Ginger hair on light brown skin

Whether you're melanin-rich or the fairest of them all, you can pull off crimson hair — here are just a few examples for proof. 

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If you're contemplating whether you can pull off red hair, just go ahead and stop right there. You heard it here first: It doesn't matter if you're the fairest of fair or melanin-rich — there's a fiery hue out there that will work for you. And one that will earn you oodles of compliments to boot. Still skeptical? Give us a chance to change your mind. 

Look to A-listers like Emma Stone, Blake Lively, our girl RiRi, and Lupita Nyong'o, all of whom have managed to slay the scarlet hair game at one time or another. Even better, we tapped a few hair-color experts to help set the record straight once and for all because, well, it helps to have someone in the know when you're talking about hair color. Now get those fingers to scrolling and read on about how to find the perfect shade of crimson just for you. Here are 27 red hair color ideas for every skin tone.

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  Neilson Barnard

  Fair: Dusty Red

  Riverdale star Madelaine Petsch is one of colorist Rachel Bodt's "favorite red references." She describes the red tone as soft and dusty, which means it won't contrast too deeply with your skin tone. "Because of how soft the tone is, it's great for someone who is nervous to try red," says Bodt. She recommends this shade for fair-skinned clients with pink or yellow undertones.

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  Fair: Neutral Red

  "This is just perfection," says Bodt of Orange Is the New Black star Madeline Brewer's rich shade from the 2018 Emmy Awards. This neutral-toned red complements the neutral-yellow undertones of her skin. "It's not too coppery or warm, but it's not quite a cool violet either," says Bodt. Neutral skin tones, the search is over.

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  Fair: Sparkling Ginger

  On fair-skinned women like Emma Stone, colorist and founder of #Mydentity Guy Tang loves incorporating gold tones to enhance the eye color and add more depth to the look as a whole. He also notes that vibrant shades of red offer pale complexions a more lively appearance, which we can definitely attest to, considering Stone looks lit from within with this shimmering hue. Speaking of, colorist Jenna Perry would call this a "sparkly" red, which she says is the best for fair skin.

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  Fair: Rosy Copper

  I still have a hard time believe this isn't the Game of Thrones star's natural color, considering how naturally Sophie Turner pulls off Sansa Stark's infamous golden-chestnut shade. Nikki Ferrara, a colorist in New York City, says this is likely because the medium copper creates a creaminess in her fair skin and draws out the pink tones in her cheeks, evoking an almost child-like rosy glow. "The pink-orange hue also brings out the brightness in her blue eyes," says Ferrara.

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  Fair: Muted Copper

  Save for Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman might just be the most classic celebrity redhead in the game. And even though she's since gone blonde, we'll never forget her signature shade. "This is my absolute favorite hair color on her," says Ferrara. "I love the lighter shade of copper for her skin tone, as it's bright, shiny, and makes her skin look a beautiful ivory tone," she says, adding that since orange is a contrasting hue to blue, it brings out her eye color.

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  Fair: Dark Strawberry

  "Jessica Chastain's natural-looking strawberry hue complements her skin tone and light eyes," says Perry of the actress's cooler, strawberry-blonde shade. Colorist Aura Friedman also adds that this kind of color works well on pale skin tones with more pink in them, as the strawberry tones actually aid in drawing the pink out of the complexion, offering a more neutral even effect. We can definitely see why Chastain has rarely strayed from this shade over the years — it's her signature.

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  Fair: Bright Crimson

  Another timeless redhead, Christina Hendricks, wears this "bright crimson tone," as Ferrara calls it, so well because, similar to Sophie Turner's color, it enhances the red in her skin, creating a natural blush that's extremely flattering. "This works well for [people] with red undertones in their skin," says Ferrara. "The depth also makes her blue eyes take on a darker shade as well."

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  Fair: Electric Orange 

  Who says fair-skinned folk can't rep a high-voltage hue like this nearly-neon orange-red color? Ferrara explains that this route, as taken by Karen Elson, is ideal if you're looking to add a little more oomph to your copper hair. "Keeping in the orange family, which is great for her skin tone, this is definitely a look for someone that wants to add a dramatic effect to their natural or color-treated hair," she explains. Color chameleons, I dare you to try this look in the coming year.

