This Hair Color Graced the Roots of Everyone From Zendaya to SZA, so I Tried It

For over two years, I made biweekly trips to the nail salon to put a shiny coat of red on each of my fingertips. I thought to myself that I wouldn’t be caught dead without this part of my signature style. Then one day, completely out of the blue, pink suddenly appealed to me. My friends were shocked, “who is she?” they joked. Shortly after changing my signature nail color, I unexpectedly entered a new (and thrilling) chapter of my life. It felt like I went through a personality change. Similar to my dedication to red nails, I often told myself I would never stray away from my classic dark roots. I’ve always been in love with natural beauty and I felt my natural hair color was a token of that. However, when I saw the red hair color trend pop up, I felt naturally drawn to it.

In the past year, celebrities who have never strayed from their natural brown or black roots are standing out in hair colors that range from fire hydrant to Aperol spritz. From runway models to grungy city kids, this color seems to find its way to every sort of person. And I, the woman who is normally clutching her pearls over the thought of straying away from the old money aesthetic I’ve always loved so dearly, wanted in.

Seconds before Adrian Wallace, the colorist who eased me into the transition, set his brush atop my head, I nearly changed my mind but an iconic Paris Hilton quote rang through my head, “life’s short take risks.” She was talking about mini skirts but hair color is almost the same thing, right? Strikingly similar to the change I experienced when I said goodbye to my red nails, I noticed a positive shift, and shortly after dying my hair red said goodbye to some old habits, people, and personality traits and hello to yet another new chapter of my life.

If you’ve been on the fence about trying something new or taking a risk, this is your sign. I recently saw a TikTok that said, “Now as soon as I see a b— dye her hair red I already know what is going on, you’re entering your villain era aren’t you?” In my case, the answer to that question is a definitive yes.

It takes a lot for me to trust a new hair stylist, especially as a Black woman, but I knew I was in good hands when I walked into Rita Hazan’s salon. Hazan is known for transforming Beyoncé into a blonde for the first time and guiding Jennifer Lopez to the perfect arrangement of highlights that quickly became her signature style. Upon arrival, I was lucky enough to work with Adrian Wallace on my red hair and despite the very loose description, I gave him of what I was looking for he nailed it. In preparation for Miami Swim Week, I also got a keratin treatment from Jennifer Matos and I don’t think I’ll ever go without one again. The previous time I was in Miami my hair was extremely frizzy and always in a bun but post-keratin I was ready for whatever humidity levels I would be seeing for the rest of the summer. I am officially a stan.

I wasn’t sure how long I wanted to remain a redhead but after seeing the results I’m leaning towards holding onto my new colorway. These photos are over a year apart and I’m here for the shift I’ve made from damsel in distress to villain era.

SZA is never afraid of experimentation and was one of the first style muses I saw experiment with red hair. While she often goes for a fire hydrant red, I love this subtle shade on her.

When I first told my friends and family that I was dying my hair red they looked a little scared. A photo like this one of Zendaya is perfect for calming down anyone who is nervous about your new red roots.

While we were seeing different shades of red in music for quite some time, when Kendall Jenner went red it was clear that the fashion industry was next to adopt this shade.

Gigi Hadid has always been known as a blonde but in recent years has embraced the natural shade of brown she was born with. During her transition back to blonde, she stopped at red along the way.

If you want to go red but aren’t quite sure yet show your colorist this photo of Justine Skye. It has just a hint of red while remaining close to the brown category as possible but is still just as fun.

Lizzo’s brief try-on of this red wig makes me wish she was fully dedicated to the fun colorway because it would look good on her. This serves as great inspiration if you’re looking to go all in on red.

One thing that always held me back from dying my hair was my fear of damaging it too much but I know one product line that all colorists recommend is Olaplex so I decided to have a brief chat with JuE Wong, the CEO of the cult haircare line, to learn more about how to prevent damage.

Does dying your hair have to mean that there will be damage?

“Yes, anytime you have a chemical process, you are exposing your hair to damage.”

What makes Olaplex such a great brand to explore for people who’ve dyed their hair?

“Olaplex is great for all hair types as hair bonds are hair agnostic. 90% of women do something to damage their hair every day. The most damaging of all is chemical services to your hair. Coloring one’s hair is the most sought-after salon service. As such because Olaplex helps to repair, strengthen and protect your hair bonds, it is especially great for anyone looking to color their hair.”

If you had to suggest one product, which is your most powerful?

“The most powerful hair product is our power duo of Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment and Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector because they are like your toothpaste and toothbrush. Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment is our professional-inspired treatment that primes your hair for deeper repair, rebuilds hair bonds, strengthens, and protects hair integrity. It features an easy-to-use nozzle that delivers the highest concentration of the patented bond-building technology of any OLAPLEX at-home product. Use as the first step in a two-part at-home system with Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector (sold separately) to strengthen and repair all types of damaged hair. When used together, they are scientifically proven to deliver 68% more repair and 3x stronger hair in just one use.”

If you were dying your hair tomorrow what would you do the night before to prepare? And the day after?

“Use Olaplex No.0 Intensive Bond Building Treatment and Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector before you go to your hair colorist. Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector is our top seller with one sold every 3.5 seconds.”