Balayage is a French word that means “to sweep.” In this hair color technique, highlights are hand-painted or “swept” on the surface of random sections of hair. Dye or lightener is usually painted on, starting midshaft and becoming denser as it moves down the section of hair to the ends. Highlights are often placed much closer to the scalp and applied in specific sections while the balayage process includes a graduated painting the color onto the hair in random sections. If you are looking to add non-uniform chunks or sweeps of color, balayage is a better option.