Red hair is very clearly one of the biggest summer beauty trends. Gotta have a super fire hair color to match the heat wave happening outside of our doors, right? Black women, in particular, are slaying the hair color which is super awesome, as so many people seem to think melanin and red hair can't look beautiful together.
Ahem, if you're reading that as shade for The Little Mermaid and Spider-Man casting haters, then you're spot on. We rounded up our favorite celebrity redheads from the past and present to show just how stunning black women have looked and continue to look with luscious, red locks.
Whether they slip into a crimson wig for the evening, try bright braids for a week, or dye their natural hair, black women are continuously killing the red hair trend. Get into it with the hot looks ahead.
First of all, Rihanna is the QUEEN of slaying *any* shade of red hair.
If you're a Rihanna fan then you know she wore red hair in a variety of different shades during the era of her Loud album. She even has red hair on the album cover. And yes, that's the cover when Rihanna delivered the clapback heard 'round the world when someone asked her why her hair looked "nappy." Her answer? "Because I'm black [redacted.]" An icon. A red-headed icon.
By the way, Rihanna brought her red hair back for the entire month of June and every stan was LIVING. She killed straight locks but also stepped out in gorgeous red box braids.
Never ever forget that Lizzo BODIED these red finger waves.
Honey. Lizzo KNEW she was lit with these bright red finger waves. She had everyone wanting a plus-size Ariel for the live-action The Little Mermaid film. Halle Bailey may be the official Ariel, but this red hairstyle on Lizzo alone will have us wondering what could have been FOREVER. "Don't get seasick," Lizzo wrote about her finger waves, but really, she gave the world no choice.
SZA with red hair gave us major Pepper Ann vibes.
She looked absolutely stunning when she dyed her voluminous natural hair this coppery red color. Every magazine covered it. It was the summer hair change that no one could get over. She's since returned to her dark black hair but good GAWD this was a LEWK.
Supermodel Tyra Banks made red hair her signature look for a number of years, including the earlier days of America's Next Top Model.
"Tyra Banks made red hair a thing honestly," one fan wrote about Banks' beloved look. They're kind of right. Banks was even wearing red hair before Rihanna brought it back. Fun fact: Tyra Banks praised Rihanna for bringing the trend back. "@Rihanna's @Voguemagazine cover is AMAZING! Luv her curves n bright red hair. I tried that hair on ANTM n looked insane but Rih is hot w/ it," Banks tweeted in 2011.
For the record: Banks didn't look "insane" with her red hair. She looked insanely beautiful and so does Rihanna.
Zendaya ironically went red during her press tour Spider-Man: Far From Home film.
No matter what the critics say about MJ needing to be played by a white actress only, Zendaya is the PERFECT bombshell redhead for the job. The hair chameleon can pull off any color but she looks like a straight-up Marvel princess with this beautiful look. We're thankful she didn't just wear it on set; she's currently prancing through her press rounds with red locks and we STANNNNN.
Take THAT, you melanin haters!
Everything I wrote about Zendaya is just as true for Halle Bailey and her red-dyed dreadlocks.
Let the haters hate on but Halle Bailey looks absolutely stunning with these red dreadlocks. She's the perfect melanated Ariel and I cannot wait to see her in the live-action The Little Mermaid film. I also hope to see Bailey serving us red dreadlocks when she's not on set as well. The red carpet is just dying for a red dreadhead to prance through slaying.
Teyana Taylor looked bright and beautiful with her red hair during a 2019 Pride Week appearance with MAC Cosmetics
First of all, Teyana Taylor can wear anything and I'll be obsessed. She went with a super bright reddish-orange hair color in a slicked back wet look that's similar to Lil' Kim's BET Awards hair. Also, PLEASE swipe and get into redhead Taylor turning up for Pride Month with none other than her adorable daughter, Junie Shumpert. I'm so here for all of the rainbows and LGBTQ+ celebration and HAIR.
Yes, you're looking at Jordyn Woods with red hair dressed as the devil.
If you're thinking, "oh the irony" then I don't blame you. No, she's not the devil but that's definitely how the media and the Kardashians have painted her since *that stuff* went down. Anywho, as you can see, Jordyn Woods is one gorgeous redhead. We're going to need her to bless the world with a red hair look once again.
In case you haven't noticed, red is one of Cardi B's favorite colors, so it only makes sense for her to switch in and out of red hair.
Cardi B wore long, straight red hair with a head-to-toe red paisley print outfit in the "Twerk" video with the City Girls. This wasn't her first time wearing hair-to-toe red, either. She also wrote a gorgeous straight red bob in one of her earlier music videos for the song "Bloody Bars." Every time she does it, she pulls the all-red look completely off.
Behold, Beyoncé as a fired-up redhead in the 2009 film Obsessed.
Nevermind the acting chops (or lack thereof) and the beardless Idris Elba. Beyoncé as a curly-haired redhead was kind of the star of this film. We haven't seen her return to this hair color very often (although there's a gif of her performing with even longer red locks) but it's kind of proof that she's a master of many hair colors. Honey blonde hair is her signature. Deep dark brown hair is her natural hair color. And red? Well, from the looks of it, it's her secret weapon. We are SLAIN.
Keke Palmer has donned red hair so many times that it's impossible to pick a favorite look.
She's worn red faux locs, red box braids, and red extensions. She's worn them in dance videos, on red carpets, and on Instagram for car selfies. It's very, very apparent people. Keke Palmer just loves a protective style in a bold shade of red and we are all the way here for it.
Hot girl Megan Thee Stallion switches her hair up almost every second but when she goes red, it's always fire.
Look at how luscious her red hair looks! It's adorable that her lipstick matches her hair but she still went with neon pink eye shadow. When you dye your hair red or toss on a fiery crimson wig, it's a clear indication that you're ready to have some fun and turn some heads. Megan Thee Stallion is literally always doing both. Red is definitely her color.
Singer Kehlani is killing this red bob!
Seriously, it's time you just accept that red is the color of the summer. All of our faves are wearing it at LEAST once this season. Most of them are wearing it for multiple occasions. Kehlani initially opted for super long bright red locks. Now, she's wearing this wavy bob and it looks super vibrant and fresh.
Queen of hair color changes and Head Barb Nicki Minaj does red very sparingly but when she does it, it's pure fire.
Minaj perched on the front row of the Fall 2018 Monse Maison fashion show with this gorgeous red bob. The haircut felt like a fresh take a sweet nod to the bob queen, Anna Wintour. The bold color was totally in line with Minaj's lineup of colorful hair looks during that New York Fashion Week. In addition to red, she was spotted with purple, sunshine yellow, and rainbow hair colors.
Hip-hop icon Lil' Kim wore this wet look for her performance at the 2019 BET Awards.
Let the record show that Lil' Kim is the pioneer of colorful hair in hip-hop, as she 100% started the technicolor wig trend back in the 90s. In recent years, she's been more into being a blonde or a brunette. For the 2019 BET Awards, Kim graced the stage wearing hair-to-toe oxblood red and looked as hot as ever. This straight-back, slicked wet look is just everything.
Chef and basketball wife Ayesha Curry also kicked off July by jumping on the red hair trend.
Not all redheads have to go straight up The Little Mermaid on us. I'm really digging this subtle yet deep copper red on Ayesha Curry. She typically dons dark brown or black hair. This look is so fresh on her.
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