As the saying goes, “In a world where you can be anything, be a fabulous redhead.” I can’t take credit for that quote, but it sure does make me want to go red! Whether you’re a blonde, brunette, or somewhere in between, you’ve probably thought about switching up your hair color before. Not only is red hair color bright and fun, but there are also numerous shades you can choose from depending on the look you're trying to achieve.
Looking to add some red to your mane but don’t know where to begin? We tapped Suzie Bond, L’Oréal Professionnel artist and master colorist, to give you the inside scoop on some of the hottest red hues around. Keep reading for 55 of the best red hair color ideas to try, plus the maintenance and hair care tips you need to know about.
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Is red hair in for 2023?
One of the things we love most about red hair is that its always on-trend. So far in 2021, however, shades of red are particularly popular, which means there’s no better time to try one for yourself.
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Can I pull off red hair?
We’re firm believers at Hair.com that you can pull off whatever hair color you want with the right attitude (and a talented colorist at your side!). However, there are theories behind what hair color will be the most flattering based on your complexion. For those with lighter, pale complexions, strawberry blonde shades and copper-toned reds tend to look best. If you have a cool skin tone with brown or blue eyes, darker reds such as ginger and auburn are more flattering. For people with more warm-toned darker skin, blue and purple-based red tones will be your best friend.
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What does red hair dye fade to?
Red is a notoriously hard hair color to maintain as it tends to fade quicker than other colors. Red hair dye typically fades to either a light-orange color or dark brown color, depending on how deep you dyed your hair in the first place.
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Is red hair high maintenance?
Bond assures us that with the proper products and hair care routine, you can keep your color looking as vibrant and fabulous as the day you walked out of the salon. To keep your red hue looking fresh between appointments, Bond suggests swapping out your regular shampoo and conditioner with a system formulated to protect color-treated hair. The stylist recommends L'Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Vitamino A-OX Color Preserve Shampoo and Conditioner to her clients. This system provides color and UV protection to help prolong color radiance and enhance shine.
Is red hair color damaging?
Depending on the shade of red you opt for and your base color, your colorist might need to use bleach to achieve your hue. Bleach will always cause damage, but your colorist will help to improve the look and feel of your strands before you leave the salon.
We also recommend adding a weekly hair mask like L'Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Vitamino Color Mask to your routine. This nourishing mask targets weakened and damaged areas of colored hair and wraps it into a lightweight film to protect against every day wear and tear.
Now that you’ve got your at-home hair care covered, it’s time to head back to the salon. Bond says you should plan to head back to the salon every four to six weeks to touch up your new growth and brighten your locks.
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What colors look best with red hair?
Depending on your skin tone, red hair pairs best with olive and emerald green, gold, bright purple and deeper shades of red.
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What is the best red hair color?
Eager to try a red hair color? We don’t blame you! When it comes to achieving the red shade of your dreams, however, it’s best to avoid DIYing it at-home. Red is a notoriously finicky color, so we always recommend leaving your red hair color transformation to a salon professional. They’ll be able to create a specific formula using professional color to help you leave the salon with the best possible results.
Now that you know how to choose the best hair dye for you and protect your hair, here are 55 of the hottest red hair colors you want to check out!
What are the different colors of red hair?
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Soft Auburn
Thi soft, muted take on auburn hair color is the perfect way to edge into red hair (and looks stunning on all skin tones).
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Auburn And Copper
When it comes to trendy shades of red hair, auburn and copper are at the very top of the list. Can’t decide between the two? Opt for an auburn to copper ombre.
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Platinum To Red Ombre
Not ready to part with your blonde? This unexpectedly gorgeous platinum to red ombre will have heads turning.
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Fire Ombre
If you’re ready to heat things up in 2021, look no further than fire ombre hair. Reminiscent of a blazing fire, this trend blends together shades of red, orange, and yellow (insert fire flame emoji).
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Fiery And Neutral Blend
Shades of red range from muted to vibrant, and luckily, you don’t have to choose between the two! If you can’t decide on one shade, ask your colorist for a half-and-half hair color. We’re obsessed with this bright red and burgundy half-and-half look.
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Red Dip Dye
If you don’t want a full mane of red hair, dip dye is the ideal trend for you.
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Pastel Red
This pastel red shade is a must-try for fair skinned girls.
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Wine With Vibrant Face-Framing Highlights
Give your neutral red shade a hint of vibrancy with bright red face-framing highlights.
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Ginger With Blonde Highlights
Add extra brightness and dimension to your ginger hair color with blonde highlights.
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Violet Red
Searching for a cool-toned red hair color? You’ll love this violet red shade.
Photo Credit: @lindseyblakehair.
Fire Engine Red
If you’re looking to make a statement and get noticed anywhere you go, then you might want to try a fire engine red hair color. This hue looks great on warmer skin tones and is stunning when styled with beach waves or loose curls.
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Cinnamon Nutmeg
For medium skin tones, cinnamon nutmeg is the perfect choice. With a color this inviting, you may have a hard time passing it up!
Photo Credit: @mac.manes.
