A bright red hair color is an ultra-warm and intense shade of red dyed onto the hair in the form of highlights, an ombre, a dip-dye, or a full-on solid hue. Warning: this is not for the faint-hearted!
Fiery tones of red hair are having their resurgence this season as famously seen on celebrity divas Christina Hendricks, Chloe Dykstra, and Jennifer Morrison. All the limits have been broken down when it comes to how extremely vibrant you can be with your tresses, and everyone’s joining in the movement!
Tennessee hair artist Josh Boynton showcases his hottest ruby hair creations plus other different shades of red on his feed, and there is only one thing to say – it’s pure perfection. From mermaid waves to sleek and straight, bobs to waist-lengths, vivid reds prove that you can never be too bright with red!
But of course, with great results comes great responsibility. Use color-safe products, wash with cold water, and follow your trusted colorist’s advice religiously. Do these and you’ll surely be turning heads for a long time!
Before your next hair appointment, check out these trendy examples of bright red hair colors!
#1: Bright Neon Red Pixie Cut
The key to a bright neon red pixie cut with shaved lines and a textured top may be to find two stylists. One a barber and one a colorist. I suggest you find someone who specializes in vivid colors. They can create custom formulas for each client. Keep your vibrant hue looking fresh. Use shampoos and conditioners designed for color-treated hair every time you wash. Ask your stylist about products that have UV protection in them. It will help preserve the vibrancy of the color. I recommend using L’Oréal Professionnel’s Serie Expert Vitamino Color AOX Shampoo. It will protect against any fading or dulling of the hair’s brightness over time.
#2: Bright Red Hair Dye
Vivid red will be that statement look if you want to turn heads! When creating this look, you’ll want to spend time ensuring the two red tones work together. It will be applied on dry hair and well-saturated to soak up and not have any hollow spots. Ask for a toning shampoo and conditioner to keep this color looking its best. And pair with luscious curls to show off shine in the light.
#3: Bright Orange-ish Red Wavy Hair
Ready for a summer change? Try this bright orange-ish red wavy hair. Dyeing your hair can be a fun and creative way to express yourself. And doing vivid tones are a way to communicate to the world the type of person you are. Fiery reds and bright oranges make any natural brunette or redhead stand out! Ask for bright, copper vivid hues when communicating with your stylist. For the perfect wave pattern, use a 1-and-a-half-inch wand to create soft subtle waves.
#4: Hot Tamale Red Wavy Hair
Go for a hot tamale red hair color. If you have already done vivid colors in your hair, it can be easy to refresh when you want a change. Try refreshing with a bright red if you are within the pink-to-red spectrum. You may need a re-touch on your global blonde first. But this is easy too. Achieve if you’re looking for an in-between tone.
#5: Bright Copper Bob
Opt for this bright copper hair color and cute short cut combination. Dark copper roots with lighter copper teasy lights give dimension to the hair and make them look thicker than they actually are. This short bright red colored hair is perfect for women struggling with thin hair. Styling with sea salt or powder spray will boost the volume of the hair.
Red copper tones also look super good on women with light skin tones. For skin tones, the most important thing to consider is finding the right shade of copper for a woman’s complexion and style. Copper tones make hair look shinier and healthier, too.
#6: Long Loose Curls with Copper Tones
Show off your beautiful mane with long loose curls. With light-reflecting red and copper tones, hair will glisten in the light. Sparking warm shades are great for fair skin tones and will brighten up your complexion. Cascading loose curls will have you ready for any special occasion.
#7: Ginger Layered Shaggy Bob
Looking for a modern, bold hairstyle to take your look up a notch? Consider trying the ginger, layered shaggy bob. A bright and vibrant red hair color is sure to make you stand out in any crowd. Choppy layers create dynamic movement through the ends of your hair. The ideal hair texture for this style would be thick or coarse. Both allow the shape to stay voluminous while maintaining the length. To preserve a vivid color proper shampoos and conditioners are necessary. I would recommend an acai-infused shampoo specifically for color-treated reds. Try Redken Color Extend Magnetic Shampoo for maximum longevity. Ask your colorist which products are best suited to match your lifestyle and desired results!
#8: Bright Ruby Red Hair Color Idea
Go for the gold, or in this case, the ruby red hair color! The rose glitters vibrantly and goes so well with the long, silky hair. This is the sign to go color your hair red!
#9: Glamorous Bright Red Hair
We love a glamorous bright red hairstyle. We are seeing a little less beach wave and more glamour curls again. To achieve this look, you’ll need to ask for layering to support the style.
The look will require more effort in styling, a round brush to add volume, and most importantly, the way you curl the hair will be a little different. Curl the hair with a curling iron all away from the face in the same direction, let it cool, and brush out smoothly. You can also try hot rollers, be sure to let them cool completely before removing them to have the style last for days.
