Credit: Susanne Norris
Hair
“After seven years as a brunette, I dyed my hair the viral cherry cola colour – here's what happened”
18 days ago
3 min read
Keen for a change, Stylist’s deputy digital editor Susanne Norris tried out the viral hair colour – and the results are incredible.
Throughout my life, I’ve had a very love/hate relationship with dyeing my hair. My teenage years were characterised by colouring it pretty much every shade under the sun (lilac, blue and a very unfortunate green I don’t like to be reminded about). I’ve also experimented plenty of times with balayage. But by the time I reached my early-20s, I dyed my hair back to its natural dark brown and didn’t look back.
However, once I hit my late 20s, I started to get an itch to do something exciting with my hair again. I’d spent years deep conditioning and going for regular cuts to keep my hair in as good condition as possible, but my natural hair was starting to look a bit dull and lifeless. I knew I didn’t want to go blonder, as I loved my dark hair, but I was craving a change.
Credit: Susanne Norris
As someone with very fine hair, I’m acutely aware of wanting it to look and feel healthy – so bleach was off limits this time. But when I came across the viral ‘cherry cola’ hair trend, as made popular by Dua Lipa and thousands of videos on TikTok, I was instantly intrigued. I didn’t want bright red hair, but this shade seemed to suit dark hair and olive undertones, making it the perfect middle ground: it would provide me with a change without being too ‘out there’ or requiring too much effort to maintain. So I took the plunge and booked in with Jade Hart at Bleach London to see how it would look on me.
To achieve the colour, Hart used Bleach’s Cherry Red dye, a permanent shade that uses no bleach. After a successful strand test, Hart told me the colour would work really well for my hair, adding that red is “booming in popularity right now, thanks to how versatile it is”.
The results were incredible – my tired-looking brunette hair was transformed into a vibrant yet understated red in just a couple of hours.
Credit: Susanne Norris
What I loved about my transformation was how shiny it made my hair look, too. It also felt like it had retained moisture, rather than the dry feeling I was used to with more conventional dyes or those containing bleach.
Credit: Susanne Norris
The great news is that the maintenance is pretty low-key, as well. I explained to Hart that I was worried about keeping the colour looking vivid while looking after my fine hair, to which she replied that I just need a “really thorough shampoo and conditioning regime and a hair mask once a week” – music to my ears given how lazy I am with my haircare routine. Hart advised using a colour protecting shampoo and conditioner and a mask formulated to maintain colour, like Bleach’s reincarnation mask.
All in all, I walked out of the salon feeling incredible. My hair transformation gave me new confidence in myself, as well as the refresh for the new year that I’d been craving. Initially, my attitude was I can always go back brunette if I don’t like it, but I think it’s safe to say I’ll be a redhead for a while to come.
Bleach London’s Cherry Red permanent dye launches in Boots and Superdrug on 16 February 2025
Images: Susanne Norris
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