The ‘colour sweep’ is 2022’s answer to balayage, and it’s so damn flattering

Certain hair trends come and go faster than you can say ‘modern mullet’, but there’s a few timeless ones that have serious longevity like balayage. Enter the colour sweep — otherwise known as balayage 2.0.

While balayage has been known as the ultimate minimal-maintenance colour technique perfect for summer, involving sweeping sections of hair lightly with blonde and golden highlights, the colour sweep is set to dominate salon requests this summer.

“The new balayage, otherwise known as ‘The Colour Sweep’, will be the hottest hair trend of the year,” proclaims Sam Kerswell, founder of Mode Hair Lab. Of course the word balayage itself means ‘to sweep’ in French. Colour Sweep is just an upgraded version of our beloved balayage.

The reason people are such staunch fans of the look is because, unlike other colouring techniques, the highlights are blended seamlessly throughout lengths (think soft caramels harmonised with luminous blondes) to ensure that there’s never a band of colour or tell-tale roots left visible. In fact, it only gets better and more blended with time, ideal for us all looking to save time and money.

As Sam explains: “We’ve seen a bigger increase in this service post-lockdown due to the ease of the grow-out period. It still looks flattering six months down the line.”