The word “Balayage” comes from the French word meaning “to sweep”. This is a highlight technique that is very popular in today’s trends. When applying the color for a balayage, you sweep the color through small triangle sections of the hair, giving it the natural transition down into the lighter color. In Balayage, there are dark pieces left on the bottom to create dimension and a more natural look. This technique looks like natural sun-kissed highlights throughout the hair. The transition is more natural and it is less maintenance than an ombre. Balayage is done in a freehand style with special coloring agents designed to lightly penetrate the sections of hair. It is important for the colorization to be loose, appearing more random that the highlights achieved through foil work. With this technique, the crown area of the head is sparsely colored with the flair of brightness toward the ends of the hair. This is different from the ombre technique, where the ends of the hair are lightened in a solid block that fades upwards.