the cool tones and multi-dimensional effect with loose waves and texturising products such as a spray.

5. Reddish Brown Balayage

Reddish brown balayage blends red and brown tones and typically involves painting lighter red and brown highlights onto a brunette base, mimicking the way sunlight naturally lightens the hair. The specific shades and placements of the highlights can be customised to achieve a variety of looks, from subtle and warm to bolder and vibrant. Seen on celebrities such as Zendaya.

Suitable Hair Types: Can be a great choice for shorter hair, as the blend of colours can accentuate layers and curves in shorter styles such as bobs or lobs. 
Styling Tips: Use shine sprays to boost the glossy look and protect the colour from fading.

6. Cool Black with Chocolate Balayage

A cool black base with a chocolate balayage creates a striking and dimensional look for dark hair. The cool black provides a deep, rich backdrop, while the chocolate adds warmth, creating a seamless blend without harsh contrasts. Seen on celebrities such as Jessica Alba. 

Suitable Hair Types: Curls and waves naturally add dimension, and the balayage technique with these hues creates a beautiful interplay of light and shade with the chocolate tones. 
Styling Tips: Consider updos, braids and curls to showcase the beautiful colour variations.

7. Sweet Almond Balayage on Dark Brown Hair

Sweet almond balayage on dark brown hair features warm, caramel-toned highlights that are swept into the hair, creating a sun-kissed effect. This results in a seamless blend of light and dark, with the almond highlights adding dimension and warmth to the dark brown base. Seen on celebrities such as Lily Aldridge. 

Suitable Hair Types: The best results are often seen on medium to long hair with some natural texture, although it is easily customised to suit different hair types and textures.
Styling Tips: To maintain the vibrancy, use colour-safe products

8. Chocolate Brown Balayage

Chocolate brown balayage combines the rich, warm tones of chocolate brown with the natural, sun-kissed effect of balayage. This shade adds lots of depth and warmth to brunette hair, enhancing its beauty without any harsh contrasts, and suits a wide variety of skin tones. Seen on celebrities such as Hailey Bieber. 

Suitable Hair Types: It is very versatile, working for most hair types, but can be a great option for finer hair as it creates the illusion of volume. 
Styling Tips: Strategically placed highlights around the face can brighten the complexion beautifully. 

9. Caramel Balayage on Dark Brown Hair

Caramel balayage on dark brown hair creates a beautiful dimensional look with warm, sun-kissed highlights. This look blends caramel tones onto a dark brown base, resulting in a natural, blended effect that adds depth and natural-looking radiance to the hair. Seen on celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez.

Suitable Hair Types: Very versatile, works on most hair types and textures, but can be a great option for finer hair as the caramel highlights create a multi-tonal effect, making the hair appear fuller and more textured.
Styling Tips: Focus on enhancing the warmth and dimension through styling such as loose waves. Or for straight looks, consider using products that will boost shine. 

10. Beachy Sand Balayage

Beachy sand balayage is a natural-looking blonde which incorporates warm sandy tones into a light brown base. It mimics the way sunlight would naturally lighten the hair at the beach, with subtle blended highlights that create dimension with a soft, radiant glow. Seen on celebrities such as Elle Macpherson. 

Suitable Hair Types: Works on most hair types, but can be particularly stunning on curly hair, adding depth and making the curls appear more defined and effortless. 
Styling Tips: Use colour-safe shampoos and conditioners to preserve the vibrancy and protect it from fading.

11. Dark Ashy Brown with Chestnut Balayage

Dark ashy brown with chestnut balayage features a cool, deep brown base, with subtle, warm, reddish-brown highlights swept throughout. The primary colour is a deep, cool-toned brown with subtle ashy undertones, giving it an almost smoky or muted appearance. Seen on celebrities such as Daisy Edgar-Jones.

Suitable Hair Types: Works on most hair types, but straight hair can be a great canvas for an ashy brown chestnut balayage, especially with some layering to make the shades pop.
Styling Tips: If you have cool ash tones in your balayage, a purple shampoo can help to neutralise any brassiness. 

