Summer is the perfect time for brunettes to lighten up their locks and get sunkissed with balayage.
The technique of handplanting color in sweeping highlights flatters all hair colors, adding dimension and vibrancy.
Brunettes can keep their rich base while adding lighter pieces that brighten up their look for the sunny season.
Today I am giving you TOP must-try balayage hues and styling tips to refresh your brunette tresses just in time for summer.
Warm Caramel Balayage
Nothing says summer quite like sun-kissed caramel highlights.
The warm golden tones flatter a wide range of skin tones, creating a radiant glow.
Ask your colorist for fine slices of caramel painted through the mid-lengths to ends of your hair.
This will lighten up your look while keeping your roots dark for depth and contrast.
Focus the brightest pops of caramel around your face, intensifying the color on framing pieces around your hairline.
This will beautifully accentuate your gorgeous features.
Keep the highlights fine and natural-looking, sweeping them lightly throughout the ends.
For extra warmth, incorporate ribbons of copper and gold.
Styling wise, enhance those glossy caramel highlights with effortless waves.
Try a loose braid out or soft curls to show off the dimensional color.
The warm tones will reflect beautifully in the summer sun.
For an office-friendly take, wear your hair straight to blend the highlights through the lengths.
No matter how you style it, warm caramel balayage makes brunettes beam.
Beachy Bronde Balayage
Combine the best of blonde and brown with a sun kissed bronde balayage.
This beachy look is perfect for brunettes seeking a subtle, natural-looking highlight effect.
Ask your colorist for fine slices of golden blonde painted through the mid-lengths to ends.
The seamless blend of brown and blonde makes for the ultimate summer hair color.
Focus the most intense pops of blonde around the face and on longer frontal pieces.
This amps up the brightness near your features.
Through the rest of the hair, keep the painted slices more sporadic for dimension.
The bronde balayage technique maintains depth at the roots while creating softness around the face.
Enhance the multi-dimensional look with undone waves or braids.
For an everyday style, wear your hair straight to show off the seamless blend of blonde and brown.
The bronde balayage works beautifully with brown eyes and warm complexions, giving off sun kissed goddess vibes.
Chocolate Almond Balayage
For brunettes craving a richer take on highlights, chocolate almond balayage is gorgeous.
The mix of cool and warm tones creates delicious dimension.
Ask your colorist for buttery ribbons of almond blonde painted through the mid-lengths to ends.
Contrast with ribbons of chocolate brown touches throughout for depth.
Concentrate the brighter blonde pieces around the face while keeping the ends more chocolate.
This technique sculpts the features in flattering light.
The almond and chocolate slices will peek through in layered, textured hairstyles.
For sleeker styling, the blend creates an all-over complexity in tone.
Chocolate almond balayage enhances cool or neutral skin tones radiantly.
The contrast of lush chocolate and bright almond is endlessly chic.
Embrace styling with lots of texture like waves or braids to spotlight the dimensional colors.
This balayage technique takes brunette hair from fab to glam.
Honey Glow Balayage
For the ultimate golden goddess look, honey glow balayage steals the show.
The warm yet bright tones create a vibrant summery look on brunette hair.
Ask your colorist for fine ribbons of golden honey painted through the mid-lengths and ends.
Contrast with a deeper caramel brown base for depth and dimension.
Concentrate the ribbons of pale honey around the face, amping up the glow around your gorgeous features.
This bright yet natural-looking highlight creates the “lit from within” look that flatters all complexions.
Enhance the balayage with soft curls and waves to showcase the honey and caramel tones.
The honey glow flatters those with neutral to warmer skin tones, giving off beachy bombshell vibes.
Lean into the sultry style effect with loose, tousled styling.
For a more refined take, try sleek straightened hair to blend the honey highlights through the lengths.
However you style it, this balayage technique sweetly enhances your brunette base.
Icy Bronde Balayage
Not into warm tones?
Go for an icy cool bronde balayage this summer.
The mix of cool neutral blonde and brown makes for a striking yet wearable look.
Ask your colorist to paint slices of icy blonde through the mid-lengths down, concentrated around the face.
Keep the roots and ends more neutral brown.
The result is a cool yet complex look with dimension.
Concentrating the icy ribbons on mid-lengths and around the face sculpts your gorgeous features in flattering light.
While the icy blonde provides punch, the neutral brown keeps it natural.
This icy bronde balayage enhances those with cooler complexions and undertones.
Pair it with edgy styling like messy braids and waves.
For a refined take, sleek blowouts let the icy highlights peek through beautifully.
This cool girl balayage proves brunettes can rock icy tones in summer.
Subtle Sunrise Balayage
For natural-looking highlights with a summery kiss of color, try subtle sunrise balayage.
Soft peach and apricot ribbons are painted through brown hair for the prettiest pops of color.
It creates delicate dimension while enhancing your gorgeous glow.
Ask your colorist for finely painted slices of golden peach and apricot sprinkled through the mid-lengths to ends.
Concentrate the brighter ribbons around your face for a radiant framing effect.
Through the rest of the hair, keep the ribbons more sporadic for a natural look with dimension.
Roots are left untouched for depth and contrast.
The subtle sunrise balayage enhances those with neutral to warmer complexions, creating a delicate summery vibe.
Embrace beach waves and braids to show off the peach and apricot pieces.
The pale tones blend beautifully for a refined straight style as well.
This is one sunrise worth waking up early for!
