32 Cool Dark Red Hair Ideas to Take Straight to Your Stylist

When speaking about the latest trends in the beauty industry, celebrity hair colorists say that 2024 has brought us a lot of reds for both warm and cold seasons. The spectrum of trending shades ranges from strawberry blonde for fair-haired girls to deep copper and dark auburn hair for brunettes. Those who haven’t tried dark red hair yet should jump on the bandwagon ASAP, and we are ready to prompt many ways of embracing it. So, check our collection to find your perfect look.

Red Hair Shades and Your Skin Tone

Matching your skin tone with the right red is crucial, although it’s tricky to do with so many shades and color schemes available nowadays. But don’t fret, girls, since you can find the best hair color advice for different skin tones in our fast guide on the topic:

• Pale skin tone — neutral-toned red, ginger, muted copper, bright crimson, dark strawberry
• Warm skin tones — mahogany, golden copper, bright auburn, fire engine red, dark red-brown
• Deep skin tones — cherry red, merlot, orange-based red, plum, burgundy

1. Red Hair Dye for Dark Hair

In many cases, turning dark hair into a daring red doesn’t require hours of lifting the base color to blonde. If your tresses have never been processed before, you can arrive at a natural-looking color just with a regular box of permanent red hair dye. And even if your hair goal is unattainable without some bleaching, there are plenty of black and red hair color combinations involving highlights to ensure a slower but safer transformation.

via @makeupbyfrances

2. Dark Red on Brown Hair

Red can spice up dark brown hair with minimal effort applied. Brunettes have natural red hues in their locks, so dark brown-red hair color will enhance them easily within a single process, and the color will last longer with no touch-ups.

However, keep in mind that a copper-based red will work fine for a warm skin tone, while olive skins or dark complexions will shine through purple tints. That’s why hair experts recommend burgundy red hair for brunettes with some blue on their skin.

via @natalip.hairstylist

3. Dark Brown Hair with Red Highlights

As was already mentioned, dark brown hair doesn’t need to be processed all over to get you on the red side of things. Creating red highlights on brown hair involves only spotty bleaching and toning on the top, which is less harsh for the locks. Rich dark red hues will brighten up the look without pushing you to a dramatic change, not to mention the opportunity to perfectly customize the color scheme to dark or light skin tones.

via @thescissorsammurai

4. Deep Burgundy Hair Color

This hair color is infused with purple hues, which makes it a go-to option for girls with olive, tan, and ebony skin, especially those that have cool undertones in their complexions. Yet, burgundy can be blended with brown to flatter medium skin tones as well, for example, through maroon or merlot shades. Also, mind your natural hair color since very dark tresses may require bleaching with a 30-volume developer.

via @alyssamikaylahair

5. Natural Dark Red

Reddish hues given to us by Mother Nature vary from nearly blonde to almost brown, so it’s quite a challenge to pick one natural red hair color that will show your locks to the best advantage. Nevertheless, we vote for the shade with natural red-orange or red-violet undertones, as it basically delivers more shine in the light and can be beautifully accommodated by short curls and long straight hair.

via @slm.beauty

6. Dark Red Ombre Hair Color

Red hair color ideas based on ombre number dozens of stunning variations, and a dark base color melting into all kinds of red is the most frequent choice. However, we’d like to direct your attention to offbeat red to brown hair color transitions and blends of darker and lighter red shades.

If you prefer a more standard ombre, you can still choose between complementing and contrasting colors for a softer or bolder look.

via @hairbykatierose

7. Bright Red and Blonde Hair

A solid color is not for you, is it? Good, because we are happy to introduce dark red hairstyle with blonde highlights — a sure-fire way to illuminate the whole look and create a unique style.

The more so that you can take it a step further and incorporate red and blonde highlights into virtually any base color. Say, on light brown hair, dark red will serve as depth-boosting lowlights, while blonde hues will produce the sun-kissed effect.

via @artistic.aestheticss

8. Dark Red Curly Hair

Both curls and red hair have something playful and cute about them, but dark red curly hair adds a touch of class to the formula. We can’t fail to agree that mahogany or burgundy hair color looks much more sophisticated on ringlets and spirals than copper or red-orange (though they are absolutely fun). However, remember that brown or yellow tints are ideally suited for warm skin tones and the best red hair dye for cool and deep complexions should comprise purple or blue undertones.

via @haircolorkilla

9. Plum Hair Color

When you feel that dark auburn hair color is not deep and dainty enough for you, plum red hair may be a far smarter alternative. This purple-based color muted with a dab of brown and gray is a safe choice for dark-skinned ladies with blue or purple veins on their wrists. On the contrary, naturally warm undertones in light skin may appear sallow against the purple, but choosing the right shade or adding copper red highlights can fix the problem.

via @joicointensity

10. Red Hair with Dark Roots

Speaking about color blends, we must mention the shadow root trend, which has been only growing in popularity over the last few years. Pairing black or brown roots with any shade of dark red brings an extra dimension and a cool “lived-in” feel.

