I’m blonde now, but I was a redhead up until about five years ago. I sometimes feel like a redhead still, if that makes sense, and a significant percentage of my friends have red hair, it’s a popular color. (Most of them are dye jobs and they won’t mind me saying that. Love you guys!) In the fall of 2016 I went red again as it felt right for me. Because I’m mostly gray, it was so hard to maintain. The dark color didn’t hide the new growth and I ended up going back to blonde in a few months.
While I like to think that being a redhead suited me, maybe I looked as different to some people as Julianne Hough looks to me. She dyed her hair red recently and was gushing about it on social media. I totally get what she’s saying about feeling like a redhead, it’s hard to explain but some of us just identify as gingers even though we’re blondes, but I don’t think this color suits her. Here’s her post. Hover over the image to see the arrows and more photos.
Maybe a red-blonde color would be a better transition for her. This looks too dark for her and I don’t like what she’s done to her eyebrows. These very bold dark eyebrows are in now and they can overwhelm some women’s faces. Some women are definitely going too far with it. She’s always lovely but this color just doesn’t flatter her. I predict that she’ll be back to blonde by the summer, if not sooner. Maybe she’ll add some funky colors or streaks just to get more social media punch out of it in the interim though.
Thanks to E! for the heads up.
Julianne and her new husband, Brooks Laich, in Paris. Cheesy or goals? Maybe a little of both.
Photos credit: Instagram/Julianne Hough and WENN
Thatās a great photo. I like it.
And yes, āfeeling like a redheadā is an odd statement. However, Iāve never had any urge/want to dye my hair, so thereās that. Haha.
I like it on her. Adds some color to her face. The light blonde just washes her out. I love that color red
She was a redhead in the film “Burlesque,” and it really looked good on her. Her character’s name was Georgia. Loved her in the film.
the colour suits her.
Very flattering!
Yep. See my comment above about Julianne in “Burlesque.”
She looks like a budget version of 2004 Lindsay Lohan.
Yup, thought the same thing. I donāt think it suits her, to me she looks best as a blonde.
I thought she looked like Ellen Pompeo. I know Ellen isnāt a redhead, but the darker color & darker brows seemed to bring out the similarities in their features.
She has exquisite eyebrows but they are just too dark in the red headed pictures. Most noticeable in the header picture. Perfect medium brown with her blonde look though.
I was about to post the same thing. She reminds me of Ellen Pompeo now.
Lol When has Lindsay Lohan ever been not budget herself? Points for specifying 2004 version though. I think Julianne looks great as a red.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. A version of Lindsay Lohan.
Yep! Thought the same thing! Not a compliment!
The bright blonde ages well, is youthful, and will someday cover grey. If her hair ages as silver, it will blend. Going dark is actually a damaging process and takes youth out of the face while highlighting dark circles and wrinkles. Also, fair skin can get “ruddy” and this color is a mistake to counter facial redness. I don’t see her as an interesting celebrity, and she’s trying to “look” like a deeper “dark haired” personality for some reason. Doesn’t work, why force it?
…it does not look good on her.
Sheās tone deaf but beautiful. The color suits her.
I have never left a negative comment on these boards before, and I feel kind of guilty for posting one now, because Julianne seems genuinely sweet, and I actually think the red looks nice on her. HOWEVER (here comes a confession)… As a natural redhead, deep down, it makes me super annoyed when other women receive heaps of praise for faking it. Unless you suffer through YEARS of teasing, physical bullying, and continually shocking sexual harassment, you have NOT earned the privilege of calling yourself a redhead in adulthood. Have several seats.
GIRL YES. While I wasn’t especially bullied throughout my childhood, I did receive many comment about my carpets matching my drapes, my almost translucent skin (don’t you ever go outside?!), etc. I might be extra biased because she annoys the crap out of me. Her eyebrows don’t match this color though.
Thank you so much for replying! I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with nastiness, as well. If you’ve ever been to the UK or Ireland, you know that redheads (I refuse to use the “G-word”) are openly mocked and harassed in public, constantly – by men AND women. Imagine if people attacked another minority group in the same ways? It’s one of the last acceptable prejudices in western society. And YET, oh how we rave over celebrities’ red dye jobs. It makes me incredibly frustrated.
For the record, I’m an American, and have experienced appalling treatment here (I’ve literally had grown men shouting sexual comments/questions at me in broad daylight), although it’s gotten marginally better as I’ve aged. (My hair is a very strong copper shade, in case you’re wondering…)
@anonymous – yes, agree. Being a ginger can have a lot of childhood baggage that goes with it – and while that makes you stronger and morphs into pride as you get older, itās not something a ginger by choice necessarily will understand. And letās not forget how redheads are portrayed in literature, movies and all around popular culture – the bitch, the schemer, the other woman. That said, red hair rocks and I wouldnāt be anything else.
