From auburn to copper, red hues always seem to work their way back into our hair during the cooler months of the year. But with all of the shades available, how will you know which one is right for you? Here are the most popular reds this year, and how to choose the best one for you based on your skin complexion and undertones.
Strawberry Blonde / Pale Ginger
This color really pops on those with naturally fair skin and red undertones. Clairol says “People with warm coloring look best in warm tones, which are based in the gold/copper color family. Warm coloring includes a variety of skin tone and eye color combinations, including golden brown hair with fair skin and hazel eyes, golden blonde hair with fair, peachy skin and blue eyes, and golden olive skin with black hair and brown eyes. Redheads generally fall into this category…” Mahogany Lox, pictured above, has subtly darker roots that appear faded out towards the end, which enhance the light reflection on her and hair to make the color appear more natural and not concocted. Blogger GirlGetGlamorous mixes L’Oreal Paris Excellence Creme Haircolor, Reddish Blonde 8RB Warmer with Excellence Creme Haircolor, Red Penny 7R to cover her 80-90% gray and get the perfect strawberry blonde or ginger hair color. The biggest issue with these hair hues is that they tend to fade fast–so it’s important to use a purple shampoo to preserve the color to keep from turning brassy.
Oxblood / Burgundy
Purplish eggplant-like hues tend to show the yellow undertones in caramel to red-brown skintones. Oxblood and burgundy color pairings, however, are the best bet for achieving a look that can easily teeter on the supermodel-dramatic-but-still-realistic-everyday-chic. This tint also looks dazzling on curly hair, in particular: “Copper penny strands and soft curls take the girl-next-door style to the next level. A rich copper hue with flecks of gold paired with soft curls is sure to turn heads,” says Latest Hairstyles. Matrix Hair Salon stylists in Canada have brought this fashion week-inspired hue to hair for those with brown skin with naturally cool undertones. As Salon Price Lady says, “Your hair is the accent of your whole body. Most people have an even skin tone and the largest part of your body that stands out is your hair…People with cool skin undertones go well with platinum, ash brown, cream, sandy, coffee, jet black, fawn, mid-level blondes, flat browns, wine, mahogany and burgundy hair colors.” Free Your Hair uses Madison Reed Radiant Color Kit for her oxblood-burgundy shade.
Runway Red / Rich Copper
“Yellow and red undertones are the two main undertones in dark and black skin tones,” shares acclaimed makeup artist Caroline Barnes. For this reason, vibrant red-orange shades work exceptionally well for bringing out your rich features. The color above is sported by Charniq Garrett, was once called “fire engine red”. When it comes to picking the right red, just remember to stick to shades (or lowlights”> that are not darker than chestnut brown–this can wash out your complexion and cause an unwanted green or blue undertone, according to YouBeauty. Vidal Sassoon Pro Series in Runway Red 6RR will give you super vibrant results. J’AdoreMyCurls dyes her fire red hair at home using Naturtint.