Neon Red
Neon red hair is a bold way to brighten up the room and give off some cool-girl vibes. If you’re looking to be the center of attention wherever you are, you can’t go wrong with this color.
Photo Credit: @colored.in.chaos.
Kiss The Girl Red
This fin-tastic ‘Kiss The Girl’ red hue, reminiscent of a classic animated princess film, will have you living your best mermaid life in no time. Not only is it deep and rich, but it gives off a high-shine look you’re bound to love.
Photo Credit: @bright_hair_by_yulia.
Coral Red
If you can’t decide between coloring your hair pink or red, then you need to try this coral shade. This neon hue looks flattering on all complexions and is a fun way to let your personality shine.
Photo Credit: @michelle.zapanta.
Red Hot Red
This crimson hue is a head turner and is perfect for anyone looking for a dramatic hair transformation in the new year.
“This shade is exactly what it sounds like: not for the faint of heart,” Bond says. “If you are looking for an all-over show-stopping hair color, you’ve found the right one.”
To achieve this fiery color, Bond says your colorist will apply a permanent shade beginning at your roots and throughout your mane all the way to your ends. If you have naturally dark locks and are hoping to achieve a vibrant red hue, Bond says your colorist will likely have to pre-lighten your mane with bleach.
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Copper Penny
Think of copper penny as red hair for beginners. It’s just red enough to officially call yourself a redhead, without the heavy lifting of maintaining a fiery crimson hue.
“This soft venture into copper and copper brown is great for all the things: gray coverage, highlights, a soft semi-permanent enhancement,” Bond says.
In addition to being an excellent hue for just about any color service, copper penny also looks great on every skin tone.
“Soft coppers can be worn by every skin-tone,” Bond says. “The level of lightness or depth is where each person needs customization to make you look like you were born with it!”
If you have naturally light brown, deep blonde, or coppery locks, your colorist should be able to whip up your dream copper penny color in one sitting. If you have a more dramatic natural hue, it may take a few appointments before you walk out of the salon with perfectly copper penny strands.
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Copper Fire
If you love copper penny hair and want to take it to the next level, copper fire hair is perfect for you. This quintessential red hue is guaranteed to multiply your compliments this year. Bond says the only way to do this color justice is to go completely red.
“Since this is a fashion statement choice, an all-over color service is required,” she explains.
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Merlot
Merlot hair color is perfect for anyone who wants to go red but can’t imagine parting with their dark locks. The red wine-inspired shade is a beautiful blend of rich brown, burgundy, and juicy cherry red. It also has the added benefit of being one of the most low maintenance red hair colors available.
This hair color is all about customization. If you want to add a subtle red hue to your dark brown locks, ask your colorist for burgundy and cherry red highlights or ombre. If you want your merlot hue to resemble a fruity sangria more closely, ask your colorist for an all-over deep cherry red.
Good hair day by @suziebond.
Apricot Blonde
Apricot blonde is the exact opposite of merlot: It’s perfect for anyone looking to go red who can’t imagine parting with their blonde locks. If you’re a natural blonde who’s always thought about going red, this shade is just for you. To achieve this hue, your colorist will hand paint subtle shades of reddish apricot atop your blonde locks.
If you’re not a natural blonde, your colorist will have to pre-lighten your locks with bleach, before whipping up your dream color. Even though bleach will always cause damage, a professional can help minimize the look and feel of said damage.
Light Red
If honey blonde is the shade every woman tries to go in time for summer, light red is the same Holy Grail shade for redheads. Like copper, light red falls on the very warm side of the color family. However, this color is far more blonde-influenced than copper, edging very close to strawberry blonde.
Burnt Sienna
If your complexion leans toward the warm side, choose a shade of red hair specifically formulated to make you look like a bronzed goddess. That perfect color is undoubtedly burnt sienna, a fiery mix of orange and blonde notes with an undertone of orangey red.
Strawberry
Red hair—particularly the shades that incorporate blonde—is an incredibly summery look. Strawberry is certainly one of those beach-ready shades. The brighter, blonder version of copper looks lovely alongside a light tan.
Dark Red
Dark red hair is an intense, glowing shade that’s perfect for dyed-in-the-wool redheads or brunettes making the transition to the ginger side of things. Depending on your tastes and your stylist, the shade can include notes or orange, chocolate, and purple.
Cherry
Picture dark red hair that’s accidentally had grape jam spilled all over it, leaving behind a pure purple coat of color—that’s cherry red hair. The shade is vibrant and juicy, surprisingly just as good a fit for spring as it is for winter.
Burgundy
Like a full-bodied red wine for which it’s named, burgundy hair is all about making a loud statement. The brown-purple shade relies on subtle hints of the color to add depth to the otherwise chocolate-hued hair color.
Purple Red
Is cherry still not enough vampy purple to make you satisfied? If so, ask your hair professional to give you a grape-inspired ‘do, trying out the shade purple red. Much like a similarly named crayon you might recall from childhood, this hair color is eggplant-inspired goodness.
Auburn
While dark red falls on the purple side of the hair spectrum, auburn is undoubtedly a true red shade. The gorgeous color is a more intense version of chestnut hair, mixing medium and dark brown with red for a glossy shade that works on almost every complexion.