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  Light: Mahogany

  Ellie Kemper may be a natural redhead, but Tauni Dawson, a stylist at Nine Zero One Salon in LA, says this red-brown shade is also a good option for someone who isn't. According to Dawson, this shade "isn't too vibrant," which makes it a simple step up for brunettes in need of a hair change. Here, Kemper lets her hair color (and perfectly matched brows) play center stage with a light natural-toned gloss on the lips.

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  Light-Medium: Old-Hollywood Auburn

  Before Julia Roberts went all millennial with her rose-gold color (which she followed with blonde), her hair was this auburn shade. According to Dawson, the shade works best for anyone with hazel, green, or blue eyes. "It works well because they're complimentary colors," she says.

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  Light-Medium: Golden Copper

  On light-medium skin with gold or yellow undertones à la Blake Lively, Friedman recommends golden, coppery shades as we see here to brighten the complexion and bring out the warmth in the skin. Perry also adds that medium skin tones work best when there's more dimension throughout, meaning incorporating several different hues rather than just one all-over color. "I love giving my light-medium skin tone clients blends of copper reds — it's not only good for fall but all year 'round," muses Tang. As you can see, Lively was absolutely glowing with this sparkling sepia shade, so if you have a similar skin color, I suggest bringing this photo in next time you're due to see your colorist.

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  Light-Medium: Bright Auburn

  "A red that's auburn with a balance of warm and cool will work for medium skin with both warm and cool undertones," says Freidman. She also explains that people with medium skin tones are lucky, as they have the widest range of red tones they can work with. "Paprika and auburn highlights are ideal for medium skin tones," adds Perry, also sharing that she prefers a darker root to create a more natural, yet vibrant effect. The takeaway: If you're on the light-medium side of the spectrum, it can't hurt to experiment with different shades of red, especially an eccentric hue like we see here on Bella Thorne. 

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  Medium: Orange-Red

  Isla Fisher is famous for her signature shade, a variation on a well-balanced orange-red. Bodt recommends this color for clients with fair skin and pink or yellow undertones. However, "since there's a slight coolness to the tone, a variation of her color would work on olive undertones as well." Basically, it's one-shade-fits-all.

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  Medium: Blue-Red

  Those with medium-to-tan skin have a lot of room in which they can play around with different shades of red, explains Ferrara. This is more than likely why BTS member J-Hope pulls off this red color so flawlessly, as he has a balance of pink and yellow tones in his skin, though is mostly neutral overall. (Fun fact: J-Hope has been cotton-candy pink and fluorescent orange, too.)

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  Medium: Glistening Auburn

  If you have a medium-toned complexion like Sarah Hyland and are looking for a way to ease into the red-haired lifestyle, her shimmering auburn hue is a great place to start. "This tone works for Sarah's olive complexion because she has shades of gold throughout her hair," says Ferrara. "It also brings out her eye color because of the mix of copper, which is a contrast to blue," she adds.

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  Tan: Cherry Coke

  "Tan skin tones look great with cherry red or vibrant crimson; it enhances one's natural glow," explains Tang. Here, Demi Lovato shows off a subtle cherry-Coke shade that deepens her eyes for a more intense look, while also making her skin appear vibrant and natural. If you're on the tanner side but aren't ready to go for a full-on bright (or even neon) cherry, this color makes for an ideal happy medium.

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  Deep Tan: Merlot

  Kehlani's statement shade "required a lot of layers of colors," says Bodt. To achieve this look, tell your colorist to focus on the cool red shade first, then "apply a violet gloss to keep it very wine-toned and cool." The face-framing roots help anchor this shade to Kehlani's skin tone, and the violet gloss gives it a perfect complementary color.

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  Deep Tan: Gilded Russet

  Rihanna has slain just about every shade under the sun, including various hues of red, though this one is hard to top. "I would describe this as a coppery red tone, and I have to say, I absolutely love this," says Ferrara. "The golden undertone of this hair color works really well with the gold in her skin tone," she explains. 

