Cherry Cola Hair Is The Sexy-But Sweet Shade We’re Still Obsessed With

It’s really no surprise that cherry cola hair colour was flagged as one to watch last autumn. Since then, we’ve seen the sexy-but-sweet shade on all of our celeb faves from Dua Lipa and Jenna Ortega to Emily in Paris’ Ashley Park.

Offering a fresh take on red or copper hair – which real-ones will know has appeared in some form or another in autumn hair trends for the past five years – despite being more autumnal, we’ve been loving the shade just as much in the summer sun.

Here’s everything you need to know about the trending hair colour shade from why you should wear it to how to achieve it. Keep reading to hear from the experts.

What is cherry cola hair?

Cherry cola is such an accurate description for this hair shade. Cola in general has a lot of warmth to it, you’ll notice some red undertones in dark brown soda. This plays up those tones with an extra dash of cherry red. “Somewhere between a traditional cherry red and a deep red, its intense colour pigments gives brunette hair a cherry glow by highlighting natural tones rather than overpowering them,” says Bleach London founder and creative director Alex Brownsell.

Added to brown, you’ll see some purple-y, burgundy tones coming through (rather than orangey copper tones). Essentially, it takes a deep brunette base, then amps it up with warm maroon. The good news is, you can take it as loud or as quiet as you want. “It catches the light beautifully and feels a bit more wearable than louder reds, while still being unmistakably expressive,” she continues.

A teensy bit of warmth can give you a shade update that’s not far off brunette, but just gives you a little something. A more intense hit of red can look a little more hi-vis (like cherry cola when it’s downlit by low lighting).

Why wear cherry cola hair?

For starters, it seems a lot of us have already caught on to the hype. Pinterest noted a 920% boom in searches for “deep cherry red hair” and a 520% surge in searches for “cherry cola red” back in its Fall 2024 Trend report. Plus, the top hair forecasters predicted its popularity in our autumn hair colour trends round-up. “We’ll be seeing more reds making a huge statement – think Dua Lipa,” says noted celebrity hairstylist and Color Wow international creative director, Dom Seeley.