By Baby, Independent Stylist, Clifton
“I just want it a bit lighter and sun-kissed.” We hear some version of that every day, but there are several ways to get there. The right choice depends on the brightness, grow-out, maintenance and finish you want.
In short: highlights, often called foils, lighten woven sections wrapped in foil, so the brightness starts close to the root and regrowth shows sooner. Balayage places lightness with a soft, blended root, so it grows out gently and needs fewer top-up appointments. Foilyage sits in between: balayage-style placement, with foil for extra lift.
Highlights (Foils)
Sections are woven and wrapped in foil with lightener, creating brightness from closer to the root. Highlights suit clients who want a more uniform, high-impact blonde and are comfortable seeing regrowth sooner.
Balayage
Balayage describes a way of placing lightness with a softer transition through the root and lengths. It is ideal for lived-in dimension and a gentler grow-out. It does not have to mean one fixed shade or finish.
Foilyage
Foilyage combines balayage-style placement with foil to encourage extra lift. It can be useful when darker hair needs more brightness while keeping a softer placement.
Babylights
Babylights are ultra-fine highlights used for delicate brightness and blending. They can be especially effective around the face or through finer hair.
Balayage vs Highlights on Dark Hair
Dark hair needs more lift to show brightness, and that changes which technique works best. Traditional open-air balayage can struggle to lift dark brunette hair far enough, which may leave the result warmer or subtler than you hoped. That's where foilyage helps: the foil holds in heat so the lightener lifts further, while keeping the soft balayage-style placement. If you want brightness from the root on dark hair, highlights in foils will lift highest. Whichever you choose, a toner afterwards controls the warmth that dark hair naturally shows when it's lightened.
Do I need toner?
Lightening and toning are separate steps. A toner or gloss refines raw lightened hair into the cool, warm, creamy or beige shade you want. At Fergal Doyle Hair, toner, treatments and finishing are charged separately unless a package says otherwise.
Current guide prices
- Half-head foils: £108–£168
- Full-head foils: £134–£208
- Half-head balayage: £160–£248
- Full-head balayage: £192–£296
- Blonde toner: £36–£56
For a realistic complete example, full balayage with toner, Wellaplex and a long blow-dry is currently £306–£474 across our published stylist ranges. We will confirm your complete appointment price before booking.
Balayage or Highlights: Which Is Better for You?
- Soft grow-out and lived-in dimension: balayage.
- Brightness closer to the root: highlights.
- More lift with softer placement: foilyage.
- Very fine, delicate brightness: babylights.
The best result often combines techniques. You do not need to diagnose your own hair before speaking to us—bring photographs and tell us how often you want to return.
Balayage vs Highlights: Quick Questions
Do you use foils for balayage?
Classic balayage is painted on and left to develop in the open air, without foil. When a client needs extra lift, especially on darker hair, we use foils with balayage-style placement. That's foilyage.
Is balayage the same as a full head of foils?
No. A full head of foils lightens woven sections from the root all over, for a brighter, more uniform blonde. Balayage leaves a softer, more natural root, so it's lower maintenance as it grows out.
Is balayage more expensive than highlights?
Usually, yes. At Fergal Doyle Hair a full-head balayage is currently £192-£296, compared with £134-£208 for full-head foils. Toner is charged separately for both.
Does balayage take longer than highlights?
It can, but the time depends on the amount of lightening, your hair’s length and density, and the result you want. Toner, treatments and finishing need their own time, so the colour application alone is not your total appointment length. Your stylist will confirm timings at your consultation.
Plan your colour
Explore balayage in Bristol, see our blonde specialist guide, or start with a consultation at Clifton or Stoke Bishop.