As a natural redhead, my life has been marked by both fierce ridicule and serious hairdresser envy. “Ginger” might as well have been my second name for the better part of primary school, and I spent most of my tween years begging my mother to let me get blond highlights, never understanding why she kept refusing and ruining my life. Now, I silently thank her every day for the adamant refusal and count myself lucky for having a color that is nearly impossible to replicate from a bottle. There’s something to be said for being a member of the 2% of the world’s population who are natural reds.

Yet lately, I’ve been amused to notice that more and more celebrities have adopted the look. I learned to love my locks, yet no one else really seemed to and, in general, successful redheads are few and far between. There just aren’t that many of us, dyed or not, and as a result I developed a minor fascination with almost anyone with red hair. So this sudden development from negative nickname to rising trend has left me slightly confused. Why the sudden change of heart, ladies? I certainly can’t tell you–I was born this way (sorry).

Some have made the switch for movie roles, others because they simply like it. The former is even more interesting–do ginger leading ladies send a certain message? Are starlets aiming to channel the success of flaming names like Amy Adams, Christina Hendricks, and Emma Stone (who, incidentally, is now blond)?

Whatever the reason, the surge is undeniable. Check out our gallery of girls who have recently gone red: