A box of cherry-black dye at home gets you a deep burgundy that reads as brown in dim light and violet in bright light, with no bleach for most people.
The stage people botch is mixing: start applying right after, so combine nothing until the gloves are on and your sections are clipped.
1. Choose Your Dark Cherry Shade
Check the veins on the inside of your wrist in good light. Blue or purple means cool undertones, green means warm, and seeing both means neutral.
Warm skin looks best in a red-leaning shade, and L’Oréal Paris Féria Red Velvet is the one I’d pick. For the darkest result, Chocolate Cherry skews blackish-purple instead of black-red.
It reads as warm brown in dim light and shows violet in bright light. Féria Twisted Crystals Black Cherry sits between them, a balanced violet-burgundy that runs neither too warm nor too cool.
Cool undertones want more purple, so Chocolate Cherry or Black Cherry fit best. Neutral skin can wear all three; I’d start with Black Cherry.
2. Section Your Hair
- Brush your hair while it’s dry, working out every knot before you pick up the comb.
- Part it down the center, taking the line all the way to the nape of your neck.
- Clip one side out of the way.
- On the free side, comb a horizontal part from the center part to the back of your ear. That splits the side in half, so clip both pieces up.
- Unclip the first side and repeat. You should end with four roughly equal sections.
Very long or thick hair is where I’d skip the four-section default. Split each side into three or four sections instead, and the color goes on far more manageably.
3. Mix the Color
Put on the gloves from the kit before you open anything, then mix the color at the sink, following the insert in the box.
Application has to start right after mixing, so don’t combine anything until you’re ready to apply. Mixing first and answering a text or finding the comb afterward is the easy mistake here.
Prep comes before the bottle. Drape an old towel or T-shirt over your shoulders, one you wouldn’t mind seeing spotted with dye.
Then smooth a thin layer of petroleum jelly along the hairline and over the tops of both ears, since that’s where drips, drops, and splatters tend to land. A thin layer is enough to act as a barrier.
4. Apply the Dye
Work one section at a time, and finish coating every strand before you move to the next.
Skimping is the usual way to end up with uneven dark cherry hair, so slow down at the crown and the underlayers, where it’s easiest to rush.
I’d rather see you use too much dye than too little: by the time you finish, your hair should be completely saturated, with no dry or pale patches left at the roots or ends.
Once the last section is covered, set a timer for the number of minutes printed on the package insert.
That sheet is the only timing written for your specific formula, so follow it rather than judging by eye or by how the color looks halfway through.
5. Rinse and Condition
- Rinse with lukewarm water until the water runs clear. This takes a few minutes. Dark shades keep tinting the water for a while, so don’t stop at the first lighter swirl.
- Apply the conditioner from the kit. I’d use it over your usual bottle, since it was packaged with that formula.
- Check the box before you shampoo. Only some formulas call for a wash after dyeing, so skip it unless the instructions say to.
- Squeeze out excess moisture gently, with no wringing or rough rubbing, then style as usual.
What Dark Cherry Hair Looks Like
Dark cherry hair is a deep burgundy built from black, espresso brown and cool-toned cherry red, usually with a thread of violet or magenta for dimension.
Where it lands depends on the formula, your base color and how intense you want it. One end is a sultry, moody burgundy; the other is a bright cherry red that still keeps a dark, rich undercurrent.
The darkest versions play a trick with light.
In dim rooms they can pass for black, and the red only shows in sunlight. I lean toward that end, because the shift from lamplight to daylight is what makes the shade interesting.
Whether Dark Cherry Is Red or Purple
Dark cherry hair is neither red nor purple.
It sits between the two, a blend of red and violet pigment, and when that blend is paired with black you get a deep, rich color with both a moody purple note and a bright red one.
The balance of pigments sets the tone.
More red pigment gives a warmer result, while more purple or violet gives a cooler, subtler one. The intensity and amount of each pigment in your formula decide which way the color leans, so you can steer it.
For a quiet shade, I’d pick the violet-leaning formula. If you want the cherry to show, go red-leaning.
Which Skin Tones Dark Cherry Suits
Dark cherry works on every skin tone because the shade itself swings warm or cool; the job is picking the version that matches your undertone.
Cool undertones do best with a cooler cherry that leans purple. Warm undertones look better in a red-leaning cherry, closer to burgundy than plum.