God, yes! As pretty much the ultimate ginge (born and raised in Ireland, red hair, blue eyes, freckles, skin you can see though on a clear day), it does kind of get to me sometimes. I got made fun of a lot less in America then I did growing up. I did have someone say “so you got through med school in spite of being ginger…” like I’m supposed to be stupid because of my hair color.
Ladies, you understand! This is my final word on the subject: until Julianne Hough has to slather on 50+ SPF sunscreen twice a day, in WINTER, she is not allowed to call herself a redhead. Rant complete! š
To all my fellow redheads, you are beautiful! Always take pride in being an authentic rarity!
I learn so much on this website. Thank you, redheads, for sharing. That sentence is a cliche now, but I really mean it.
@Hazel, you just earned yourself a HUG!
My son has intensely red hair and hasn’t been teased for it. In fact he gets compliments all the time. So I do think the situation in the US (and for a boy, let’s face it) is very different.
@Anonymous You do realize not all natural redheads are white, right? There is an ENTIRE tribe in Africa with red hair. Malcom X had red hair. I was born with bright red hair and I am light skin African American (its now dark auburn). Not all redheads are pale white people.
@Valiantly Varnished (great name, by the way!), I grew up in an interracial family. My African American sister has auburn hair, so yes, I am entirely aware of that fact. Many people in Asia have naturally-occurring red hair, also. Redheads occasionally cropped up in Ancient Egypt (and were used as human sacrifices). Please do pardon my inept sense of humor, specifically poking fun at a white lady masquerading as a redhead.
For the ladies above who have had to endure awful comments and abuse – I am so sorry to hear this š I had no idea it was that bad. And especially in the UK and Ireland (never been) but kinda surprised to hear it’s that much worse there! Why is this, just curious. *hugs* to you pretty ladies. My BFF is a natural bright orange š„
I feel the same about women dying their hair super dark or bleaching their skin just to be whiter when I’ve been called Casper and bullied about my super transluscent skin my whole life. I actually have light brown hair with red undertones (my dad’s family is full of redheads) and one time I got super bad highlights and my hair ended up looking a dark red – the amount of ridiculous comments I got were horrible.
@Anonymous I totally agree with everything you’ve said. Men (and women) feel like they can say anything they want to us, even if we don’t know them. In college, a random guy at a party came up to me and said he usually finds that gingers are ugly, but I’m alright for one. What kind of ??? Love to all my fellow redheads that have posted similar issues ā¤ļø
A guy told me that I would be “halfway decent looking” if I wasn’t so pasty and my hair wasn’t so “weird.” Redhead all my life, covered in freckles (and THAT is a whole ‘nother issue).
I get what you’re saying.
If it makes you feel any better, I think itās much easier for natural redheads now. Both my kids are redheads. The girl child is in ballet so she keeps her hair long. She has curly red hair that is literally half way down her bum. And she has been complimented on it every day sheās in public for her entire life. So much so that when she read Anne of Green Gables for the first time at 7, she was completely confused as to why Anne would hate her hair or ever be made fun of it. Her experience has been completely different. Sheās too young to experience any sort of sexual harassment, but hopefully that isnāt in her future either.
Ironically, I colored my hair the kidsā exact shade years before they were thought of when I was in college. Nobody, not even my then boyfriend, now husband thought I could pull it off.
My kids are both redheads, too. It’s better now, especially in the US. Siobhan gets tons of complements on her hair, but Sean has a little more difficulty.
Another mom of a redheaded boy and he gets nothing but compliments. It sure does attract a lot of attention, though. When he was younger people would reach out and touch his hair without asking, sheesh.
My boy child gets compliments on his hair too, but he’s oblivious to it. For my daughter, her long red hair is part of her identity. And, yes, when they were small people would touch their hair too! The only thing that ever really bothered me was that if our whole family of four would be out together, we’d sometimes get asked in front of the kids if they were adopted. Nope! But i’m a dark blonde and the other half is brunette.
So glad you said this. I’m not a redhead, but I’ve heard of the horrible teasing that redheads go through even into adulthood (ie. the carpet-drapes comment).
Honestly, I was gonna bring up Rachel Dolezal saying she always “felt Black.” As a Black woman this statement enraged me.
Thanks, @HH! I was honestly afraid to post my opinion – I was positive that I was about to get pounced! Hence the anonymity… ;-P
I agree with you 100% vis-a-vis Rachel Dolezal. I actually appreciate you making the comparison. (Although Ms. Dolezal is most definitely in a different stratosphere of offensiveness. Just thinking about her stresses me out.)
Natural born ginger here. I cosign. People are BIZARRE towards us in a way that none of my blonde or brunette friends experience.
On the plus side, your hair color cannot be faked. I have never been fooled by a red dye job. I donāt think the same can be said for any other naturally occurring hair color, although some blondes can pull it off better than others, especially those who started off strawberry blonde like Amy Adams.
I hope itās gotten better as youāve gotten older. Red hair is beautiful and rare, be proud!
AGREED! Natural redhead here and it irks me when people go red because I feel like they haven’t…..earned it? Not to say non-natural redheads don’t look great when they go red, in fact many of them look amazing! But growing up as a redhead is brutal, or, was brutal (from other comments it seems like it’s gotten better!) and to have Julianne now be called a “redhead” seems like such a slap in the face.
@Anonymous: I also want to thank you for your response. SO much. The very first thing I thought reading this article was, “Um…what? That’s not how it works…” I have BLAZING orange hair that can be seen from a mile away, and other than a much older half-brother with auburn hair I literally never even MET another redhead until I was 13. I was bullied mercilessly, then as a young woman was frequently sexually harassed (if I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked if the carpet matches the drapes’ I could f*cking retire). I’m 38, have white-blond lashes/brows, and haven’t left my house without mascara since I was 14. When I was pregnant with baby #3 I had a woman say, “Oh, you’re pregnant? I hope it’s not a redhead–you all have such bad tempers!” OR, all the times I’ve had a dentist or doctor not believe I was in pain because I am virtually impervious to novocaine and other pain medications…
Now, 2 of my children have strawberry blonde hair, and strangers reach out constantly to touch my young daughter’s curly hair–which creeps me out, but I suppose it’s better than ridicule, I guess?? I’m not so sure, tho.
I have a little ginger who popped out of the recessive gene pool. I see my brood and that one ginger head in a group of blonde and brown always makes me smile. More people comment on it than any of the others. I learned something from this thread. I didn’t know redheads were mistreated because of it.
I love red, and it always makes me annoyed when a redhead colors their hair. Whhhhy! Nicole Kidman, I am looking at you. Emma Stone looks much better red. Jessica Chastain too.
My older daughter is a surprise recessive ginger as well. Sheās beautiful and her hair color is to die (dye) for! We get comments constantly from strangers asking us where the red comes from, so I have no doubt at all that she will also end up being questioned and likely teased as she gets older. We do a good job of pointing out redheads to her and complimenting all of the redheads we see out and about to help enforce to her that sheās beautiful and being a redhead is unique and special.
How sweet. š
It is very beautiful to me and unique. I hope our lone gingers don’t get teased. š
PREACH! I get annoyed when people āidentifyā as a redhead.
Jealous because Iām a brunette and I tried really hard to be a redhead last year, but I couldnāt get the color I wanted. I wanted this natural-looking copper color, but it either came out bright fire-engine red or burgundy red, and this was with a professional stylist. Iām back to my natural dark now because I literally had 7 different hair colors last year and I want my hair health back. But sigh…. heavy hangs the head that wears the brown. I like this color a lot on her but Iām pissed because I wanted it on me. Lol
You should try the henna maiden hair dyes. So worth it. š
Auburn is your answer! Works very well with dark browns.
I think it’s in this zone where it’d be better as a lighter strawberry blonde, and it’d be better as a darker less copper red. But I love that she loves it!
I think she looks fabulous! The blonde always looked so brittle. I wouldn’t be surprised if this really was closer to her natural color.
I kind of get it. My mom is a natural redhead and I dyed my hair red for years. Everybody thought it was natural on me, and I loved it but it was very hard to maintain so I went blonde (which people now think is my natural color – I have a complexion that seems to work with different colors I guess!). I felt most like āmeā with the red hair, but am a very low maintenance person so the blonde works for my lifestyle. So I do understand what she means by that. I like her blonde though.
I am deeply coveting a mulled wine color, but I also have light hair and predominately grey roots. It would be a waste of money and act in futility, sprinkled with daily rage, after about 2 weeks. Sigh.
On the nicer side, it makes her look less generic.
love the hair, but the brows ruin it.
I went over to her instagram to take a look-and she has another picture up today where she had her brows redone with the hashtag ‘matchingeyebrowsnow’ It looks MUCH better.
It’s okay. She is prettier as a blonde. I love brown or dark hair or deeper auburn hair more as my personal preference or actresses I find beautiful, but blonde better suits her with her skin tone and eyes.
Agreed. I guess we’re in the minority, but I think the blonde is more striking and makes her eyes pop.
I actually love the color on her, her blonde was entirely generic.
The brows are too dark.
I love that color on her. I wish I could maintain it on me, but I have too much gray now. I think she looks better as a redhead than a blonde. The blonde washes her out too much. And yeah, she’s gotten a little too carried away with the brows.
In the summer I usually go lighter, sort of a darker strawberry blonde, then once fall comes around I need my darker hair again, and I always feel so much better once it’s dark. I recognize the person in the mirror again. Weird, I know.
I like this color on her a lot. She has one of those faces that looks good in any color/length. Lucky girl.
When I switched over to vegan makeup and beauty/hair products, I also stopped dying my hair with chemicals. My only option was to start using henna hair dye, so my hair is now and forever red. It took a bit to get used to it, but now I really love it. I can do different shades of it, so that’s nice, and my hair is healthier than it’s ever been.
I never realized how pretty she was until now. Love the red hair. Also, her husband Brooks is such a hottie, sigh.
I think she looks beautiful and happy. Good for her for going after something that lifts her heart.
Sheās too pale to that dark red. A strawberry blonde would have suited her better.
It washes her out.
Better as blonde & especially with her coloring. Yes sheās white but her tone is more pink then pale. Jessica Chastain has that pale ivory white skin that just shines with her red hair. Julianneās look shines when sheās a blonde. Sheās not going to keep it but fun although not flattering for a bit
I think the eyebrows are throwing this look off.
Im a natural blonde, but I was red for a year and I LOVED it. But my friends didnt, and my family didnt. The problem was when only a tiny bit of my real colour grew out it looked like a bald spot, especially from a a yard or more away. And I couldnt re-dye it every week either so I had to let it go.
I always wanted another color because my natural blonde is light and as a child it was nearly white. I hated it because so were my eyebrows and lashes. My skin is olive undertoned and I tan so I looked otherworldly strange in the summer.
I tried different tones and once brunette because I thought it would make my eyes stand out. It just looked like a budget wig after a few weeks. Strawberry gold was ok. I just gave up and do lowlights because it looks weird growing in and I have to maintain my eyebrows. Like yours, it looks like my scalp is showing.
I envy people who can run the gamut on hair colors.
More actresses should try other colors besides blonde especially the all over one tone Julianne had. It just looks dyed and boring and she looks like other lower level mediocre actresses. Her face is already generic. Not unattractive but for acting not unique enough.
I like the color but her eyebrows are throwing it off for me. I think sheās really pretty and I think I like the red better on her than blonde honestly
am I the only one who sees a younger Lindsay Lohan?
A healthy one. The LILO that might have been.
I think I know how she feels. I’ve always always colored by hair but it wasn’t until the last year or two where I went entirely… pale lavender and all sorts of pastel that I looked in the mirror and thought, THIS IS ME.
I think the color suits her but maybe not that shade. She looks amazing as a blonde but, while the red adds more vibrancy… I think it’s a little too one-tone. Something is off.
I like the hair, but the eyebrows look bad with the hair. If she had just left her eyebrows as they were I think it would look better.
All I see are bad eyebrows. I can’t get past them to even acknowledge the colour.
UPDate! I follow her on Instagram and she updated her eyebrows-they look much better!
Wow! Such a difference, really made her eyes pop.
That color makes her look like LIndsay Lohan. She needs to do a different color.
Yes, her eyebrows are way too dark. They look brown. A strawberry blonde would be better.
I prefer her as a blonde. I don’t say that about many women, but the picture of her blonde – that color – suited her well, imo.
She’s always been pretty, but the red does kind of make her seem more interesting-looking. With the blonde, she’s ultra-conventional-looking. With the red, she’s still conventional-looking, but with more of an edge? I have no idea what I’m talking about probably.
I love it!
I LOVE the color! I do think her eyebrows are a tad too dark but they were probably just tinted and will get lighter over time.
She posted a new photo and they match now.
Red is for her. She stands apart now, and with the new eyebrows, it is cute. She should tweak it a little for depth, but she should never go back to blonde blah. She was lost in the crowd before.
As for her relationship. I hope she is happy, but the photos are a bit OTT. I would be embarrassed to pose that hard and put it up for public consumption. In front of the Eiffel Tower of all things. Just no. It looks like a catalog shoot for something I don’t want to buy.
Wow she’s stunning this way, great look, I wish I could pull it off, love it (maybe I’m just over blonde for now)))
I have been every color in the rainbow in my long 30 years of life. She looks fine. Was she not allowed to go red? Why think about it for over 6 years?! LOL Maybe Iām just daring when it comes to hair? I also havenāt colored my hair in years because Iām super into my natural color these days. Low maintance and cheap. Ha!
She looks great, but I agree that the brows are too dark.
#neverforget her blackface. Will never forget. Will always be a garbage person to me.
Shamefully, I did forget. Thanks for the reminder.
Aww, I think she looks cute!