InStyle

Hair

10 Red Hair Color Ideas to Try This Summer

 

BRB, requesting orange sapphire ASAP.

Red hair color is having a major moment. And while only a small percentage of people are genetically blessed with the shade naturally, we live in the 21st century and can change our hair color every other week if we so desire. With that in mind, we're manifesting red for ourselves this summer.

However, before you switch up your color, know that maintaining red hair is no joke. "Red is the largest color molecule, so it's the most likely of all colors to fade out of your hair the quickest, explains celebrity hairstylist Sunnie Brook. She suggests doing a color refresh every four to six weeks to combat fading, and says to use a low pH shampoo and conditioner, such as Biolage's Color Last duo, to keep your red looking fresh. When you need a boost of color for a quick refresh, color-depositing masks, such as Garnier's Nutrisse Color Revivers, can save you a trip to the salon in just five minutes.

Below, we rounded up 11 of our favorite red hair color ideas to inspire your next trip to the salon. From Gigi Hadid's deep cherry Cola to Meg Thee Stallion's fiery red, we're tempted to try them all.

Dark Red

Celebrity hairstylist Guy Tang says Zendaya's red is the perfect natural dark red tone. "If you want to try a dark red ask your stylist for a cherry cola red tone or a red enhanced brunette that is a level four-six," he says. "If you are a brunette and want a subtle version of this, ask your stylist to blended highlights of a dark red."

Orange Sapphire

Nobody does bold red hair quite like Bella Thorne does. Lorena M. Valdes, a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, says that this is an intense copper-red with ribbons for lowlights and  copper-orange for highlights, which creates a  multi-dimensional color. "Request all-over color with a balayage, and with highlights and lowlights after to recreate this look."

Natural Muted Copper

While Kendall Jenner's red is technically a copper, Tang says it still falls in the red category. "This type of color looks more natural in indoor lighting and vibrant in the sun," he cautions. If you love it, he says to ask your hairstylist for a natural muted copper. "Emphasize that you want the color to look like you were born with it," he adds.

Fiery Red

Take it from the creator of Hot Girl Summer — this fiery balayage with dark under-layers is it. 

Deep Red Brown

Turn up the intensity with this bold shade. Celebrity hairstylist Nikki Lee says to ask ask for a deep red brown with copper undertones. "This color really brings out the warm tones in your skin and looks gorgeous in the sunlight," she says. Ah, perfect for summer!

Sunrise Copper

Sydney Sweeney debuted this sweet red earlier this year, and we're obsessed. "In some light, you will feel like this tone leans more into the golden-blonde family, and in other light those warm coppery — not to be confused with brassy — tones will give you all the glow that golden hour has to offer, no matter the time of day," says Brook.

Fairy Red

Moroccanoil celebrity colorist. Greg Gilmore, likes the idea of having light blonde that is softly tone with an almost iridescent red/warm tone but deeply saturated towards the root. "She still can be considered a red head but she can also be a less committed red at the same time," he says. To achieve it, he says to ask for red root color smudge with softly tones ends. 

Red Color-Blocking

Summer is the perfect time to be bold and add a few out-there shades to the mix. "You can introduce such tones through color-blocking or color-melting," says Gilmore. "Ask for color blocking with more red in back and lighter tones in front."

Pops Of Red

If you're not ready to commit to an all-over red but want to have fun with the shade, add a few pops of bold red around your head for a bit of razzle dazzle, as Joico celebrity stylist Jared Henderson did for Doja Cat for the MTV Video Music Awards. 

Strawberry Copper

This is a lighter version of the copper we all know and love, as it has brighter ribbons of strawberry blonde. Valdes says to ask your color specialist for an all-over bright copper, followed up by a customized highlight or balayage service.