Here’s Exactly How to Get Addison Rae’s Brand-New Red Hair

Our girl’s a winner. She loves the game. Today, that game is “who can show off the best fresh hair color” and there’s really no other competition.

While “Diet Pepsi” lyrics work beautifully here, Diet Cherry Pepsi would be an even more fitting name for Addison Rae‘s new hair color. Her cheeks are red like cherries in the spring, and as of today her strands are, too. Pinky orange Rainier cherries, to be precise. The most delicious kind there are.

Addison Rae’s Cool-Girl Red Hair

On Friday, March 6, celebrity colorist Matt Rez took to Instagram to share a new shade he created for Rae. Though she’d gone red in the last month, this was something else entirely: a bold but not overwhelmingly chromatic hue that appears lit from within.

A far cry from the dark brown or California blonde hues we’ve seen on her before, this look feels particularly fitting for the pop star. After all, she’s a true Rae of sunshine with a little extra cool-factor.

How to Get the Look

The transformation was a three-step process, and Rez was kind enough to clue us in on every piece of the puzzle. It’s a little technical, but if you’re planning on copying her look, your colorist will appreciate the specificity.

“First, clarify and soap cap any residual blonde toning glosses with lightener and 5 Volume in a 1:5 ratio with two pumps of clarifying shampoo and two pumps of Epres Professional Bond Repair for the most gentle, safe lift,” he explained. “I formulate a base color that can lift the regrowth and deposit over old blonde color as it is stretched down. Total processing time is 45 mins. At 25 mins, start stretching the color down past the demarcation and over the blonde to diffuse the line of demarcation. This will allow for lift at initial regrowth and deposit enough to blur the demarcation lines and give a seamless look.”

After a rinse and shampoo, he went in with an all-over color and gloss. The color was applied to damp hair and left to process for 20 minutes with the very ends left out. At 20 minutes, it was emulsified and pulled through the ends. The gloss, which was mixed with another two pumps of Epres Treatment “to treat and tone at the same time” was left to process for another 20.

Then came highlights (after another rinse and shampoo, naturally). On dry hair, Rez mixed 30 g Synchrolift Soft Cream Lightener with 60 g of 5 Volume to get a 1:2 ratio and added another two pumps of his trusty bond repair treatment.

“Lift to a high Level 7 at max,” he noted. “I prefer lifting to a warm blonde base instead of low-lighting the old blonde into red. That soft warmth makes the red look more vibrant and helps the gloss fade more beautifully.”

Finally the foils were pulled, the hair was shampooed yet again, and it was time to gloss for that pinky-orange finish. The formula? Paul Mitchell’s The Demi 3 oz 9OR 9/34 + 1 oz 9R 9/4 + 4 oz of The Demi Processing Liquid.

“Process for 10 minutes and voila,” added the artist. “The perfect red!”

XO, let’s go.