I recently went from blonde to red, and having been a blonde my entire life, it has been taking some extra time to get used to.
I’ve always wanted red hair, and I mean really red. Not auburn or brown/red, just red. I believe my stylist called my new color “copper”, which I have always associated with hair-gone-bad, but when I actually think about it, “copper” describes my tresses almost perfectly. This is similar to the color I have now.
It was a drastic difference. For the past two weeks, I’ve really learned a lot about how to really pull red hair off. You see, as most people remind me on a daily basis when they see my new do, “not everybody can pull of red”. Most people say that I can because of my skin tone, but I think that anybody can rock red hair, as long as they know what to do.
Avoid Certain Colors
Many people will argue this, but red hair with bright, clashing colors (such as pink, red, yellow) is a bit much. Red heads tend to look great in greens, light purples, blues, greys, whites and creams. It will depend on your skin tone as well, though, so make sure to try on different shades to ensure you aren’t missing the mark.
Don’t Wash Your Hair Every Day
For those of you that aren’t natural redheads, try to wash your hair less often than you would with your natural color. I couldn’t count how many times I’ve heard that red fades the fastest, and washing your hair will speed up the fading process. Skip washing it and try to let your hair adjust to being washed less often. Once it adjusts, it will produce less oil and you won’t feel like you have to wash it as often.
Work With Your Skin Tone
Some reds will work on people who have pale, or fair skin, whereas other reds will work better on those with darker skin tones. The best way to figure out whether a red will work on you is to ask your stylist, or browse photos of red hair in salons or on the internet to see what other people with your skin tone are doing.
Watch Your Makeup
With fair skin, too much blush or bronzer can make you look red all over, especially if you have light hair. Work with your skin tone if you decide to go red; pinker cheeks can be more forgiving on brunettes and redheads.
Because your hair is so close to your face, certain colored cosmetics can really change your look and clash with your hair if you don’t choose wisely.
Have you ever wanted to go red?