Raven-Haired Beauties at the Top of Their Mane Game

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Forget about Keeping up With the Kardashians; can you keep up with celebrity hair trends? It seems every other week, there’s something new, regurgitated or completely left-field that somehow takes over our Instagram feeds and eventually, local salons. To be fair, celebs tend to have nearly unlimited access to hair pros that are always on the cusp of what’s new or coming down the pipeline. As a result, they become the guinea pigs—very good ones, may we add—for not only testing out trends, but introducing them to the masses and giving them that “must-try” appeal. And come winter, the color that always seems to gain traction is black, hence the never-ending fleet of celebrities with black hair.

No, not brown-black. We’re talking jet black, the kind that looks otherworldly against richer skin tones and fairer complexions alike. We’re talking about the hair shade that contrasts better than most others against bright clothing. Oftentimes, though, there’s a lot of trepidation about entering the dark side due to worry that it’ll make you look as though you’re wearing a Halloween wig. Au contraire; with the right box dye, shampoo (like dpHUE’s cult-fave Gloss+), and daily styler, raven hair is life.

Whenever hesitation threatens to keep us from trying something new, we get lost in inspiration IRL and on the interwebs. So here, we’ve gathered a sampling of A-listers of different skin tones and hair textures who have kept the black hair trend alive. From Laura Prepon’s raven bob to Zoë Kravitz’s box braids, we have a feeling these hair chameleons will have you more than ready to dip into the dye.

• Lana Condor

  

  Lana Condor

  Our Self-Love Issue cover star is the raven-haired star of the addictive To All the Boys Netflix film series—impatiently waiting for the next installment, BTW.

• Billie Eilish

  

  Before the history-making and boundary-breaking teenage phenom transitioned to lime green roots, she opted for black hair on the stage and red carpet.

• Zoë Kravitz

  

  Whether gorge box braids or a stunning updo, Zoë Kravitz’s black hair is never boring.

• Vanessa Hudgens

  

  As of late, the actress has been styling her black hair in cool-girl updos like at the 2023 Met Gala.

• Rihanna

  

  An underrated hair moment from the multifaceted performer is this beautiful black updo at the 2023 Met Gala.

• Nicole Scherzinger

  

  Effortless is the best way to describe the former Pussycat Doll’s black waves, which just so happens to be her natural texture.

• Nicki Minaj

  

  The rapper delivered inches and plenty of shine when she attended the MTV VMAs wearing a jet-black ‘do.

• Naomi Campbell

  

  The supermodel’s signature waist-length straight hair is as iconic as her career.

• Lupita Nyong'o

  

  The Oscar winner’s red-carpet hair journey includes a handful of truly wonderful braided looks, including this all-black updo.

• Laura Prepon

  

  After departing That ’70s Show and beginning her award-winning stint on Orange Is the New Black, Prepon ditched her red hair and opted for jet-black strands instead.

• Kylie Jenner

  

  Wigs, weaves and everything in between have been worn by the beauty mogul, but her jet-black hair continues to be our favorite.

• Krysten Ritter

  

  The Jessica Jones star is another celeb who has almost never deviated from black hair, which looks drop-dead gorgeous against her fair complexion.

• Kim Kardashian

  

  She’s gone blonde. She’s gone gray. She’s even gone pink. But if there’s one “old faithful” shade in Kardashian’s repertoire, it’s black.

• Kelly Rowland

  

  Keeping things simple, yet stunning, the singer stuck to her natural black hair color for this chic bob.

• Katy Perry

  

  She’s been blonde and brunette in the past but Katy Perry always comes home to her jet-black hair.

• Eniko Hart

  

  Kevin Hart’s IRL leading lady is also part of the black hair pack, having rarely experimented with other hues since stepping into the spotlight years ago.

• Tessa Thompson

  

  In March 2018, cameras spotted the actress in what appears to be a Sade-inspired low-hanging braid.

• Dita Von Teese

  

  The burlesque icon has never deviated from her signature coif, which just so happens to be the sleekest shade of black.

• Demi Lovato

  

  It’s been some time since the singer and actress walked a red carpet, but when she stepped out for the 2017 American Music Awards, it became one of her fiercest looks to date.

• Ciara

  

  As of now, the singer and mother of two is wearing her hair a lighter shade of brown. But back she always heads back to her waist-length raven-colored strands.

• Becky G

  

  Though the Latina singer has experimented with lighter shades and highlights, we’re partial to the jet-black waves that frame her face beautifully.

• Gabrielle Union

  

  The actress and author has proven time and time again that she can pull off any hairstyle and color, including black box braids.

• Constance Wu

  

  The Hustlers and Crazy Rich Asians star is a bonafide red carpet star who always stuns with her beautiful black hair fashioned into a bevy of head-turning styles.

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