What technique is commonly employed to create more natural-looking highlights?

Balayage is a technique that is highly regarded for creating natural-looking highlights, as it involves hand-painting lightener or color onto the hair in a freehand manner. This method allows for a more graduated and blended effect, mimicking the way hair naturally lightens in the sun. The stylist can customize the placement and intensity of the highlights, which helps to achieve a softer and more dimensional appearance.

Unlike other techniques, such as full head foiling, which generally produce more uniform and pronounced highlights, or chunking, which can lead to more stark contrasts in color, balayage provides a more lived-in look. Additionally, ombre tends to create a more dramatic transition between colors, focusing on a gradient effect rather than the soft blending characteristic of balayage. This makes balayage a popular choice for clients looking for a subtle enhancement to their hair color that can grow out more naturally without requiring frequent maintenance.