The word "balayage" is actually French, and it translates to "paint" or "sweep" in English. Simply put, it's not really a hair colour as much as it is a application technique that involves painting the strands of hair with a brush in a sweeping motion, gradually lightening the hair toward the ends.
"[Balayage] can be a bit more freehand than traditional highlights," celebrity hairstylist Clariss Rubenstein told POPSUGAR. "It's intended to give a natural sun-kissed look. If done well it should look seamless and have very soft regrowth lines."
Unlike highlights, balayage typically doesn't require the hair to be painted with foil, and because the gradation is more natural, you can wait longer (up to eight weeks) in between touch-ups with balayage.