Cherry Cola Hair

The Cherry Cola Hair Trend: Origin and Details (Winter 2025)

Cherry cola hair (also called cherry coke hair) is a rich, multidimensional shade blending deep brunette or chocolate brown with vibrant red, burgundy, plum, or subtle violet undertones—evoking the glossy hue of cherry cola soda under light. It’s moody yet wearable, shifting from espresso-dark indoors to ruby-red in sunlight, making it a sophisticated alternative to brighter reds.

How the Trend Started and Evolved

This isn’t a brand-new trend—it has nostalgic roots in the 1990s and early 2000s Y2K era, when deep red-brown shades were popular among grunge and alt-pop icons. Celebrities like Christina Aguilera (in her “Candyman” pin-up phase) and Rihanna (during her “Loud” era around 2011) popularized sultry cherry-toned looks.

The modern revival exploded in late 2023–2024, largely credited to Dua Lipa, who debuted a custom dark, vampy cherry cola shade (leaning magenta-red rather than purple). Her stylist described it as inspired by ’90s supermodels and figures like Jessica Rabbit. This catapulted the trend on TikTok, where “#cherrycolahair” amassed hundreds of millions of views, fueled by viral transformations and nostalgia for Y2K aesthetics.

By 2024–2025, it became one of the top red hair trends, with adopters like Zendaya, Shay Mitchell, Dove Cameron, Megan Thee Stallion, Keke Palmer, and most recently Ashley Park (debuting it in December 2025 for the Emily in Paris Season 5 premiere). Social media and celebrity red carpets amplified its popularity, evolving it into a more dimensional, low-maintenance version perfect for brunettes.

Why It’s Trending Now

•  Versatility: Flatters most skin tones (especially cool/neutral or olive), works on all hair lengths/textures, and is easier to maintain than vivid reds.

•  Moodiness for winter: The deep, wine-inspired tones add drama and warmth during colder months.

•  Low-commitment boldness: Starts from a dark base, grows out gracefully, and offers variations from subtle plum to vibrant cherry.