12. Cinnamon-Toned Brown Balayage

Cinnamon-toned brown balayage blends warm reddish-brown hues into a darker brown base. This colour palette includes shades of cinnamon, which are warm, rich browns with a subtle red undertone. Seen on celebrities such as Salma Hayek.

Suitable Hair Types: Works well with curly and wavy hair as it allows for a natural blended look that accentuates the natural movement of the hair. 
Styling Tips: Incorporate texturising sprays or mousses to add volume and definition. 

13. Platinum Brown Balayage

Platinum blonde balayage combines platinum blonde highlights with a base of brown hair, creating a soft, blended and dimensional look. This type of balayage incorporates cool platinum tones into a warm brown base, resulting in a look that is both bright and dimensional. Seen on celebrities such as Beyoncé. 

Suitable Hair Types: It is very versatile and works with a variety of hair types, but works particularly well with medium to long lengths, as this technique shines with more length. 
Styling Tips: Consider a colour glaze to add depth and shine.

14. Chocolate Brown with Rich Auburn Balayage

Chocolate brown and rich auburn balayage involves a seamless blend of deep chocolate brown tones. The contrast between the chocolate brown and the auburn creates a multi-dimensional effect, with the auburn tones adding warmth and richness. Seen on celebrities such as Emma Stone.

Suitable Hair Types: Works on a wide range of hair types, but thicker hair typically showcases the depth and richness of this colour most effectively. 
Styling Tips: Consider getting gloss treatments to maintain the depth and vibrancy.

15. Light Brown Balayage

Light brown balayage creates a natural sun-kissed look on brown hair by blending lighter brown tones into the base colour. The result is a soft dimensional effect with a seamless grow-out. It can be customised with various shades of light brown, from warm caramel tones to cooler ash tones. Seen on celebrities such as Cara Delevingne.

Suitable Hair Types: It is versatile and can be suited for various hair types, it is especially flattering on curly hair, as the highlights enhance the curl definition.
Styling Tips: For a more relaxed look, create beach waves using a texturising spray.

16. Soft Golden Bronde Balayage

Soft golden bronde balayage blends soft creamy tones of light brown, pale blonde and light gold to create a radiant look, as if the hair has been naturally lightened by the sun.  Seen on celebrities such as Margot Robbie.

Suitable Hair Types: Can be stunning on various hair types, but typically works best on medium to long hair, allowing for a more gradual transition of the different tones. It can be adapted to straight, wavy, and curly hair, adding depth and movement.
Styling Tips: Looks best when it’s shiny, soft, and healthy, so avoid any excessive heat styling and use heat-protecting products.

17. Honey Brown Balayage

Honey brown balayage creates a soft, sun-kissed effect by adding warm, golden brown highlights to darker hair. It is a type of balayage where the colour is blended seamlessly, resembling natural highlights. Honey brown balayage is often described as having a more distinct, ‘blonde’ sun-kissed look compared to the caramel balayage, which leans towards richer tones, slightly deeper golden tones. Seen on celebrities such as Rosie Huntington-Whitely. 

Suitable Hair Types: Can work for most hair types but can be particularly striking on curly hair as it enhances the natural texture and movement, creating a beautiful dimensional look. 
Styling Tips: Focus on creating loose waves and curls to showcase the dimension and depth of the colour, and use products that enhance shine and prevent brassiness. 

18. Brown Balayage on Black Hair

Brown balayage on black hair involves lighter brown highlights on black hair to add movement and dimension to the hair without a harsh contrast. The result is natural-looking highlights that complement the dark base. Seen on celebrities such as Rihanna. 

Suitable Hair Types: Works on most hair types, particularly thick hair, as it can break up the density.
Styling Tips: Try a half-up, half-down style to highlight the colour variation.

19. Dark Brown Balayage

Dark brown balayage is a soft blended look where lighter shades of brown are painted onto dark brown hair, creating a soft blended and natural effect. The result is a beautifully blended look with subtle highlights that add depth and dimension to a dark brown base. Seen on celebrities such as Serena Williams.