Auburn Autumn Balayage
While peach and apricot evoke summer, autumnal auburn makes for a stunning statement.
For brunettes seeking richer warmth, auburn balayage creates gorgeous impact.
Ask your colorist for painted ribbons of cinnamon, copper and auburn spices brushed through the mid-lengths to ends.
Focus the spiciest ribbons of auburn and copper around the face for eye-catching radiance.
Keeping the roots and ends more neutral chocolate brown provides ideal contrast.
The autumnal spice ribbons give off an irresistible glow while remaining natural-looking.
Embrace big hair inspirations with this look.
Lush waves, braids and curls show off the painted ribbons of auburn, copper and cinnamon spice.
Sleek blowouts blend the spicy tones together beautifully.
No matter how you style it, this seasonal take on balayage makes brown hair sizzle this summer.
Smoky Espresso Balayage
Not into warm tones?
Go for smoldering dimension with smoky espresso balayage.
The ashy brown slices kissed with cool espresso brown create serious depth.
It’s ideal for brunettes seeking subtle yet impactful highlights.
Ask your colorist for fine slices of ash brown painted through the mid-lengths down, keeping roots and ends rich chocolate espresso.
Concentrate the smoky ash brown pieces around the face to frame your gorgeous features.
The contrast of ashy and espresso brown creates striking dimension while remaining understated.
Cool complexions with pink undertones glow under smoky espresso balayage, especially paired with bold eye looks.
Embrace sleek and straight styling to blend the ashy pieces or tousled texture to make them pop.
This balayage proves you don’t need blonde for head-turning highlights.
Silvered Sand Balayage
If you’re up for an edgy statement, try silvered sand balayage.
The contrast of cool platinum slices and neutral brown makes for striking impact.
It’s ideal for brunettes craving an intense yet wearable ombre effect.
Ask your colorist to paint thin ribbons of platinum through the lower lengths only, keeping roots and mid-lengths neutral brown.
Focusing the pale silver at the very ends creates an ombre fade rather than traditional highlights.
Keeping the base neutral prevents this look from feeling too icy.
The silvered sand balayage is ideal for those with neutral to cool complexions.
Keep lengths loose and wavy to showcase the dramatic fading.
For edgy style, pair with braids and top knots.
This balayage stuns on the beach or the city streets.
Rose Gold Blonde Balayage
For a touch of pink that flatters, try rose gold blonde balayage.
The mix of gold and pink plays beautifully on brown hair.
Ask your colorist to paint fine slices of rose gold through the mid-lengths down, concentrated around the face.
Keep the roots darker brown for contrast and depth.
The soft metallic pink roses throughout the ends make for the prettiest pop of color.
Concentrating the ribbons around your face creates a luminous glow while the brown roots keep it natural.
Rose gold blonde balayage enhances those with warmer complexions and brown eyes gorgeously.
Embrace soft styling like loose waves and braids to showcase the rosy ribbons.
For an everyday look, sleek blowouts blend the pinky ends seamlessly.
This balayage is like a breath of fresh floral air for brown hair.
Smoked Chocolate Balayage
Can’t choose between warm and cool?
Smoked chocolate balayage has you covered with the best of both.
The ashy chocolate brown slices create striking dimension and depth.
Yet the warmer tones keep it wearable and flattering.
Ask your colorist for fine smoked chocolate ribbons painted through the mid-lengths, concentrated around the face.
Keep roots and ends a rich chocolate brown for contrast.
The ashy chocolate slices blended with brown create beautiful cool-toned depth without veering icy.
Smoked chocolate balayage enhances those with neutral to cool complexions, adding interest without washing you out.
Embrace sleek styling to showcase the ashy chocolate pieces or textured waves to blend them.
This smoldering yet sweet balayage proves you can have it all.
Mochaccino Balayage
Craving sweet, chocolatey tones?
Try mochaccino balayage for luscious dimension.
The mix of milk chocolate and espresso brown makes for a decadent duo.
Ask your colorist to paint fine slices of milk chocolate through the mid-lengths down, focused on framing pieces.
Keep the roots and ends more espresso brown for bold contrast.
The interplay of milk chocolate and espresso brown provides depth without brassiness.
Concentrating the sweet slate ribbons around the face sculpts your gorgeous features.
Mochaccino balayage enhances those with neutral to olive skin tones beautifully.
Embrace soft curls and waves to spotlight the milk chocolate slices throughout.
Sleek styling lets the tones blend seamlessly together.
However you wear it, this balayage combo satisfies your chocolate cravings.
Shadowy Brunette Balayage
If you’re seeking subtle dimension, try shadowy brunette balayage.
The technique enhances your natural color with lighter brown slices for depth.
Ask your colorist for ribbons of cinnamon or chocolate brown painted through, a few shades lighter than your base.
Keeping the highlights within the same color family creates softness and dimension that grows out naturally.
Concentrate the lighter ribbons around your face and through mid-lengths for shape.
Embrace sleek styling to blend the depths together into one rich shade.
The shadowy brunette balayage technique adds depth and interest without a drastic change.
It’s ideal for those seeking lightweight highlights that enhance their natural color beautifully.
This balayage proves you don’t need blonde to brighten up your brown.
Keeping your roots darker prevents your highlights from feeling overdone.
Embrace effortless styling like waves and braids to spotlight all that gorgeous dimension.
With this balayage inspiration, you’re sure to find a beautiful new way to refresh your brown hair for the sunny season.