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  Deep Tan: Fiery Red

  As the queen of rainbow wigs and quick hair changes, it's no surprise that Cardi B pulled off what Rachel Bodt calls "an orange-based red." The copper undertones in Cardi's skin help balance out the shade, and it gets an extra shot of color from her gold hair accessories. To Bodt, the look is giving David Bowie Ziggy Stardust vibes — never a bad thing.

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  Deep Tan: Plum Strands

  Amandla Stenberg samples red tones by weaving the shade into her box braids. The classic style is a fun way to play with color without worrying about bleaching. Stenberg manages to pull off a semi-commitment to the shade with burgundy tones running through her style. "This works for her skin tone because she's got a naturally cooler undertone in her face," explains Missouri-based colorist Colissa Nole. "The pinkish tone she has in her cheeks cools down her features which, makes this magenta-based red and purple very becoming on her, accenting her features nicely."\

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  Dark: Multi-Dimensional Red

  "I think when you have curly hair and want to go red, the key is dimension," Bodt says of Kelis's vibrant-yet-subtle shade. She recommends different levels of base color running through the hair from roots to ends. The multi-dimensional illusion helps shape the curl.

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  Dark: Deep Cinnamon

  There are "many reasons," Jourdan Dunn's hint of auburn looks so damn gorgeous, according to Nole. "The glow that she has to her skin creates a shift in the tonal quality of her hair," she explains. "Golden tones tend to create the most shine due to the reflection of yellow pigmentation; this coppery auburn-red really bounces off of the light nicely and illuminates her cheekbones."

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  Dark: Burnt Orange

  "[Anyone] can rock red hair, it just has to be well thought out," says Perry. "While skin tone is the main factor, eye color, personal style, and lifestyle are important factors, too." Teyana Taylor is a prime example of this, as her hue is playful and works well with her overall look. "I'm really into this bright orange-y, almost coral color," says Friedman. "She has a lot of cool blue undertones in her skin so the orange is complementing that quite well." Don't be afraid to play with more unique, out-of-the-box reds, because they could end up being your ultimate shade.

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  Dark: Blackberry

  "The violet in this red is enhancing her golden tones," says Friedman of Keke Palmer's maroon braids. Perry also added that berry tones like this make darker skin tones, as well as the hair itself, glow. "It creates an illusion of the sun shining down on the hair," she explained. We will say, Palmer seems to have that going on here (even though it appears to be the middle of the night in this photo). Her hue airs on the purple side for sure but still has enough warmth in it that it maintains an ultra-flattering balance.

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  Deep: Violet Red

  For anyone with very rich skin tones like the lovely Lupita Nyong'o, Perry recommends a reddish-purple, much like the semi-permanent hue Nyong'o debuted at the 2014 Met Gala. "I'd stick with a purple-y red like plum or merlot," she said. It brings extra life to the skin and creates an all-around lit-from-within look. (Though, IMHO, Nyong'o could slay any shade of red without a problem.)

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  Deep: Cherry Coke

  "This shade works really well for Missy Elliott because if you look closely, her eyes have a beautiful chestnut shade to them," says Ferrara. "It’s almost like this hair color was tailor-made for her," she adds. And well, we'd have to wholeheartedly agree. It no doubt makes her eyes sparkle, and the purple-red tone looks fresh and modern on the rapper.

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  Deep: Gilded Auburn

  We'll never forget the moment Viola Davis turned out to the 2012 Oscars with her kinks and coils on full display. The actress's strands were dyed an auburn color, which looked amazing against her rich skin tone. "The impact of the gorgeous copper undertones she has makes this hair color front-and-center amazing," says Nole. "Also, the green eyeliner and dress are an incredible pop to this look, considering they are a complementary color to red."

About Me: Brooklyn-dweller with a love for bronzer, books, and breakfast food. (And alliteration).
Hair Texture: Fine-ish
Hair Color: Medium-to-dark brown
Biggest Hair Concern: Breakage, breakage, breakage
Skin Tone: Light/Medium with neutral undertones
Skin Type: Dry/Sensitive
Greatest Skin Concern: Redness ... Read more