Reverse Balayage – The Best Way To Keep Hair Color Low Maintenance

What is reverse balayage, how is it different from regular balayage and which benefits it brings. Let’s find out all the information about this hairstyle.

With the new season not far behind, we’re all searching for ways to change our look. If your normal highlights aren’t cutting it this year and you want to try something new, we highly recommend reverse balayage! Let’s learn about this coloring technique below!

1. What is reverse balayage technique

First of all, what is reverse balayage technique? Reverse balayage technique is a dye technique of adds depth to your hair by incorporating darker color tones. This adds contrast to your highlights and is a great option for blondes who want their hair a little darker.

Rather than brown highlights, this dyeing technique helps to make highlighted hair look sun-kissed and lived-in, with dimension and depth, with sometimes lighter roots that blend into the darker strands. This technique is most popular with blondes because of how well it complements highlights—essentially it’s all about adding darkness to your hairstyle.

2. What are the differences between reverse balayage vs balayage

Regular balayage technique is a color technique that lightens your hair up. This technique concentrates on the top hair layer, lightening it up with colors and highlights. But, on the contrary, when comparing reverse balayage vs balayage, a reverse one is the inverse of that: focusing on the underneath rather than the top layers.

This technique helps make the under layers of the hair blend with your hair to bring a natural look. It’s primarily about tone and lowlights and adding contrast with shadowy colors and darker pieces underneath.

3. How to do a reverse balayage at home

We will show you the tutorial on how to do a reverse balayage at home step by step. Basically, the steps for different tones are the same, just different in the color scheme you use. In this blog, we will mention the steps to dye blonde. If you want other tones, you just need to use other dye colors.

3.1. Things to prepare for reverse balayage blonde

Here are the example formulas to prepare to dye reverse balayage blonde:

• Formula 1: IGORA VIBRANCE (8-0) + 6 volume developer
• Formula 2 (lightener): BLONDME Bond Lightener Enforcing Premium 9+ + 15-vol developer
• Formula 3 (toner): IGORA VIBRANCE 9.5-1 + 6-vol developer

3.2. Reverse balayage at home steps by steps

Below are the simple steps to do reverse balayage at home:

1. Section the hair: divide your hair into 4 quadrants.
2. Next, divide the quadrants horizontally into sections.
3. Apply Formula 1 from the hair roots to the mid-lengths, contouring as you go. Then, using a wide-tooth comb, go through each subsection.
4. Allow to finish, then rinse & blow-dry. Then, using Formula 2, alternately paint strand lights and a teased hand-painted balayage, allowing it to dry before rinsing.
5. Tone with Formula 3, then rinse thoroughly before blow-drying and styling as desired.

4. Is it easy to take care of reverse balayage

The outstanding advantage of this dyeing technique is its maintenance. As the color develops, it blends with natural tones and the darker. The dimension of this style lasts for weeks after your initial appointment. Maintain a healthy hair care routine for dyed hair to make reverse balayage look good for longer. Dyeing your hair increases the risk of dry, damaged and broken hair so make sure you follow these care tips:

• Use haircare products (shampoo, conditioner,…) designed specifically for colored hair or your hair will be tangle.
• Use a wide-tooth comb to brush your hair. All dyeing techniques make hair weak and easy to fall out, so this comb is recommended to prevent hair loss while brushing.
• Wash your hair less frequently (maximum three times a week)
• Deep conditioning and use a hair mask once a week. This will help restore moisture to the hair, making it shinier and stronger
• When possible, avoid using heat styling if you don’t want your hair to be weaker after dyeing
• Regularly trim your hair to avoid split ends and breakage.

Check out more useful related topics:

• Useful Tips About How To Remove Toner From Hair
• A Guide On How To Fix Uneven Bleached Hair

5. Top the best ideas of reverse balayage you can try out

Now that you know the differences between reverse vs balayage and how to maintain it, it’s time for some ideas. Check out the best suitable one for you and how to make it your own.

