20 Gorgeous Short Hair Balayage Looks to Show Your Stylist

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Here in 2024, we’re seeing a shift back to short hair in the cutting space. While short hair inherently gives you less length to work with, celebrity hairstylists assure us there’s a simple solution for a dynamic short ‘do: balayage color.

“Balayage is a freehand painting highlighting technique that creates a soft, natural gradation of lightness towards the ends,” says Sally Hershberger senior stylist Jacob Schmidt, who points out that it can be contoured to fit length and texture. “Balayage can transform any length by giving the hair movement and dimension that draws interest to the face, [ultimately making] your layered or short haircut pop!”

While balayage is beloved for the dimension it offers, celebrity colorist and K18 ambassador Cassondra Kaeding says it’s also sought after for its low-maintenance appeal. “[The balayage] highlighting technique creates softer, more ‘lived-in’ results, ultimately giving the stylist creative freedom,” she explains. “The technique is a little less maintenance than some more traditional highlighting techniques.”

To enjoy such results with your short balayage style, though, she says proper prep and at-home care is a must. In the salon, she prefers to use the K18 PRO Molecular Repair Hair Mist and K18 PRO Molecular Repair Hair Mask (which are sold together in the Molecular Repair Service Kit and are exclusively available to professional stylists) to create a strong, healthy mane pre-lightening. At home, she suggests the K18 Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask ($75). Stocking your shower with color-safe shampoo and conditioner—like the R+Co Gemstone Shampoo and Conditioner Set, $68—is another way to give your new ‘do the TLC it deserves.

Now that you’ve brushed up on the benefits of balayage for short hairstyles, keep reading to find 20 gorgeous balayage looks on short hair.

Side-Parted Blonde Lob

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Rosie Huntington Whiteley’s blonde balayage lob is piecey, dimensional, and oh so pretty. To get the look, Schmidt says to start with a light blonde base and ask your stylist to add pieces of brighter blonde to make your strands pop.

Bronde Ombré Lob

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In 2014, Vanessa Hudgens set the balayage standard with her dimensional bronde ombré lob. To get the look, Emily Claire, a Davines Educator and colorist at Rob Peetoom Salon in Brooklyn, NY, says to ask for “something bold, bright, and high contrast.”

Side-Parted Brown Balayage French Bob

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Kristen Stewart’s caramel-toned French bob looks edgy and warm with a side part and ample lightening at the ends. “A warm brunette balayage is one of my favorites to do for clients since it can easily add tons of dimension to the hair without having to significantly lighten hair,” Schmidt says.

Side-Part Pin-Straight Lob

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Ciara’s caramel balayage lob is pin-straight and picture perfect. To get the look, Claire says to ask for an all-over double process with a shadow root. “I want to be blonde, but I don’t want the root touch up maintenance,” she exclaims, noting to say just that to your stylist.

Ombré Balayage Bob

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While many balayage hairstyles weave blonde strands throughout the mids and ends, on short hair like Rose Byrne’s, it can look more concentrated to the ends. “To keep maintenance minimal, ask your colorist to add in darker roots so they naturally blend in once the hair grows out,” Schmidt says, noting to use Byrne’s picture as a reference.

Blonde Balayage Pixie

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Michelle Williams may have a choppy, cropped cut, but her balayage makes it look more lifted and shapely. “Balayage can transform the appearance of short hair by creating depth and dimension,” says celebrity colorist Guy Tang, founder of #Mydentity. “It can make short hair look more textured and voluminous, and can also emphasize face framing and draw attention to facial features.”

Blonde Ombré Bob

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If you have fine, short hair like Cara Delevigne’s, Schmidt says to be mindful of how you style it. “For shorter hair, prep with the Color Wow Dream Coat Spray ($28) and dry with a blow dryer,” he instructs. “Using your fingers or a small brush, dry hair in the direction you want your hair to fall. Then, take a flatiron and take a few 1-inch sections to create smoothness and texture. Finish with the Color Wow Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray ($29).”

Subtle Chocolate Balayage Lob

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Selena Gomez shows us how to embrace a darker balayage approach to short hair. “Balayage isn’t always about adding blonde strands,” Schmidt says. “A beautiful balayage can be done using various shades of browns and blacks.”

Caramel Balayage Bob

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Celebrity hair colorist Sharon Doram loves the look of Sarah Hyland’s expertly-blended caramel balayage bob. “On medium length (above the shoulder to very short hair), balayage can make hair color look very dynamic and edgy,” she says. “It has to be done expertly or else color can look brassy orange on medium brunette to dark blonde base colors.”

Textured Bronde Balayage Bob

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Kaeding is a big fan of Chrissy Teigen’s beautifully blended bronde balayage bob from the 2024 Grammy Awards. The soft shade shift looks natural and elegant, yet effortless and lived-in.

Beachy Balayage Bob

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Jessica Alba is the queen of bronde—and she works it at all lengths, including on a bob. “Bronde—a mix of brunette and blonde—is such a versatile color for balayage since it mixes the best of both worlds,” Schmidt says.

Stark Ombré Lob

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Like Gomez, Ashley Tisdale shows us how to amp up the richness of our short balayage styles. To get the look, Claire says to ask for a subtle ombré on the ends of your lob. “Something that works with my natural color,” she says.

Bronde Balayage Bob

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Natalie Portman’s warm bronde bob looks effortlessly chic. “A balayage paired with a classic bob is a timeless look,” Schmidt says. “I like to lighten the face-framing pieces to add extra brightness to the face.”

Voluminous Beach Wave Bob

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How pretty is Halle Berry’s voluminous beach wave bob? To get the look, Schmidt says to start with Color Wow’s Dream Coat Spray to create a smooth, frizz-free base. “It’s a heat protector and allows the hair to style with texture and softness,” he explains. After prepping your strands, he says to use the Shark FlexStyle ($250) to dry hair about 80 percent, then pop on the curling attachments to create soft waves.

Textured Balayage Pixie

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“On a pixie cut, balayage can create a beautiful sun-kissed appearance where the hairs against the nape stay darker, and everything on the surface requires a bright shimmery effect,” Claire says, noting that Tyra Banks’ short style is the perfect example. To get the look, she says to tell your stylist that you’d “like to add some soft dimension into the tips of my pixie cut.”

Soft Balayage Pixie

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Emma Watson’s balayage pixie is especially soft and shimmery. To get the look, Claire says to tell your colorist that you’d “like to add some very fine baby lights” into your pixie cut.

Dark Chocolate Caramel Balayage Bob

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Jessica Szhor’s rich brunette balayage looks like ribbons of caramel have been blended throughout. To get the look, Claire says to ask for a partial balayage showcasing your natural color for added dimension.

Cherry Cola Balayage Bob

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Zendaya had such baby-fine balayage highlights in her 2023 lob that it simply looked like she was being illuminated from all the right angles, all the time. Needless to say, Kaeding was a fan and recommends this look as a source of inspiration for brunettes looking to add gorgeous dimension to their short hair.

Balayage Curtain Bangs

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Lucy Hale’s 2022 balayage bob lives rent-free in Tang’s mind for its high contrast yet natural-looking shade shift. And those curtain bangs? We’re all for ‘em.

Read the original article on InStyle.