Suitable Hair Types: Works well on a variety of hair types but is particularly well-suited to curly hair as the tones enhance the curl pattern and add brightness. 
Styling Tips: Can be particularly striking when face-framing layers are highlighted, creating a beautiful contrast and enhancing features. 

20. Rich Mocha Balayage

Rich mocha balayage creates a naturally glossy brown hair colour. The base colour is a deep, rich brunette with warm chocolate and sometimes caramel undertones. The interplay of warm and cool tones within the mocha shade adds depth and dimension to the hair. Seen on celebrities such as Amal Clooney. 

Suitable Hair Types: This shade works well to add dimension and texture to finer hair.
Styling Tips: Maintain the vibrancy of the mocha by using colour-safe shampoos and conditioners. 

21. Strawberry Brunette Balayage

Strawberry brunette balayage blends warm, reddish-pink tones into a brunette base. The foundation is a brunette shade which can range from chocolate brown to a lighter, warm brown. Reddish-pink highlights are strategically blended into the hair to create a seamless transition between the brunette base and strawberry tones. Seen on celebrities such as Isla Fisher.

Suitable Hair Types: Can be customised to most hair types, however naturally wavy hair and curls tend to show off the dimension and subtle colour changes best, allowing the strawberry and brunette tones to blend harmoniously. 
Styling Tips: Consider using texturising products to further enhance naturally wavy or curly hair.

22. Toffee Brown Balayage

Toffee brown balayage blends warm, rich brown tones with lighter, toffee-coloured highlights, creating a dimensional look. Toffee brown is known for its warm golden undertones, which give hair a radiant and healthy glow. Seen on celebrities such as Sophia Vergara. 

Suitable Hair Types: Works great on most textures, although thicker hair types will allow for more dramatic and blended colour transitions
Styling Tips: A boho braid or waterfall braid can showcase the multi-dimensional effect well.

Brown Balayage Maintenance Tips

Use Colour-Safe Products

Sulphate-free shampoos and conditioners are recommended for maintaining the tones in your balayage and keeping them looking vibrant. 

Using a nourishing hair mask once a week is also recommended to maintain the hair’s softness and keep it hydrated. A hair mask works to replenish moisture, strengthen the hair, and helps to prevent damage and breakage, which can be common concerns with coloured hair. 

Protect From Heat

It is important to apply heat-protecting products, such as a spray, before any styling, as this will help to shield the hair from the effects of heat styling, helping to prevent colour fading and breakage. 

It is also recommended to limit the use of heated styling tools where possible, as this will help hair maintain its health and vibrancy. 

Refresh With Gloss Treatments

To have your balayage looking its best, it is recommended to pop into your nearest Rush salon for a toner or a gloss treatment every 6 – 8 weeks to maintain shine and tone. These treatments will refresh the colour, neutralise any unwanted tones such as brassiness and add an overall smoothness and shine. Keeping your hair looking its best in between salon visits. 

Avoid Over-Washing

Over-washing your balayage can lead to premature fading of the colour and cause dryness due to the removal of the hair’s natural oils. Aim to wash your balayage two to three times a week and use a dry shampoo in between to maintain the vibrancy and health of the hair without stripping moisture or colour.

Shield Hair from UV Exposure

To protect your balayage from any sun damage in the warmer months, use UV-protectant hair products, such as sprays or leave-in conditioners, which will act as a barrier against the sun’s damaging rays. Additionally, wearing a hat or scarf for any extended time spent outdoors will also provide physical protection and can help to prevent colour fading and dryness. 

Maintain Healthy Ends

Regular trims every 8 to 10 weeks are important to prevent any split ends and keep your balayage looking fresh, healthy and polished.

Book Your Balayage Appointment at Rush

Looking to transform and refresh your look with a flattering balayage? Book an appointment now with one of our expert stylists at your nearest Rush salon to discover your perfect style.