Red hair has always been a desirable shade for women to have, but traditionally softer tones like strawberry blonde, light copper and dark auburn were the colors of choice. Now, bold hair color is gaining popularity, possibly due to celebs like Rihanna and Lady Gaga, who revel in bright hair.

Model with red hairIf you have natural red hair and want to amp up the vibrancy, or if your natural shade of blonde, brown or black is just too conservative for you—bright red hair may be the color for you. Here (right), our model demonstrates how to wear vibrant red hair.

First, let’s look at the color. Our model is wearing a blood red shade that is medium in tone which will suit most skin tones. If you have dark brown or black hair, you may need to lighten your hair first and then apply the red color. There are also colors that can lift dark hair to vibrant shades with less damage now, so be sure to ask your hairstylist about this.

Next, let’s look at the cut. Since vibrant red hair is so bold, the cut needs to be chic, modern and simple to balance it all out. Our model has gone for a graduated blunt bob hairstyle with a side swept fringe. This modern cut looks great with her face shape and eye-catching color.