Red holds a special place in our hearts.

We’re all about red hair color, and we think you should be, too.

Red hair is rare and special—it’s a trait that makes each person who has it unique. Redheads are glamorous, striking and rich in history and culture; they’ve been associated with everything from fiery tempers to fiery passion since the days of Cleopatra to today’s popular culture icons like Taylor Swift or Katy Perry.

Often misconstrued as gingers (a common term for those with red hair), people with natural red locks are often considered beautiful by others who admire their vibrancy, warmth or even their striking contrast against dark skin tones (think Nicole Kidman). But regardless of what you call them—ginger or not—we at Clairol believe that there is more than meets the eye when it comes to our favorite shade of flame: In addition to being striking on its own merits, this delicious color can also help make other shades pop!

Glamorous and rich, it recalls images of beautiful red-headed stars of Hollywood like Lucille Ball and Rita Hayworth.

Glamorous and rich, it recalls images of beautiful red-headed stars of Hollywood like Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth and Nicole Kidman.

The fact that these actresses were all flame haired only adds to the mystique surrounding this lovely shade. In fact, according to a recent survey by Pantene Pro-V, when asked what their favorite hair color was on a woman, 42% said “red.”

Did you know that only 1-2% of the population was born with red hair?

Did you know that only 1-2% of the world’s population has red hair? That’s right, it happens to be pretty rare. A person who is born with red hair actually has a genetic mutation that causes their hair follicles to produce too much pheomelanin (an orange pigment) and not enough eumelanin (a brown-black pigment). Redheads are also more likely than others to have blue eyes.

And while there aren’t any major health benefits associated with having red hair (except maybe a higher tolerance for pain), there are certain things that make being a redhead unique!

As you can imagine, this makes redheads extremely rare.

As you can imagine, this makes redheads extremely rare. There’s only about 2% of the population born with red hair (1), and according to a recent study from 2015, that number has been steadily dropping over the last 150 years or so.

(This may be due to an increase in admixture between European populations—that is, intermarriage between people of different ethnic backgrounds.)

Some attribute the reverence of red hair to ancient mythology.

Some attribute the reverence of red hair to ancient mythology. Redheads have been tied to witches in many cultures and were associated with vampires (the word comes from the Latin vampyrus, a term for bloodsucking creatures) in others. The fiery personality and good fortune that accompanies having red hair may stem from these associations.

If you’re not sure whether you want to go full-on ginger but still like how it looks, there are ways to incorporate some highlights without making a drastic change:

When a natural brunette chooses to dye their hair red, they’re probably looking to add some warmth and vibrancy to their hair color.

When a natural brunette chooses to dye their hair red, they’re probably looking to add some warmth and vibrancy to their hair color. And that’s exactly what you’ll get if you choose the right shade of red for your skin tone.

Red hair color is one of the most popular shades in the world, but it’s also one of the most challenging colors to achieve. Like all good things in life, achieving this look takes patience, persistence and a bit of trial and error—but once you’re rocking your new shade, it’ll be worth every ounce of effort! So let’s get into it…

A classic and striking color for your strands, you can’t go wrong with gorgeous red hair.

You may have noticed that red hair has been making a lot of headlines recently. It’s a classic and striking color for your strands, you can’t go wrong with gorgeous red hair!

Red hair is very striking. It also tends to be less common than other colors. This makes it even more alluring when you see someone walking down the street with crimson locks flowing behind them in the wind or cascading down their shoulders in beautiful waves. The flame-like quality of red hair is one reason why many people love this shade so much; another reason is its ability to look good on almost anyone! When paired with pinkish undertones in your skin, it will give off an ethereal glow that makes people take notice.”