41 auburn hair colour ideas for some dreamy fiery inspo

September 2024 · 4 minute read

Warm tones like red and copper are perfect for adding a little spice to your look, which is why searches for auburn hair have skyrocketed in recent years. On TikTok alone, #auburnhair has almost 100 million views. Wether this is all part of the Little Mermaid fever, or if the girlies are depe into their red head era, trust is, red hair really is the moment

And, variations on the shade have claimed a whole legion of celeb disciples of late (see: Zendaya, Kendall Jenner, Keke Palmer, Gigi Hadid, Barbie Ferreira, Sophie Turner and Joan Smalls to name just a few).

The beauty of auburn hair is that it can work on all different skin tones and hair colours, from strawberry blonde, to a vibrant copper, and a deep mahogany brunette.

If you're a natural redhead, you're one of an elite few, making up only 4% of the population in the UK (which even though it's small, is a higher percentage than in many other countries). If you're not, the boom in hair tints, dyes and colour-depositing masks and glosses for auburn shades has made it easier than ever to make the switch.

One thing about faux redheads, though is that the colour can fade fast, which means you can enjoy it as a fleeting moment, or get yourself a dedicated colour boosting routine to refresh and maintain the colour longer term. For this, we love Josh Wood Colour's Copper Gold Hair Gloss, Moroccanoil's Copper Color Depositing Mask and Bleach London's Copper Toner Kit.

Try these colour boosting products:

Josh Wood Colour Hair Gloss Copper 100ml£10 at Look FantasticGlaze Color Conditioning Gloss in Glacé Cherry£16 at Glaze HairBleach London Copper Toner Kit£9 at BootsMoroccanoil Color Depositing Mask in Copper 200ml£28.85 at Sephora£28.85 £27.41

Alongside the light-to-dark shade variations, hair colouring techniques can add extra interest and dimension, from face-framing copper money piece highlights, to subtle titian balayage, or ombre auburn strands that incorporate a whole gradation of copper hues.

How to maintain auburn hair for longer?

Okay so you've dyed you're hair red, now what? Auburns, reds and coppers are not the easiest colours for maintenance if you've dyed it. It requires consistent care and attention to preserve the vibrancy and richness of the shade. Zoë Irwin, renowned colourist and Wella Professionals UK colour trend expert tells GLAMOUR: “It is so important to make sure you're using the correct hair shampoo to keep your colour looking fresh and vibrant while also cleansing the scalp.” These formulas are gentler on the hair and help to minimise colour fading.

13 best shampoos for coloured hair to preserve your freshly-dyed strandsGallery13 PhotosView Gallery

Try these shampoos for coloured hair:

Olaplex No.4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo 250ml£28 at Look Fantastic£28 £22.46 at AmazonColor Wow Color Security Shampoo 250ml£21.50 at Look Fantastic£19.50 £17.55 at AmazonRedken Color Extend Magnetics Shampoo 300ml£20.90 £17.77 at Look Fantastic£17.77 £15.99 at AmazonMoroccanoil Colour Care Shampoo 250ml£19.95 at Amazon

Justin Anderson, colourist to the likes of Jennifer Aniston and Margot Robbie and co-founder of new-to-the-UK dpHUE adds: “Keep an eye out and try to avoid products with sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), which are likely to cause colour wash out and leave you with faded strands.” So make sure to only add to basket products that are sulfate-free and formulated to enhance and protect the vibrancy of red and auburn tones.

We know you're probably not going to like hearing this but another top tip to maximise the vibrancy and longevity of your new colour is to minimise heat styling. Excessive heat styling can lead to colour fading and damage the hair. Perhaps you could instead try heatless hairstyles?

Try these heat protectants:

TRESemme Care & Protect Heat Defence Spray£5.99 at Boots£5.99 at AmazonCantu Shea Butter Thermal Shield Heat Protect£6.12 at Amazon£7.99 £6.33 at SephoraL'Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Heat Protect Spray£5.99 at Look Fantastic£5.99 at AmazonBumble and Bumble Heat Shield Thermal Protection Mist£25 at Boots

However, if you do need to use these tools, apply a good heat protectant spray to shield your hair from heat damage and use lower heat settings. Try to also give your hair regular breaks from styling to prevent overexposure. Experts also recomend using a wide-toothed comb or a brush with soft bristles can help minimise breakage and preserve the colour.

Try these wide-tooth combs:

Ori Green Sandalwood Comb£12 at Ori LifestylePattern Beauty Hair Pick£9 at Cult Beauty£9 at Boots

Tempted? We have a whole edit of gorgeous auburn hair ideas for inspiration…

Auburn hair inspo:

Spicy auburn

Antique copper

Mahogany auburn

Chestnut

Foxy auburn

Copper locs

Strawberry brunette

Auburn Locs-weave fusion

Curly copper

Red auburn

Copper penny

Auburn money-piece highlights

Supermodel Copper

Electric auburn

Deep auburn

Auburn shag

Auburn with shadow roots

Long auburn

Auburn brunette

Auburn Botticelli waves

Fiery copper

Bronzed

Chocolate auburn

Smoked rosé

‘Weasley’ auburn

High voltage auburn

Pumpkin latte

Fire engine auburn

Auburn bob

Auburn Tinkerbell bun

Tangerine auburn

Mermaid copper

Faded auburn

Curly auburn bob

Wine red

Ombre auburn

Auburn mane

Shaggy auburn bob

Auburn wolf-cut bob

Subtly auburn

Sunset Copper

For more from GLAMOUR's Beauty Editor, Elle Turner, follow her on Instagram @elleturneruk

For more from Glamour UK Beauty Writer Shei Mamona, follow her on Instagram @sheimamona

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