Nicola Coughlan's Strawberry Blonde Was Inspired by an Iconic Cartoon

Bridgerton walked so that cottagecore could run. When the show first came out in late 2020, people all over the world flocked to white linen dresses and satiny, pastel corsets to make it look like they, too, were a part of the Regency period of the 1800s. Supposing, however, that an Edwardian-leaning style doesn’t spark your fancy, you can surely take inspiration from the cast's off-camera looks—most recently, Nicola Coughlan's brand-new strawberry blonde shade.

The Irish actress can typically be picked out of a lineup thanks to her her bright blonde tresses, but hair colorist Jason Hogan added copper tones to Coughlan’s hair for dimension and depth. Celebrity hairstylist, Pete Burkill, cut Coughlan’s hair into a lob with razor-edge ends that offer a lived-in, tousled effect. Furthermore, Coughlan's overall style is the perfect mix of both trendy and classic, which is why transitioning away from her typical center part to a celebrity-loved side part seems like the right choice for the actress.

In a now-expired Instagram story, Coughlan shared the possible inspo for her new color: a classic comic character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. “It’s making me feel like April O’Neil,” she wrote in the story, “I’m so happy.” O'Neil is a computer hacker who joined forces with the crime-fighting turtles, and is usually depicted as strawberry blonde in the comic's various adaptations.

Now, a bright blonde color like what Coughlan had before her total hair transformation is typically ideal for the warmer months—if you’re looking to deepen your blonde ‘do, you can opt for an indie sleaze-approved Glastonbury blonde color. Given, however, that copper hair is absolutely here to stay, Coughlan’s strawberry blonde seems like the perfect marriage between the two trends, tying a richer blonde with a coppery warmth.

As opposed to other red hair colors, upkeeping strawberry blonde hair is surprisingly simple—since it only has tints of red with a blonde base, you won’t have to worry about your hair’s brightness washing down the drain with every wash as much as you would for a bright red or true copper color job. Toyomi Ishikura, colorist for SHRD Hair Care at Kim Vo salon, previously recommended touchups every six to eight weeks, with the exception of people with grey hair, who might have to visit their colorists more often.

If you practically live on the fence that borders blonde and red hair, this color is your go-to choice for fall—in fact, Coughlan even writes in her caption that her strawberry blonde is “for spooky season” and pairs her new hair with a moody black top. We don’t know how Bridgerton will influence our fashion and beauty choices with its next season just yet—but at least its actors can inspire our beauty moves in the meantime.