Here’s How Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s New ‘Dark Cherry’ Hair Color Came To Life

It takes a serious boldness to debut a major beauty transformation at an award show. The 76th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards were set to be one of the year’s biggest events — and for Da’Vine Joy Randolph and her team, it seemed like the best time imaginable to show off a major hair color shakeup. The acclaimed actor is known for her ability to stun in classic glamour one day and a more avant-garde aesthetic the next, which made whispers of a new look all the more exciting — the possibilities were truly endless. Ultimately, Randolph’s new red hair color, premiered right on the Emmys carpet, felt like both a natural, seasonal shift toward fall and a fresh visual chapter for the star.

Red hair has been something of a Randolph signature for a while now, but her last and newest shades are wildly different. Before, she had a much lighter shade of sun-kissed copper, warmer and anchored by a golden undertone. This new look, though, is decidedly moodier and so autumn-friendly. It’s rich and deep, more of a dark cherry with a cooler undercurrent. If there’s one shade you can expect to track with both celebrities and your trendiest friends, this is it. And fortunately, the celebrity colorist-stylist who brought the look to life gave TZR an exclusive look at exactly how she made it happen.

If there’s anyone to trust with a major transformation, it’s all-around hair professional Tai Simon. She’s worked with Randolph on so many of her biggest beauty moments, and has a client list that includes other A-listers like Zendaya, Jordin Sparks, and Micaela Jaé Rodriguez. The vibes seemed especially high as Randoph and Simon prepped for thr 2024 Emmys, though. “Getting ready with Da’Vine is like going to a jazz concert,” Simon tells TZR. “She sets the tone with a nice candle and lets the creativity flow. The mood is very calm, I tell a few jokes, we share a few laughs, then we get to work.”

For this particular red carpet, both Randolph’s hairstyle and new color were built around a larger visual concept as well as the actor’s bright yellow gown. “The Emmys was the perfect night to debut it,” Simon says, explaining that the goal was to channel a “Black fashion icon in the year 3000.” To avoid overshadowing her gown, Simon created a sultry wet hairstyle that would still show off the new color, but let each element of Randolph’s look have its own moment.

Step one, of course, was mixing up that custom color blend. Simon used a combination of dye shades from celebrity-favorite brand #Mydentity, including Midnight Flame 7 from the Warm Series, and Naked Glow 9 mixed with Crystal Clear and a 6V demi-permanent developer. “We filled with Midnight Flame and Clear first, let it sit, and then let the Naked Glow 9 sit for a while,” Simon shares. To offset any potential damage by the intense color, she then worked the #Mydentity MyHero Nourishing Crème all through Randolph’s wet hair for extra moisture.

“To define the textured look, I used #Mydentity MyHero Nourishing Crème leave-in styler treatment on the top of my fingers and lightly pulled a few hairs out. Finally, to keep everything locked into place, Simon gave the look a thorough misting with a strong-hold setting spray.

The hard work paid off — Randolph’s hairstyle and color were easily among the night’s most-discussed.