Chocolate Cherry Is The Barely-There Red Shade To Try For Subtle Auburn Hair

There is something truly compelling about red hair – it exudes power and confidence — and choosing the right shade of red has gotten a lot easier. Yet, it's a big leap to take for those who aren't naturally redheaded. Fortunately, the season's hottest hair color is here to solve that problem. "Chocolate cherry," just as it sounds, is the barely-there red shade that promises you the perfect hue of auburn to make you look sophisticated and sexy.

The hair color consists of a cherry red base mixed well with rich chocolate browns, resulting in beautiful dimension that makes your layers look different every time the light hits them. Owing to the versatility of this hair color, you can change the percentage of red to brown to complement your specific needs. Choose to be more vibrant or muted depending on the look you're going for.

Jason Lee, hairstylist, colorist, and founder of hair care line Mela & Kera, tells Glamour, "It's an alternative to auburn but still in the warm, reddish family." According to Lee, the shade can be achieved by adding a red undertone to brunette hair or by adding red highlights or balayage.

Inspired by the delicious dessert of the same name — the chocolate cherry pie — this color can work on most people by managing the amount of red or brown that's added to the mix. New York colorist Jenna Perry tells Vogue, "The tone is very playful and glamorous." She also highlights that this color lasts longer than a true red, as it "stains the hair more, and doesn't oxidize as fast. It lasts up to three months!"

The biggest advantage of this subtle auburn shade is that it allows brunettes to play with a red hair color without seriously committing to going red. Leading hairstylist and colorist Jason Lee tells Glamour, "For those of us who aren't ready to take the full plunge into red, chocolate cherry seems to be a great way to update your look and make it modern but still live in the brunette world." The easiest way to try this look is to add subtle hints of red as highlights to your brown mane.

The versatility of chocolate cherry complements many different looks. You could play around with an ombré style where you start with a lighter red-brown shade and move down into a deeper shade of brown, or vice versa. Face-framing curls on an ombré style are sure to elevate your look.

If you are slightly wary of playing around with a chocolate cherry hair color, try applying it uniformly to your hair. The beautiful and somewhat unusual color is sure to look striking just as it is. Whatever you decide, don't be afraid to live your best chocolate cherry life!