Molly Sims dyed her hair from dirty blonde to vibrant red: cute or unflattering?

mollysimsbefore after
We don’t pay a lot of attention to Molly Sims, 40, because she leads a relatively low-key drama-free life. Sims had her first baby in 2012, son Brooks Alan Stuber, with her husband Scott Stuber. Sims is a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model turned actress and she has several side projects like a jewelry line and endorsements.

Sims recently went from dirty blonde hair to a bright red color, and it changed her entire look. She did it as promotion for Nexxus, because she’s the haircare brand’s ambassador. Sims and her colorist gave an extensive interview to People detailing the color switch. Sims wanted a change, she needed to get more promotion for Nexxus, and a plan was born. Here’s more:

“I wanted to be vibrant, and I wanted a change,” Sims tells PEOPLE. “I wanted to do something bold. I thought about cutting my hair, but then I was like, Everyone is cutting their hair! I wanted to do something different and to look different in clothes.”

And yes, Sims is already making a shopping list for outfits to offset her new do. “I’m excited to wear different colors. I was always doing cream and gold with the blonde. Now it will be nice to wear something black, and the red gives you that color,” she says. “I think I’m going to buy myself a new jacket. A little Helmut Lang, maybe. It’s like how a nice a new pair of heels or boots changes how you walk. Hair changes changes how you feel. It’s so important for confidence.”

Speaking of confidence, Sims was so ready to make the change, she only gave her husband a heads’ up. “He was like ‘Are you sure?’ And I was like, ‘Either that or I’m going to to cut it.’ So he voted for the color. Regardless, he’s sleeping with a different woman.” She’s also curious to see how her son Brooks, 19 months, will react to her new do. “I just FaceTimed with him as a blonde, and I’m a little concerned he won’t know who I am, but he’ll know me by my voice.”

[From People]

Sim’s natural color is brunette. Her colorist says that the new shade brings out her green eyes, and that red is a good choice as it will stay a deep color since it repels water or something. A hairstylist once explained to me that red was a “deposit” color because it deposited color on the hair, while blonde stripped color and was more damaging.

About a month ago I went from strawberry blonde hair to a more dirty blonde with the help of a colorist, and I like it much more. I don’t know what took me so long. My hair wasn’t this red to start with, though, it was more in between red and blonde. Sims looks so much different with red hair and I don’t think it suits her. She looked better as a blonde. Some women look gorgeous with this color, and of course she’s still a knockout. Maybe I’m just used to her with blonde hair.

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Photo credit: Nexxus, WENN.com, PCN Photos and FameFlynet

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46 Responses to “Molly Sims dyed her hair from dirty blonde to vibrant red: cute or unflattering?”

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  1. erindipity says:

    The red ages her like crazy! Go back to blonde, girl.

  2. blue marie says:

    I don’t think she looks that different but the red, which I like, makes her forehead less prominent.

  3. Holly says:

    She looks older with red.

  4. sienna says:

    I think they left her brows too light with her darker hair. I would like to see how she looks with a shade, or two, darker brow.

  5. JaDeRu says:

    I think it suits her in a superficial way. Does that make sense? I mean it more obvious that it’s not her natural color now, but I think she pulls it off. I don’t know, I’ve always liked red hair and wish I could pull it off. I just don’t look right with it. I once colored my hair deep auburn but it turned purple and I looked like a deranged Barney the dinosaur.

  6. Sullivan says:

    I think she should try brond.

  7. Sunlily says:

    I think she looks her age with the red and she tinkered with her face while she was still blonde. Her face looks normal, movable in the red shots, but the one where she’s in the black and orange print blonde; stiff. Forehead is smooth as a baby’s ass.

  8. eliza says:

    Hello Grandma!

    I am sorry but it did age her.

  9. Zorbitor says:

    Imho a strawberry blonde would’ve been a better choice

  10. Annie says:

    Um. I love it!

    • JudyK says:

      We’re in the minority here, but so do I.

    • j.eyre says:

      I’m with you – I think she looks lovely.

    • mayamae says:

      I love it too. But then I’ve been dyeing my hair red for years, and it does go well with my green eyes and ultra pale skin (in my opinion). Celebitch’s right about red dye depositing colour instead of removing like bleach. The problem I’ve found is it tends to fade, even with the finest colour. It makes it difficult to do just a root touch up, and I find I have to also run the colour through my entire hair each time. It also temporarily thickens my hair as well as makes it shiny.