Besides, it promises low maintenance since your naturally brown hair color melts into red with no visible demarcation line that calls for re-coloring. Hair experts encourage experimenting with fierce colors if you have a dark skin tone and sticking to natural-looking transitions when having a pale complexion.

via kuthaus_claremont

11. Reddish Brown Hair

Although chestnut brown hair color flatters any skin tone, looks chic, and has a tinge of red in it, you may want to give it a zing by amplifying the red tint. This will result in shiny deep red hair, which will remain universal for different complexions. Think of long red hair with brown hues close to mahogany for warm skin tones or filled with subtle violet to complement cool undertones.

via @curtiscolorshair

12. Red Hair with Blonde Highlights

Most hair colors can be elevated with blonde highlights weaved into the base shade either through a balayage or the foil technique. Whether you prefer seamless blends or well-defined streaks of color, the red shades are sure to pop against the blonde and gain tons of depth and dynamics. Do you remember us mentioning brown hair with red and blonde highlights? Play with them as you like to wow the public with a vibrant, three-dimensional look!

via @lmariehairr

13. Black and Red Hair Ideas

Those ladies who are eager to add drama to their looks won’t make a blunder by pairing deep or even violent reds with a jet-black or rich brown. Nothing looks as striking as red tones on black hair, be it an ombre, balayage, or peekaboo color. We equally like dark red curls on black hair and straight tresses in natural red hair color adorned with high-contrast coal-black tips — the choice is yours.

via @rey_nathanael13

14. Bright Red Hair Color

While you are welcome to wear toned-down dark reds radiating elegancy, no one can prevent you from sporting eye-popping warm red tones born to steal the spotlight. From electric orange to candy apple hair color, you have plenty of spectacular choices to fit into your lifestyle and complement your facial features. Since fierce reds are quite demanding in maintenance, it might be safer to try a bright red color on short bob cuts.

via @makeupbyfrances

15. Maroon Hair Color

When looking for an exquisite color complementing warm skin tones, you should consider this fabulous mix of red and chestnut. It is close to plum burgundy hair color in depth and brilliance yet contains brown hues to chime well with golden and peachy complexions. The shade allows for creating vibrant red wine hues on natural hair without the skin appearing yellow.

via @hellsbellshair

16. Wine Red Hair

Along with burgundy red hair, this option is among everyone’s favorites for cold seasons, rejoicing the cockles of our hearts with its brightness and chiming well with the red and gold of autumn.

It’s the best red hair dye for girls willing to sport a super dimensional color full of dark shades of red and purple with touches of orange and chocolate-brown. Because of so many hues packed into the wine-red, it won’t be a problem to fine-tune it to your natural hair color and skin tone.

via @kuthaus_claremont

17. Dark Red Balayage

Dimension-inducing highlights remain among the most popular hair color trends in 2022, but we don’t mean only blonde sparkles here. A dark-to-red balayage creates the same effect while filling the otherwise dull locks with a beautiful flare. With such an abundance of vivid hues, any brunette can incorporate a rich dark red hue into her base to make a statement.

via @thenewenglandstylist

18. Cherry Red Hair Color

Yet another food-inspired hue is dark cherry red hair color, which looks yummy against dark complexions and cool undertones in medium skin. However, since the color comes in many blends of deep red with a warm brown or cool purple, you can adjust the dark red tone even to a pale skin tone. Moreover, brown hair with cherry red highlights gives you much more options to own the color.

via @hairhecker

19. Red Hair Underneath

Those who are not ready to rock a daring dark red hue in full-on or balayage versions should pay heed to fun peekaboo looks. They usually imply two-toned dark hair with only the lower part colored in a red shade.

The hidden hair color peeks out of the curtain of hair to create depth and interrupt its solidness with eye-catching glimpses of vibrant reds. The most widespread scheme includes high-contrast black and fire engine red, but if you have an olive skin tone, you can play with blue-purple tints too.

via @neverland____official

20. Red and Purple Hair

Proceeding with fancy color combinations, we would like to share an entirely amazing and unique hair color idea —half purple half red hair. The color palette inspired by breathtaking tropical sunsets is very versatile and covers red highlights on a purple base, red-to-purple and reverse ombre, and even red hair with dark roots fading through violet into orange.

via @memmieyo

21. Ginger Red Hair

If you want to look like a natural redhead, going true ginger is not always the wisest choice, as it can turn out too light for your complexion or require much bleaching on your dark tresses. Opting for chocolate shades will give you the best of two worlds, leaving your hair shiny and natural-looking. Alternatively, add copper highlights to curly or straight hair to derive a better sheen with some extra bronze.

