Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
Swatch of my hair
Swatch of my hair
Original photo by Ginamarie Second
Style > Beauty

 Cowboy Copper: Slay or Nay?

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at USF chapter.

As someone who dyed their hair bright red freshman year of high school using Splat hair dye, I’ll admit I was worried about going red again for my freshman year at college. For the past two years, I’ve been blonde and bored. However, I finally took the plunge and went “Cowboy Copper,” after seeing way too many Tiktoks convincing me to do it. The overall impression… I love it! Going red gave me a confidence I never knew I had, and has actually made me want to start taking better care of my hair. Cowboy Copper gives an almost natural red look while also making you stand out. Here’s some things to consider before rushing to the salon: 

Make sure you have an inspiration picture

Inspiration pictures are key to making sure you get your desired color! Sometimes stylist aren’t familiar with the term “Cowboy Copper” or maybe they hear “red” and think you want bright Ronald McDonald colored hair. Personally, my inspiration was Annabelle Hooper on Instagram. I loved the shade of her color and showed it to my stylist so she got the perfect idea of what I wanted.

High-Maintenence hair
photo of \
Original photo by Ginamarie Second

Say goodbye to steaming hot showers! Red hair needs to be washed with cold water to protect your color. Red is one of the hardest colors to maintain because it slips off the hair very easily and takes a couple applications to really sink into the strands. Another thing to try and avoid: heat products. I know, I was devastated as well when I found out. Usage of any heat can cause the hair to fade faster, which means you need to visit the salon more often. As much as I love my stylist, I am a college student who isn’t exactly making six figures, which means retouching my color can be difficult on a student budget. However, there are solutions!

Color depositing products

These will be your BFF and they don’t have to break the bank! I recently purchased the Color Lux Color Cleansing Conditioner in Copper ($11) at my local beauty supply store. Color depositing conditioners are super important in the maintenance of red hair and will save you from having to go to the salon every couple of weeks. Annabelle Hooper also has some great conditioner recommendations as well if you wanted to check them out! After trying the conditioner, I can honestly say I love not only the color refresh, but also how healthy my hair feels afterwards. If you have a hard time giving up your heat products, investing in a depositing conditioner will save you in the long run!

Overall, I am a big fan of the viral Cowboy Copper hair color and I truly think that it is the perfect change to get us all in the fall spirit! I can confidently say that Cowboy Copper is definitely a slay!

Hi! My name is Ginamarie and I am currently getting my undergraduate degree in Secondary English Education at the University of South Florida! I am a huge One Direction and Harry Styles fan who also loves to relax with a good romance novel! My cat, Sushi, and I often like to have dance parties and listen to music as well! In my spare time, I am usually writing or watching New Girl (the absolute best show ever).