#10: Red with Blonde Highlights
To make those reds pop out more, paint over a lighter hue as an accent. Neon orange and fire bright red with bright blonde highlights are analogous colors that go really well with each other so you’ll never go wrong! Fiery red hair color ideas such as this are super hot right now!
#11: Light Golden Red Hair with Highlights
For a fun, fiery hair color, give light golden red hair with highlights a go. Pops of bright red tones and golden peekaboos add much-needed dimension to redheads. Add beach waves by curling your hair then straightening the ends for an effortless style.
#12: Bright Strawberry Blonde
Go for bright strawberry blonde which looks stunning on long wavy locks. While strawberry blonde can be natural on paler skin tones, it also sits perfectly against deeper, golden skin tones. The hue of blonde and red are perfectly entwined that you can discuss with your colorist how much strawberry blonde you want it to be.
#13: Purple and Red Shades
Purple and red shades are breathtaking separately but together create the most killer color combination. Color blocking is a versatile technique to have one main color with a pop of a second color which can easily be tucked away if preferred. Although purple and red shades are a difficult process to create, the results are gorgeous and worth every minute and penny.
#14: Red Hair with Blonde Highlights
Red hair with blonde highlights is a beautiful high contrast hair color that gives both depth and brightness. Ask your stylist for traditional chunky blonde highlights with a red base color. To avoid the red tones from transferring to the blonde highlights, always wash your hair with shampoo. For color-treated hair, use cooler water temperatures and limit the frequency of washing your hair.
#15: Red Streaks on Strawberry Blonde Hair
Red streaks on strawberry blonde hair add warmth and luster to your tresses. Deep burgundy red tones at the roots and painted throughout, make bright copper highlights shine. Bright red hair colors are ideal for women who love warmth and richness to their color.
#16: Dark Bright Red Hair
A dark bright red hair usually has darker roots combined with a spicy money piece. This helps add dimension and brighten up your overall appearance.
#17: Bright Red Before and After Hair Transformation
Check out this bright red before and after hair transformation! This transformation will make you want to see your stylist as soon as possible! A dark base and bright red hair color will have people staring!
#18: Faded Rose Red
This faded rose red is well suited for women wanting a 180-degree transformation. This hair hue will stop people in their tracks. Apply purple shampoo to keep the vibrancy of the color longer.
#19: Medium Bright Red for Natural Brunettes
A medium bright red for natural brunettes is a perfect color if you’re wanting an upgrade from your current look. You can still have natural-looking hair but keep it fun by adding red tones to your brunette. You will be looking fierce!
#20: Cherry Red
Jessica Rabbit would be envious of how sensual those big, shiny curls are, and how bright this cherry red hair color is! The longer locks, the more you can play around with it indeed!
Dark red hair is cool, but wait until you get to wear the velvet hair color one.
#21: Short Bright Red to Dark Ombre with Bangs
Appreciate how the bright red maroon colors turned into a glowing rose towards its ends. Even with such a short bright red hair with bangs, the colors were accentuated, along with the face make-up.
#22: Side-Swept Red and Blonde
A feathered ombre featuring platinum blonde to red colors! Side-swept waves add a windblown effect that presents the look with even more movement and dynamics. Bright red velvet on blonde hair creates a contrast that is sure to catch people’s attention
#23: Short Bright Red Hair
Red heads unite! The short inverted bob makes rounder back but a sleeker, straighter front that both gives form and flattery to the look. This blood-red color is great for bringing out a blushed flush into your cheeks.
#24: Shoulder-Length Bright Auburn Red
Auburn for autumn, and for all seasons as well. The radiant crimson bright red hair is a sight especially with that wavy bob for a strikingly casual look. It works for women with a tan skin complexion. With this deep red hair color, you may want to upgrade your natural hair color.
#25: Bright Blood Red Hair
Bright blood red hair shows off a rich, vibrant, and high-maintenance hue. Illinois-based colorist Kimberly Dick used both balayage and highlighting techniques to achieve it.
“I used balayage to lighten the mids and ends of the hair. I shampooed it out, then applied a demi-permanent color all over. So, the color picked up the highs and lows of the lightness and darkness of the hair,” Dick explains.
Ladies must get retouch and toning every 6-8 weeks to maintain its red tone.
#26: Red Velvet Hair Color
Bring life to your locks with this red velvet hair color! Created by Australia-based stylist Lucy Mann, it’s a great way to express personality and a sense of style.
“It was created using a combination of permanent and lift and deposit colors, applied to dry hair. The old highlights in the hair resulted in the variation in tones,” says Mann.
Reds are notorious for losing vibrancy fast. So, Mann suggests a colored conditioner such as the NAK’s Rouge Colour Masque.
#27: Dyed Bright Red Highlights in Dark Brown Hair
A delectable mix of strawberry red, ginger, and reddish-brown tones on dark brown hair. These bright red highlights add a dimension, partnered with a layered haircut.
“This was an existing balayage that I had done in a prior service,” says stylist and colorist Katelynn Kwasniak of Londonberry, NH.