To check, look at the veins on the inside of your wrist in daylight.
Blue or purple veins mean cool, green means warm, and a mix of both means neutral. Neutral skin is the easy case, since neither direction clashes and you can choose by the mood you want.
I’d match the undertone before anything else, because a mismatched cherry can make skin look sallow or flushed.
Whether You Need to Bleach First
Most vivid shades demand bleach, but dark cherry hair is the exception. The color is deep enough that a cherry-black dye works without bleaching for just about everybody, so a box at home is a fair place to start.
Brightness changes that. A shade leaning toward upbeat cherry red rather than deep burgundy may need a colorist to lift your current color first, and how much lift depends on where your hair sits now.
Bleach always causes some damage, but a good colorist can improve how your strands look and feel before you leave the salon. For the brighter end, I’d book the chair rather than buy a lightener.
How to Keep the Color From Fading
Dark reds are tricky to keep, so the routine matters as much as the dye job.
- Swap in a color-safe pair. L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate Free Glossing Shampoo is sulfate-free and pH-balanced, with an anti-fade UV filter. Matrix Keep Me Vivid Sulfate Free Shampoo and Conditioner also works.
- Use L’Oréal Paris EverPure Glossing Glaze 2–3 times per week.
- Wash no more than once every other day, and keep the water lukewarm.
- Redken Deep Clean Dry Shampoo (9 fl oz) absorbs oil through day 4 hair.
- If hair feels dry, add Redken All Soft Heavy Cream Deep Conditioning Treatment Mask (8.5 fl oz) weekly.
- Skip hot tools when you can. Otherwise, prime with L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Weightless Blow Dry Primer, which protects up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Use the lowest heat setting, and let hair dry halfway first.
Permanent Color Against Gloss
Permanent dark cherry is a long-term decision, and I’d only make it if you already know the shade suits you. Hair.com spells out the stakes:
Be sure you’re ready for a commitment before settling on a permanent hair color, as this hue will not fade, and you will have to wait for your hair to grow out or opt for a color correction.
— Hair.com
That leaves two exits, growing it out or paying for a correction, so permanent color only makes sense once you’re sure.
If you’re still undecided, a gloss like Redken Shades EQ lets you try the red-violet without the total commitment. I’d start there.
Salon Upkeep Schedule
Dark cherry hair looks its best for a limited window, and a salon visit every 4 to 6 weeks keeps it inside that window.
Red-violet shades tend to slip toward flat brown or dull burgundy before the roots show much, so the shade often needs attention before the regrowth does.
A stylist can color only the new growth and refresh the lengths with a gloss or toner, which keeps the ends from turning muddy from repeated overlapping dye.
I’d book the next appointment before leaving the chair, since a standing 4 to 6 week rhythm is easier to keep than a rescue visit.
Waiting much longer leaves a visible line at the part, and on a deep red that line is harder to blend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is dark cherry hair?
Dark cherry hair is a deep burgundy made from black, espresso brown and cool-toned cherry red, often with a hint of violet or magenta.
The darkest versions can pass for black in a dim room, and the red mostly appears in sunlight.
Is dark cherry hair red or purple?
It is neither one fully.
The shade sits between the two, mixing red and violet pigment with black. A formula with more red pigment looks warmer, while more purple pigment gives a cooler, subtler result.
What skin tone suits dark cherry hair?
Dark cherry suits every skin tone as long as you match the version to your undertone. Cool undertones look best in a purple-leaning cherry, warm undertones in a red-leaning one closer to burgundy, and neutral skin can wear either.
To find your undertone, check the veins on your inner wrist in daylight: blue or purple means cool, green means warm, and a mix means neutral.
Does dark cherry hair fade?
It depends on the service you choose. Permanent dark cherry will not fade out, so changing it means waiting for regrowth or paying for a color correction, while a gloss such as Redken Shades EQ is the lower-commitment option.
Deep reds are still hard to keep looking fresh, so wash no more than once every other day, use lukewarm water and switch to a color-safe, sulfate-free shampoo.
How do you dye your hair dark cherry at home?
Pick a shade that matches your undertone, split dry hair into 4 sections, and mix the dye only when you are ready to apply it.
Coat every strand until the hair is fully saturated, then time the color with the minutes on the package insert. Rinse with lukewarm water until it runs clear and finish with the conditioner from the kit.
