The Cherry Cola TikTok Hair Trend Isn’t Going Anywhere

TikTok has a habit of resurrecting beauty trends of years past, usually with a social media friendly twist on the name. Hailey Bieber helped unearth underpainting, Alix Earle reminded us all to highlight the inner corners of our eyes, but the latest craze has taken inspiration from the nineties and early aughts. Enter cherry cola hair.

According to Lauren Mildice, a professional colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, cherry cola hair most notably burst onto the scene with Christina Aguilera’s red carpet appearance at the 2000 VMAs. Flash forward to today, both social media and celebs are fueling the color’s comeback. The red carpet is loaded with celebs showing off the shade and TikTok is full of beauty gurus trying the color out for themselves.

Ahead, we break down this buzzy hue and offer inspiration photos to take along on your next salon visit.

Meet the Experts:

• Lauren Mildice is a professional colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago
• Tracey Cunningham is a celebrity colorist who works with clients like Dakota Johnson and Jennifer Lopez

What Is Cherry Cola Hair?

Cherry cola hair is reminiscent of a tall glass of cherry coke, but communicating the color to your stylist will require more description. Tracey Cunningham, a celebrity colorist responsible for Jennifer Lopez’s honey hues and Dakota Johnson’s chocolate-colored locks, defines cherry cola color as a combination of a stunning dark wine shade with a warm earthy auburn.

Mildice echoes her sentiments, but emphasizes the presence of chocolate brown undertones and a hint of mahogany.

However, no matter how exact your descriptive language is, both of our experts suggest bringing in inspiration photos for your stylist.

There is such a wide spectrum of red and no two are the same,” Cunningham notes. “Bring in one photo you love to have your colorist achieve your dream color.”  

How to Maintain Cherry Cola Hair

Every dye job requires maintenance, but some shades are harder to maintain than others. Reds are notoriously hard to keep up with. Reds are tough to create, they fade quickly, and are one of the hardest shades to remove.

Cool Things Off

Hot water lifts your cuticle which makes it impossible to seal in the color. To keep your hair’s vibrancy for as long as possible, Cunningham suggests keeping water temperature cool when washing your mane.

Regular Upkeep

The amount of salon visits you’ll need depends on how intense of a change you’ve made. “If you are making your mane a solid color you will need more upkeep,” explains Mildice. She suggests booking a touch-up every four to six weeks. However, if you are incorporating these tones as highlights or balayage, you can make it longer and may only need a gloss or toner.

Protective Products

Hot water isn’t the only thing that lifts color. Regular heat styling can fade your shade quickly. To prevent this, limit your flat iron usage and before using hot tools, apply a heat protectant like the Redken Acidic Color Gloss Heat Protection Treatment ($33).

Cherry Cola Hair Inspo Photos

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Classic Cherry Cola

Dove Cameron

When you think cherry cola hair, images of Dove Cameron’s latest hue should come to mind. Her wine-colored locks shift from auburn to eggplant depending on the lighting.

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Siren Red Cherry Cola

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion’s take on the red is bolder than other interpretations. To keep the color as vibrant as possible, Mildice recommends using the Seaweed Bath Co. Heat Care Shampoo ($11) because it helps retain moisture.

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Auburn Cola

Julia Fox

If purplish hues throw you off, go for a shade that leans into auburn. The color paired with Julia Fox’s Old Hollywood curls feels retro yet current.

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High Shine Cherry Cola

Dua Lipa

Cunningham credits Dua Lipa with the color’s resurgence into pop culture, and it is easy to see why. To get her level of shine at home, incorporate a gloss into your wash routine. Post shampoo, wring out the excess water from your hair, and evenly coat your hair with the Pureology Color Fanatic Top Coat and Tone Hair Gloss in Red ($36) and leave it in for five minutes.

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Ginger Cola

Shay Mitchell

If you aren’t looking for as rich of a red, turn to Shay Mitchell for inspiration. Her usually jet-black locks already garner lots of attention for its thickness and shine, but the strawberry-tinted strands are bound to get a lot more love. To keep long hair healthy while coloring, use a nourishing hair mask like the Oribe Hair Mask for Beautiful Color ($66).

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High Pony Cherry Cola

Rihanna

This color is ideal for slicked-back styles like a high pony or low bun because it reflects light very well. As evidenced by Rihanna, light only reveals the different levels of dimension present in this color.

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All Over Cherry Cola

Marsai Martin

You can try the cherry cola trend as highlights, balayage and more. Marsai Martin chooses to wear the same shade all over which looks incredibly chic. But be warned: All-over color is usually much more maintenance than highlights.

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Old Hollywood Cherry

Zendaya

Zendaya is no stranger to serving up regular hair inspo, and her rocking this cherry color is no exception. To get her Old Hollywood curls at home, start with a curling iron with a larger barrel. Use the T3 Singlepass Curl 1.5 Inch Ceramic Long Barrel Curling and Wave Iron ($170) and curl your hair in the direction of your face rather than away.

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Voluminous Pony Cherry Cola

Gigi Hadid

While we are typically used to seeing Gigi Hadid’s golden locks on the red carpet, the cherry tone looks just as fabulous. When making a drastic color change, “keep in mind that you might have to change your eyebrow pencil,” Cunningham notes. The Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Brow MVP Ultra Fine Brow Pencil and Styler ($25) comes in a soft red, auburn, and true red.

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Braided Cherry Cola

Keke Palmer

This color looks just as good braided as it does loose. Not only does the shade complement all skin tones, but it also pops when tied back.

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Ombrè Cherry Cola

Sarah Hyland

Sarah Hyland’s ‘do is the perfect way to dip your toe in the trend without going full throttle. In certain lighting, her hair passes for a deep brunette, but when the light hits, the ends have a cherry tint.

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Strawberry Cola

Cardi B

Rich reds and deep purples are common in cherry cola shades, but Cardi B has a different interpretation. She lightens the color a bit and shows off the amount of dimension possible within the shade.

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Subtle Cherry

Jenna Ortega

If you are loving this color, but the deep purples feel a little too harsh or drastic, never fear. You can participate without going too far out of your comfort zone. For example, Jenna Ortega’s color incorporates some cherry tones into her chocolate brown mane. For deep brunettes, this isn’t too much of a departure.