The Hair-Color Commandments Every Redhead Needs To Know

Red can, unfairly, get a pretty bad rap. But, we can probably chalk up all this gingerphobia to jealousy. "The eye is drawn more to the color red than blond or brunette, and that's what makes it special," says Roxie Darling, a colorist at Hairstory Studio in New York City. "If a natural redhead ever comes to my chair and asks to change her shade, I will usually talk her out of it."

Celebrity colorist Rita Hazan, who's taken Emma Stone red, calls it the ultimate statement color. "If I see someone and she says she wants to go red, then I know she's really ready to make a change. She's willing to make that visual statement."

That's probably why we fall so hard for famous redheads — Emma Stone (though a natural blonde) being one of them, but also Molly Ringwald, Julianne Moore, Jessica Chastain, and, of course, the iconic, fresh-faced Julia Roberts. Their talent is obvious, but we're forever obsessed with their hair.

The thought of going red may have crossed your mind. It can seem daunting though, considering the wide range of options. "There are so many shades of red," explains Aura Friedman, a colorist at Sally Hershberger Downtown. "There's warm and cool, apricot and copper, fiery and crimson. It can be such a gorgeous color."

In celebration of the shade — and in commencement of a weekly series where we'll be documenting inspiring colors, plus the at-home care you need to keep them intact — we've created the ultimate guide to going red. Ahead, find some inspiration to Pin or take to your colorist. Because, isn't it time you finally made that big change?