via @artistic.aestheticss

22. Short Dark Red Hairstyle

Vibrant red shades make short hairstyles pop, whether it is a bob, a pixie, or a tiny winy afro. Yet, you should be specifically picky about the hue, as crops typically open up the face and, thus, choosing a lighter or darker red hair shade than your complexion can pull off will ruin the entire look. Go for dark strawberry or rosy copper if having pale skin, and accentuate the glow in a warm skin tone with medium auburn or fire engine red.

via @shmoakin_hair

23. Black Hair with Red Bang

Lion-hearted brunettes looking for a unique hairstyle in 2022 will surely appreciate our tip — to set off a black base with bright red bangs. In addition to a host of red shades available for any skin tone, you will enjoy even more creative opportunities through experimenting with color schemes. Dye the fringe entirely, highlight it with red, or ask for a bombshell ombre on longer bangs.

via @stylusseattle

24. Violet Red Hair

Both young and mature women with a dark natural color will benefit from pumping bold vibes and a bit of exquisiteness into their tresses. Violet seems one of the most intricate dark red shades to adopt because too much purple in it can make warm-skinned gals seem jaundiced. However, the royal shade is worth the effort since it looks ritzy and dimensional on straight hair and adds a play of color to waves and ringlets.

via @memmieyo

25. Raspberry Hair Color

A cousin to plum and magenta, this rich deep red hair color mixes red, pink, and purple hues to please us with the head-turning result. Its riper version will suit a dark or olive skin tone, but the lighter shade of a freshly picked raspberry is friendly to fair complexions and can perfectly bring out blue or green eyes.

via @alyssamikaylahair

26. Merlot Hair Color

There are so many shades of wine-red hair that any girl can embrace it by mixing and matching purple, red, and chocolate brown in various proportions. Namely, the merlot color offers a lighter take on deep red compared with burgundy, although no less bold and bright. It swaps purple for red to land a look friendly to warm complexions and is very much suitable for filling brown hair with red highlights.

via @lmariehairr

27. Dark Red with Pink Highlights

The year 2022 has officially endorsed a unique hair color combination composed of playful pink splashes and a deep red as a base. Although less contrasting than the red & blonde color palette, this combo deserves to grow into the best summer hair color idea for its versatility and fun. Imagine a dark red on a pixie cut interspersed with pinks, which can vary in intensity from pastel to rich shades.

via @aaashleee

28. Chocolate Red Hair

Chocolate brown is undoubtedly one of the most popular brunette hair colors because of the ritzy feel and undeniable sex appeal inherent to it. While many girls settle upon golden and copper shades of this color, it makes sense to upgrade your look to a less frequent dark hue with red chocolate hair dye. If cool-toned colors flatter your complexion, you can go as far as brown cherry hair, which offers a happy middle ground between red and brunette.

via @live_love_dohair

29. Red Hair with Orange Highlights

If you are after a fresh idea on rainbow hair colors, we have got you covered! Why don’t you do brown hair with dark red and orange highlights? Yes, it’s not for the faint-hearted, and your mom will be shocked, but a startling change to your regular look is guaranteed. What is more, you can dilute bright red with pastel shades to arrive at a softer hairstyle.

via @qynnetessential_styles

30. Mulberry Hair Color Idea

Here is another gourmet shade of the purple family. It brings burgundy and plum together to grant us the chicest of reds. Those who feel better with a brownish version of purple can opt for chocolate cherry hair color, which also sticks to dark-hued ladies without lightening. The only thing you should bother about is buying a high-quality hair dye since the shade will wash out easily otherwise.

via @shmoakin_hair

31. Magenta Hair Color

With the grand comeback of Y2K pinks, painting your locks magenta is the choicest summer hair color idea. Whether going pink-purple all over or upgrading your deep red hair with cheery highlights, you will hog the limelight hands down. As magenta fades into a lighter shade within six to eight weeks, it is a relatively low-maintenance hair color, especially if you bother to add a dab of dye to your conditioner every other hair wash.

via @aaashleee

32. Dark Hair with Red Tips

It is an easy way to bring some spice into dark straight hair since it keeps bleaching away from most of your hair length. But black women also often choose red tips hair to add vibes to their coils without damaging their pattern with a dye job. We like this scheme on both curls and pin-straight tresses, in flaming red, raspberry, or auburn.

via @aaashleee

Ok, you have seen all the amazing shades, but what hair color lasts the longest? Well, brown-based shades like mahogany or dark chocolate promise the longest stay in your locks since, with due maintenance, they can last for several months. However, the red pigment in them will start fading in six weeks. The brands offering deep red dye we frequently encounter in hair experts’ selections include L’Oréal Paris Feria, Garnier Nutrisse, Manic Panic, Clairol Nice ‘n Easy, and Schwarzkopf Color Ultime.