5.1. Reverse balayage blonde to dark brown

If your golden blonde is too bright, using dark brown.

• This is one of the most popular and popular tones. This style is a really suitable and safe choice for people who try this technique for the first time.
• Sharpen the golden streaks with a gloss treatment to make them shine. This at-home treatment fortifies and seals the surface of the hair fiber to protect colors and end up leaving a high-shine texture.
• This color complements your entire appearance and attitude. It brings an eye-catching and vibrant effect. This style is suitable for any style and skin, even if with honey-baked skin, this tone is extremely appealing and makes your face glow from all angles.

5.2. Reverse balayage chocolate – light brown

If you want to keep your dark brown hair roots while still seeing dimension throughout your strands, ask your hairstylist to replicate chocolate color to light brown color.

• This style is very popular with famous models, actors and singers such as Selena Gomez, and Victoria Beckham, …
• To achieve the desired effect, start with foilyage technique (a cross between foil & balayage) to dye lighter areas all around your face and at the ends of your hair.
• This is an excellent way to brighten a dark tone without turning it yellow. The warm effect will bring your skin a luminous glow. It can also emphasize and highlight the structure of the hair, giving it a lovely, bouncy wave.

5.3. Reverse balayage gray – platinum

From gray to platinum – Subtle gray is ideal for toning down your platinum roots for a new look.

• To keep the gray shade looking sharp, use a buildable toner such as a lightweight leave-in spray, which uses violet color-depositing technology in order to neutralize yellow tones built to your required intensity and will not transfer or stain.
• With this tone of reverse balayage, straighten or curl are all beautiful. While straight hair adds personality, curly hair gives it a classy look. This is a cool tone, giving you a fresh and pleasant appearance with a lighter skin tone.

5.4. Reverse balayage blonde – black

Those with blonde hair will be enamored with how well your natural color blends with dark tone.

• This style is created by keeping the hair ends blonde, adding dark color to the roots and inner layers.
• Usually, bright tones like this will suit the curly style, creating the effect of bouncy and noble hair.
• If you have brown skin, you will look like a fashionista with this hair color.

5.5 Bronde

Reverse balayage adds depth to the hair root and allows you to keep some of the golden highlights.

• Bronde is always a perfect choice in case you want to keep your hair color low-maintenance while maintaining its brightness.
• This hair color can make your skin look dull so this hairstyle is recommended for those with light skin.
• Those with diamond or square faces can suit this color because dark colors can help hide the angulars of your face.

5.6. Rooty vanilla

Is your hair natural brunette or blonde? With this excellently combined reverse balayage, no one can guess.

5.7. Reverse balayage smoky gray

If you want to try something dark but still edgier than your normal brunette or black, try smoky gray. Not quite ready to go all-in on smoky gray? You can try a lighter gray shade by using a temporary color conditioner.

5.8. Intense contrast

The thick and bright color pieces in this style stand out of a dark base and create a visual masterwork, a modern throwback to the chunky highlights in the 2000s. The best feature of this look is that it allows you to gradually remove the bright blonde without completely eliminating the color.

5.9. Reverse balayage black – mauve rose

If the only thing preventing you from wearing a dream color is your fear of it appearing too bright, a reverse balayage technique is the ideal solution for preserving the natural depth of your hair.

5.10. Reverse balayage roasted coffee

This idea is so understated that you might overlook it! A few subtle highlights are well-placed around your head to mimic the movement of milk in the coffee. The light-reflecting, dimensional result will give your mane the caffeine boost it requires.

In conclusion, the reverse balayage technique offers a unique and creative approach to hair coloring, allowing for stunning and unconventional results. By exploring the top 10 ideas for reverse balayage, we have showcased the versatility and beauty of this trend, from subtle contrasts to bold color combinations. Whether you’re looking to add depth, dimension, or a pop of color to your hair, reverse balayage provides endless possibilities for personalizing your look.

We hope this article has inspired you to experiment with reverse balayage and embrace your individual style with confidence. Thank you for reading and happy styling!