Trends, by definition, come and go—but some would-be fleeting moments prove to have natural staying power. This goes double if the look is, well, natural. This time around, red hair is transmuting from passing fad to tried-and-true hue, with a new guard of colours (organic-looking and otherwise) designed to ensure the shade is a match for anyone looking to bring some blaze to their trail.
“I’ve been saying it for a while now, everyone can really be their own shade of red,” says hairstylist Jenna Perry, go-to celebrity colourist. “It’s more appealing than ever because people are more aware of their color palettes.” Perry is a proven proponent: Not only is she the brains behind Emily Ratajkowski’s recent brush with burnished, she herself is a natural redhead, her current iteration a nod to the coppery auburn of her childhood. As for shade selection, Perry cites the resurgence of color analysis and an overall interest in choosing the ideal color to elevate features and skin tone.
New to the palette of reds are chili pepper, Hailey Bieber’s cinnamon cookie butter, and cowboy copper, a blend of brunette and bronze that creates an almost rusted effect. Though the latter may be the most buzzy (it currently sits at 34.5 million views on TikTok), the revival is all about discernment. For inspiration, look to Halley Bailey’s locs in The Little Mermaid, those wrapped in a highly individualized hue designed by hairstylist Camille Friend to flatter Bailey’s features.
“There are so many nuances in tone that it red work with any skin tone, given the right depth and warm or cool,” says colorist Aura Friedman, she responsible for both the spicy shades currently enjoyed by Hari Nef and Natasha Lyonne.
When searching for your red, Friedman suggests starting with a shade that speaks to you, then working with a stylist to create a colour that complements skin tone, eye colour, brow colour, and makeup approach. And while the options may exist in excess, she’s predicting that the subtlety that makes shades like cowboy copper (well executed, of course) so appealing is here to stay.. “I’m noticing the fall red heads are looking more anchored with earth tones,” she says. “I think that’s the evolution more to come for the winter months.” Perry, on the other hand, is eyeing cherries for those with coarse, dark hair and fiery strawberry blondes for the lighter set.
But why stick to one iteration? Like brunette and blonde before it, it seems that red hair is finally moving beyond trend territory into that enjoyed by a mainstay shade—and the ideas around idiosyncrasy are just beginning to spark.
This article was originally published on Vogue UK.
