“Vacation” Highlights Are So Low-Maintenance, You Only Need a Touch-Up Every 6 Months

You may not be travelling far this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t look like you did. There are a few things you can do to fully embrace the just-got-back-from-vacation vibe without leaving your state. Step one: give yourself a sun-kissed glow with some self-tanner; step two: paint your nails a bright, mood-boosting colour; step three: freshen up your hair colour with some “vacation” highlights.

“Vacation” highlights are like the adult version of Sun-In, except instead of letting the sun do the work of lightening your hair, it involves paying a visit to the salon. “Subtle, light-reflecting highlights one to two levels lighter than your base are the perfect way to add new life to your existing signature shade,” said Nicole Tabloff, a colourist at Maxine Salon in Chicago. “Ask your colourist for an express balayage, where they will strategically paint only a few balayage pieces to frame your face and a sprinkle in your part, depending on your haircut.”

The “vacation” highlights trend is great for anyone looking to make a small change to their hair colour for spring but who doesn’t want to deal with a lot of upkeep. In fact, you won’t have to head back to the salon for touch-ups to keep the balayage looking fresh for up to six months. Hair-colour maintenance doesn’t get much easier than that.

Keep scrolling to see more inspiration for the spring “vacation” highlights hair colour.