Balayage vs. Highlights: What Should I Book?

Ninyel Masterjohn
2 days ago
2 min read

If you’re looking at your hair and thinking, “I know what I want it to look like, but I have no idea what to book,” you are definitely not alone.

We get this question all the time at Bella Dolche Salon and Spa in Everett.

Balayage, highlights, partial foils, full foils, lived-in blonde, root melts, toners… there are a lot of terms, and honestly, you don’t need to know all of them before making an appointment. That’s our job.

Here’s the easiest way to think about it.

Balayage or lived-in blonde

Balayage is great if you like a softer, more natural-looking blonde with some depth at the root.

This is usually a good fit if you want:

A softer grow-out
Dimension instead of solid blonde
Less noticeable regrowth
Brightness around the face
A more lived-in, low-maintenance look

Balayage doesn’t necessarily mean “less blonde.” It’s more about where the brightness is placed and how the color grows out.

Traditional highlights

Highlights are usually a better choice when you want your blonde to come closer to the root and you want more overall brightness.

You may be a highlight guest if you want:

To feel noticeably blonder
Brightness throughout your whole head
Blonde closer to the scalp
A more consistent blonde from roots to ends
Regular maintenance to keep that brighter look

And sometimes the answer is actually a combination of techniques. Your stylist may use traditional foils, balayage placement, babylights, a root melt or several techniques together to get the finished look you showed us.

What about a partial foil?

A partial foil is perfect when you already like your overall color but need some brightness refreshed.

Think:

“I love my blonde, I just need it brought back to life.”

We may focus around your face, part line and the areas you see the most.

This can be a great maintenance appointment between bigger blonding services.

When do I need a full blonding appointment?

If you’re looking for a bigger transformation, haven’t had your blonde refreshed in a long time, or want significantly more blonde throughout your hair, we may recommend a full blonding service.

This gives your stylist more time and more placement to work throughout the entire head.

One thing we always want our guests to know: going dramatically lighter sometimes takes more than one appointment.

Your hair history, current color, previous color, hair condition and your goal all play a part. Keeping your hair healthy is always part of the plan.

So… what should I actually book?

If you still aren’t sure, don’t stress about picking the perfect salon terminology.

We would much rather help you choose the right appointment than have you guess. You can always book a complimentary consultation. Or text us!

Show us:

A photo of your hair right now
One or two inspiration photos
When you last had your hair colored
Anything important about your hair history, including previous bleach or at-home color

From there, our Bella Dolche team can help point you in the right direction.

We specialize in customized color, blonding, balayage and dimensional hair color in Everett, WA, and no two heads of hair need exactly the same thing.

You bring us the picture.

We’ll figure out the hair math. 🤍