Christina Hendricks is arguably the most famous redhead in Hollywood, but that wasn’t always the case. She started her career as a blonde — until she nabbed a fateful modeling gig at 19. “Clairol took me red, and I was absolutely thrilled. I loved it so much, I still actually have the picture from the shoot,” she says. “I went back to my agency and said ‘I’m staying red, this it it, I love it.’ And they let me!”
And once she landed her role as Joan on Mad Men, fans everywhere started begging their stylists for Hendricks’s hair color. But as it turns out, she still gets it herself at home with Nice ‘n Easy “6R Natural Light Auburn.” Which is why it makes sense that, 20 years after she was a face of Miss Clairol, the brand’s tapping her again for their new ad campaigns.
Courtesy Clairol
“I did notice I started getting more modeling jobs as a redhead — I think because it was quite unique, there weren’t a lot of redheads around,” Hendricks said at the N.Y.C. shoot for the ad campaign, her second for the brand. “I think also because I felt so confident with it, I probably had a better attitude. I just felt gorgeous with it and I stuck with it for years.”
So in a town full of $1,000 highlights, what’s the secret to getting at-home hair color just right? “I’ve been dyeing my hair at home for years and years. I just follow the instructions on the box and it always turns out perfect, I don’t even think there is a trick!” she says, laughing. “I keep in my drawer every time I touch up because I trust it … I just follow what it says!”
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Courtesy Clairol
One other benefit to her signature hue, Hendricks says, is that it inspires her to be a little daring with her red carpet looks. “Being a redhead has encouraged me to be a bit more playful with my fashion, a little more quirky and eccentric even sometimes,” she says. “I love headpieces and hats, I love curls and I love sleek, I love playing around with all those different things. When I go out in the evening, I like to play with color and jewelry. I think it complements being a redhead.”
The most important takeaway from the ad, for us? That your hair color is just a matter of mindset — and you should feel free to have fun with it! “I felt like I was a natural redhead,” Hendricks says of her transformation. “It was very natural and real to me.”
Check out the finished ad below and tell us: What do you think of her new gig? Ever tried red hair?
Courtesy Clairol
–Alex Apatoff
