Celebrity hair colorist Jack Howard, who recently landed in DC and set up a residency at Georgetown’s Izzy Salon, offers his tips for summer’s perfect hues.
Hair colorist Jack Howard says less is more when it comes to hair.
Earlier this spring, I had the pleasure of meeting the great Jack Howard (@jackhowardcolor). He was brilliant, charming, funny and encyclopedic in his knowledge of luxe locks. There’s a reason the British colorist, who now has a residency at Georgetown’s Izzy Salon (izzydc.com), was named Marie Claire’s hair colorist of the year and has worked with stars like Emma Thompson, Andie McDowell, Elen Rhys, Rami Malek and Gillian Anderson.
Howard’s work is seen regularly on Britain’s Next Top Model, and, in London, he has been the official colorist to Next Model Management. As regular fans of his Instagram account (237,000 followers strong) know, Howard is a global educator for hairdressers and has been the United Kingdom’s commercial color spokesperson for L’Oréal (loreal.com), among other brands. Howard, who now lives on Capitol Hill, took time from the salon to discuss the best ideas for summer color.
When it comes to summer hair coloring, what should our readers think about? First, sun—just as the skin can burn in summer, so can your hair and scalp. We’re so good at using sunscreen for our bodies, but we often forget our heads. Sunshine can lighten and fade your color, which means blonds can get overly light—yes, that’s a thing—and brunettes can become more orange and red, as they are overexposed. All of this can be helped with sunscreens, either in your shampoo or after-sprays. But the easiest thing to do by the pool or beach is to take a tablespoon of SPF 50, put it in a spray bottle with warm water, and shake and spritz your hair as often as you would your skin. Obviously, if you aren’t at the beach, there are some great non-oily sprays that have SPF in them.
Next, of course, is water—chlorine can wreak havoc on your color, taking that bright blond to muddy khaki; brunettes will see their hair fade. Quick fixes are tough in the summer, but the antichlorine shampoos and fabulous in-salon services like metal detox really work. We understand the concepts of detoxes, and they exist for our hair too. Also, a nice and gentle scalp exfoliation and scalp massage can stimulate the head and remove buildup of product. Bottom line: A healthy scalp leads to healthy hair.
The return of a warmer blond look is a trend Howard loves this summer.
What color trends do you love right now? The return of warmer blonds—think of wheats and buttery blonds, rather than the supercool ash dominant last year. Another trend is called expensive brunettes. For me, that means a healthy, glossy neutral brown with a luminous feel; it’s very chic and understated. We’re also seeing a push for copper again; it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s very glossy.
One of the most exciting trends from London is gray blending—the willingness of some women to embrace their gray and add dimension to it with depth and light, rather than going for that opaque coverage that leaves you with a strong demarcation line every four weeks. This is definitely a result of lockdowns and COVID, and it’s rather freeing. Even if you have an allover color, think about going half a shade lighter around the face to soften and add a few pieces of balayage for a fresher, more modern feel.
Jack Howard loves a luxe gloss look
What do you say to clients who want a bold change in color? Everything is in the consultation. Every new client or color change needs to have a 30-minute in-depth discussion about the hopes and dreams of the outcome. With radical color changes, a couple of things I like to ask involve time commitments and cost—both are important to everyone. Another consideration: What’s the plan if you don’t like it? Everyone needs options!
What’s your take on hair style and color in Washington these days? This is a city of many different styles and influences, and [it] is open to new ideas. I’ve noticed that a few simple tricks to coloring can make the world of difference for the clients in my chair.
People move here from all over the world. I think there was a time when we could say, ‘Oh, she’s an L.A. blonde, a DC blonde, a New York blonde or a Paris blonde.’ No longer. With social media, people are now exposed to so much more. The modern client knows what’s going on in the world of hair, and she should be able to get that anywhere, including DC.
If clients come in for coloring in, say, May, how often should they return this summer?
One of the challenges I’ve found is that people want to come too often, so I push for less frequent visits. That said, each visit requires a check-in to see what’s happening—is the color fading or too light? Generally, the corrections can start after Labor Day.
What’s your mantra when it comes to coloring?
Less is truly more. Think dimension and gloss.
Parting thoughts on color?
Each person is as unique as their fingerprint, and the same applies to their hair color. I’m not a fan of overly done anything—except maybe diamond earrings.
Howard
Photography by: Courtesy of Howard 137