She explains, “for this dyed hair, I used Pulp Riots Faction 8 boosters in their red (-66) orange (-44), and yellow (-22). I simply took one-inch randomized sectioning and applied color on the middle and ends to saturate. Then, I feathered up to blend as you would in a traditional balayage.”
As for wearability, anyone can do red! Whether it is a fire engine red to a chocolate cherry, an all-over color, or just a couple pops, anyone can wear, so just do it!
#28: Curly Red Hair
Go for a night out and paint the town red! Those glorious bright red curls are looking natural red hair, which are for all the world to see.
This is about as true copper red as you can achieve with permanent hair color, and the cut is a disconnected pixie! It was cut and colored by stylist Sami Skinner of Jacksonville, FL.
“We decided to disconnect because it allows the curls to meet in a more organic fashion but gives the illusion that it is not shorter underneath,” she explains. “This is my favorite way to cut short hair to leave the shape very feminine with an edge!”
This color can be more upkeep than a more natural tone. For products, Skinner prefers Pureology hydrate shampoo and conditioner for home care, followed up with Redken’s One United leave-in.
#29: Poppy Red to Light Brown
Red cherry caramel combo with highlights? Delectable! Wearing them in long, wavy tresses? Superb! The color is pretty ideal for ladies with brown eyes.
This formulation went from an all-over poppy red to a deeper base with the new growth transitioning into a beautiful balayage blend. It was created by stylist and salon owner Megan Grimm of Broad Ripple, IN.
“This could certainly be a strawberries-and-cream formula. We didn’t go too heavy on our foilyage. We still wanted to see all of that awesome color play in contrast,” says Grimm.
Grimm encourages women to use Color Guard to protect them from fading before and after a shower. “They use color care shampoo and conditioner, and we discuss the importance of making our shampoo and style last longer by being proactive with the right style products,” she notes.
A red-brown hair color will always require some maintenance, and you will also want to consider if you might have a change of heart and want to change your color down the road. Making any kind of drastic color change can be stressful for your locks.
#30: Bright Magenta Hair Dye for Dark Hair
Pretty in pink just came into town! This bright red balayage for dark hair was done very tastefully as to have the roots protected from the color but not that it is completely disconnected from the whole vibrancy.
This beautiful magenta hair color and cut were done by Gill Kolkman, a team member at Washington House Salon in Innisfil, Ontario Canada!
Owner and stylist Cecile Washington had this to say about this look, “this look is fun, funky, and fresh! This magenta ombré can be worn straight or with a beautiful soft wave to accentuate the gorgeous root extension.”
If you’re considering a bold vivid color like magenta, be ready for some maintenance. We recommend a refresh of tone every 4 weeks.
#31: Bright Ginger Red Pixie
With all the seemingly bad things that go with having orange locks, this reddish one just proves them all wrong. The copper with bright ginger red hair color is an extravagant statement for all who judge any ginger heads.
This short red hair was created by hairstylist and colorist Melanie Adaros of Miami, FL.
“Short hair is so in right now,” says Adaros. “Having a copper pixie is beautiful but it’s also high-maintenance and would require the woman wearing it to refresh with a semi-permanent gloss no less than every 4 weeks to stay looking vibrant.”
#32: Pomegranate Bright Red with Black Roots
Red pomegranate is as sweet fruit as it is a hair color! The straight texture and smoothness of black hair enhance the coloring technique even more.
Any red is a commitment. Without proper take-home products, your color will never have a chance. Red is hard to remove and hard to keep all at the same time.
Having healthy hair is an important key to vivid colors.
When it comes to faces, skin tone is very important when choosing red as your color choice. Vibrant red hair, against red skin, can be a horrible combination.
#33: Bright Red Hairstyle
Ask your stylist for a dark red base and to balayage the brighter red throughout the hair, leaving thin pieces of the darker base color through the ends for a little dimension. The cut is a long layered cut with an angled front and bangs.
Bright red hair dye is one of those colors that can fade very quickly without proper care. You should use professional color care shampoo, wash in cool water, and don’t wash every day.
The longer they can go in between shampoos, the better. If you frequent the beach, lake, or pool often, this may not be a color that would suit your lifestyle.
#34: Bright Long Red Hair
Every time I see a beautiful head of red hair, all I can think of is the iconic hibiscus flower. Fashion/vivid color is 100% a passion.
This color is not recommended for everyone. The reality of this color is that it is high-maintenance, so the first thing you should always do before making an appointment to book this sort of service is to come in for a consultation with your stylist.
#35: Bright Red Long Hair with an Orange Money Piece
Bright red long hair with an orange money piece is dynamic, bold, and a great way to compliment warm tones in the skin. Those with green eyes will find that the orange money piece will accentuate and brighten up the eye color while drawing people’s attention to the eyes. Bright colors do tend to require more maintenance, so when considering a hair color, think of your ideal maintenance schedule. A general rule of thumb is the more vibrant or bright the color, the more upkeep it will need.