    • Blannie says:

      Me too!!

    • Becki says:

      I love it too!! I WISH I could do red & I think she pulls it off really well.

    • Kimble says:

      I think she looks less brassy with the red – the blond is not flattering – and I think she looks younger with the red!

    • crab says:

      Me too, I think she looks gorgeous as a redhead!

  11. Jennifer12 says:

    Blond washes her out. Red is better, but I think brunette would actually be best. Blond hair often washes people out.

    • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

      I agree. A warm brunette would be pretty on her. Mother Nature knows what she’s doing, usually.

    • I agree that the most flattering hair color for your skin is the one you were born with, maybe with the addition of some highlights or lowlights. It’s better for your hair, too. My nieces in their late teens have already fried their hair with bleach. Like them, Molly needs to go a little darker, not redder.

      • GoodNamesAllTaken says:

        Right. I didn’t mean to imply that I don’t give Mother Nature a little help. 🙂

  12. ZigZagZoey says:

    Well, that’s weird. When I first saw the 2 pics, I thought it looked great. But the more pics I saw, I think I do prefer the blonde!

  13. Original N says:

    Unflattering & here is why: she simply does not have the skin tone to pull off this color. She needs to go a darker brown and perhaps have a hint of red in it in order to complement her skin tone instead of detract from it. She would look lovely with a darker shade of brunette!

  14. Birdie says:

    She would look amazing as a brunette!!

  15. Karen says:

    And I should care because…?

  16. kimbers says:

    She should do a rich burgundy

  17. We Are All Made of Stars says:

    Blonde lightens up the face and brings it warmth, therefore making a person look younger. Although this is certainly the case with this chick, I still like the red on her. It makes her stand out more. I don’t think she’s anything special, just another standard-issue blond. There’s nothing eye-catching about her face, she has no particular charisma. At least with the red, she’s more distinct looking.

  18. itstrue says:

    I really only need the one Marg Helgenberger

  19. mimi says:

    I love the red hair color on her. It really brightens up her face. I hope she stays with it. It’s a very flattering color on her.

  20. Mandy says:

    In some pictures, I think it looks good and in others not so much. I do think it ages her a little bit. But that shade of red is really pretty! I’m so jealous of people who have that color naturally.

  21. mercy says:

    She’s on the right path opting for a more copper or mahagony red. She doesn’t have the right skin tone for a burgundy or violet red. But it’s too bright a colour for all that hair. Intense colour works better as highlites. For an all over colour, she should have gone for a shade with a little more depth. That may have been hard to accomplish if they put the red directly on her blonde highlites. She may have to darken them a little first and then add the red to get a richer shade. She could probably use an new hairstyle as well. A little shorter, a few more layers around the face, and a long, sideswept fringe might be flattering. Center parts are hard to pull off. They also show roots more quickly, and they seem to encourage botox overuse, especially on those with high foreheads.

  22. bella mama says:

    i like it better but agree with mercy above in that she should go a wee bit deeper

  23. homegrrrral says:

    I have the same tired highlighted hair.she had before. I understand the desire to look more hip. However it ages her. Plain and simple. She looks older.

    What should she have done insread? I think all women our age can do is work out hellion style. Not to the point of anorexia, but do some fun activity that raises our ass and our libido.

  24. Mel M says:

    Yeah the last pic looks like a different person and they need to darken her eye brows. Also, her right side must be her good side.

  25. kitty-bye says:

    I am wondering if it is the eye makeup that makes the lower blonde photo dominate. Of the first two photos I love the Red, I am using red right now and am a natural blonde so I am now wondering if it ages me :D.

    I don’t think it ages her. I love fire hair colors recently. Especially when you go out and everyone is a blonde or a stripEY highlighted awful mess.

  26. Jericho says:

    I know this is nit-picky, but her eyes are hazel NOT green like the colorist said. Very pretty eyes, but green is a very rare color and she doesn’t have it.

  27. umyeah says:

    I think angie everheart is the only one who can pull off this hair.

  28. Caroline says:

    She looks like Leslie Mann with the red hair!! Much younger-looking with the blonde.

  29. salma says:

    god she looks so much like Robin Wright

  30. Kosmos says:

    In the actual photos, she looks good in both shades……

  31. Lauraq says:

    I remember seeing her on a few Cosmo covers in the early 2000s, when I was 12 and stupid enough to read Cosmo. I can honestly say she’s gotten much prettier as she’s aged.