Auburn is the hair colour of the moment
An expert breaks down the pros and cons of going red
No, you’re not imagining it. In the last few months, it really does seem like nearly every celeb has dyed their hair some version of red. “It’s like Y2K all over again — welcome to 2005,” jokes Carolyn Mila Shariff .
The master colour technician at Toronto’s THIC Studio has experienced an influx of clients requesting fiery locks of late. Many of them are inspired by TikTok, where the redhead filter, which tinges hair with an amber tint, has amassed over 40 million views. “People are screenshotting that and coming in asking, ‘Do you think I should be a redhead?’ ”
For Shariff, the trend is part of the larger early-aughts nostalgia currently overtaking fashion and beauty. As a friend of mine recently texted, “Why is everything in stores suddenly mesh and swirl-printed?”
“I feel like red hair is part of that throwback, like the chunky highlights and that big front piece,” says Shariff. “This is just the next progression of it.”
Recall for a moment some of the many famous redheads of the era: Geri Halliwell, Kelly Rowland, Lindsay Lohan, Tyra Banks, Alyson Hannigan, T-Boz, Vitamin C … Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that not two, not three, but four cast members of “Euphoria,” a show noted for its 2000s-esque esthetic, have gone red lately: Zendaya, Barbie Ferreira, Maude Apatow and Sydney Sweeney. But the reference photos clients most often show Shariff are by far those of Kendall Jenner. The model debuted a ginger hue on the Prada runway back in February and is apparently in no hurry to go back to brown.
“I think part of why it looks cool is that it’s a deliberate choice,” Shariff posits. “The other big trend right now is Hailey Bieber where it’s just a nothing hair colour. It’s like, ‘Did she do her hair or did she not?’ This is the opposite of that, where you absolutely did your hair.”
Indeed, going red is no casual process. Jenner, for instance, likely had to bleach her whole head before dying it copper, which could translate to a fair bit of damage. If your hair is lighter than the shade you’re after, or you’ve never artificially coloured your hair, you’d skip the bleach and apply the red directly, though you’d want to make sure you’re truly committed before settling into your colourist’s chair.
“Red is one of the hardest colours to get out,” warns Shariff. “So unless you are dedicated to it, don’t do it. Don’t do it!” she laughs. “Say you’ve been a blond your whole life and one day on a whim, you think, ‘Screw it, I’m going auburn,’ it could take years before you get back to blond again.”
The same goes for brunettes. “Even if you put an ashy brown over the red, because blue is a really small molecule, as that washes out you’ll be left with the red coming back through.” It’s ironic, in a way, because artificial red is also the colour that fades the fastest, which means keeping it glossy and vibrant requires regular visits to the salon. “It’s that dichotomy of being the hardest to keep and the hardest to get rid of,” says Shariff.
Luckily, there are ways to dip a toe into the trend in less committal ways. Blonds, for instance, could try a temporary gloss that lasts only a few washes. How long it lasts will depend on the porosity of your hair. “If you’re a brunette and want to test it out before dying your whole hair, tone your highlights to a warmer shade and see how you feel about it.” Or, if you want to lean into the Y2K thing, try a few chunky splices here and there.
“Anyone can suit auburn hair because it has a big spectrum to it,” says Shariff. “You can go back to that 2005 vibe, where it was very purple-y and had a really pink undertone, or you can be more on the coppery side where it’s a true auburn.”
The key to finding your perfect red, she says, is going with your undertone rather than against it. “If you have warmer skin or you’re super pale, go toward a coppery red. If you have more of an olive skin tone, doing something a little bit cooler, I find, makes your skin not look as green.”
To maintain your shade, opt for colour-safe hair products and apply a UV protectant on your hair before stepping outside. Colour-depositing shampoos and treatments can also be helpful to preserve pigment between salon visits.
“Being a redhead is a commitment and you need to be sure you want to do it, but that said, it’s also a ton of fun,” says Shariff, who’s dabbled in red herself in the past. “It’s one of those attention-grabbing colours where everybody wants to talk to you.”
Sure, you’ve heard blonds have fun and brunettes are often perceived as vampy and mysterious, but redheads, says Shariff? “Redheads are like effervescent fairies.”