Cherry Cola
Like the syrupy center of your favorite beverage, this soda-inspired color brings a hint of red to an otherwise dark brown mane. This shade is an exceptionally low-maintenance take on red, perfect for the brunette who wishes she could mix things up.
Ruby
Unlike copper and strawberry, ruby is a cool red shade that calls to mind pomegranates rather than cherries. The blue-red color looks phenomenal on very pale and very dark skin tones, highlighting the undertones of the skin.
Peachy Red
Warm peachy red is having a real moment. By now, you’ve probably seen the shade in dozens of matte lipstick tubes, blush palettes, and the like. Instead of applying the color to our lips, we’d rather wear it in a way that’s semi-permanent.
Brown
If you’re looking to join the red hair club in the least obvious way possible, brown red is the shade for you. Combining warm chocolate base notes with peppery orange and blonde, your stylist will mix a color that just barely edges into red hair territory.
Pink
We haven’t met a single social media trend we don’t love, and pinkish red hair is no exception. The shade incorporates both ruby and pale pink, creating a very cool tone that lies between pastel and fuchsia.
Blood Orange
Unlike pink-infused hair, blood orange is all about the juicy notes. There’s barely a hint of red here. Instead, the shade is primarily an orangey blonde that looks a little space-age chic.
Raspberry
Think of raspberry red hair as a rich take on fuchsia, one that draws from a rich, red base. This color is youthful and luminous, making it the perfect decision during a quarter-life crisis or even post-breakup.
Golden
If caramel, honey, and strawberry blonde were mixed by the greatest colorist in the world, the result would be golden red. This shade is a stunning mix of warm, buttery hues ideal for ladies with light and medium skin tones.
Caramel Red
Here’s another infinitely wearable shade of red. This caramel-influenced color suits women of all skin tones, combining ashy notes with warm red and brown. Instead of spending another year on the same old caramel hair, add a surprising flash of red to the mix.
Sunset
If you’re itching for a change, don’t be afraid to try a whimsical hair look that involves several other colors in harmony with red. Case in point: sunset hair, a rainbow of orange, purple, and red that’s taken over social media.
Crimson
If you were a club kid or have any interest in over-the-top beauty, chances are good you’ve thought about trying out crimson hair. The vibrant shade is true, neon red, the kind no one will miss from across the room.
Burnt Orange
It isn’t often we associate the word “burnt” with anything positive, but this splashy red is an exception to the rule. Burnt orange is bright and coppery, flattering a wide range of skin colors.
Maroon
Most of us remember maroon as one color on our school’s crest. Liberated from the dullness of athletic uniforms, you’ll be surprised how sophisticated a maroon shade can look.
Reddish Brown
If you’re a natural brunette who’s been itching to uncover her redhead alter ego, diving right into neon red can feel like too much. Instead, try an understated reddish brown hue to transition between the two color families.
Green And Red
Got Christmas on your mind? Green and red together don’t just signify the beloved holiday anymore. When updated to a mint and magenta duo, you’ll be surprised at how gorgeous (and distinctly not seasonal) the color pairing is.
Rose Gold
Pastel pink’s beloved younger sister is rose gold, the social media-friendly shade every influencer tried in the past couple of years. If you’ve been wearing blonde for awhile and are looking for an easy update, rose gold is calling your name.
Magenta
Everyone should spring for an over-the-top hair color like magenta at least once. Like a fashion accessory or a dramatic pair of heels, it’s an interesting experiment in styling yourself and looking a little different than you’re used to.
Blue And Red
Blue and red may immediately scream “American flag,” but that’s not the only way to wear the color pairing. Over a dark base, your stylist can blend the dramatic tones into each other for a statement-making finish.
Bright Red
When you go red, there’s always the option to really go red. This neon shade is straight out of a comic strip or spy novel. Be warned that bright shades tend to fade quickly, so you’ll need to discuss a custom care routine with your stylist.
Mahogany
Mahogany isn’t just for your TV stand anymore. This cherry-inspired shade combines the best of dark brown and red into one single shade that’s appropriate for any age.
Aubergine
Aubergine (otherwise known as eggplant) isn’t just a vegetable. This rich shade has been making waves online for its wearability.
Sangria
Put down your cocktail and use it as inspiration for your next salon appointment. This juicy, fruity shade is a sophisticated, modern take on red hair color.
Ombre
When in doubt, just go ombre. This stunning blend of orange and red will add dimension to your hair and keep you perfectly on-trend.
Balayage
If you're not interested in the idea of constantly returning to the salon, embrace a technique that's all about the growing out process. Balayage is always a smart choice!
Ginger
Like the spicy root, ginger hair color is an unforgettable and unique item. The rich orange notes will brighten up your face, making the perfect transitional shade from winter to spring.
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Black Red
Bring a little va-va-voom to the scene with black red hair. This striking, bright shade is all about the drama.
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Red Velvet
Anyone up for dessert? Red velvet hair color is more than just a trend—it's a lifestyle.
Interested in changing your hair color? Use our salon locator to book an appointment with a stylist near you.
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A moisturizing conditioner to give shine and preserve color-treated hair
