The sun is back for real this time—or so we desparately hope—which means it’s high time for a new look now that you’re soaking up some rays. We chatted with Jason and Robert Townsend of Essensuals London about this season’s hair trends in cut and color. Plus, they drop some deep knowledge on caring for your locks and how Instagram has changed the game.

The duo behind some Seattle’s most stylish hairdos—Rich Fox, co-owner of Rhein Haus and former Seattle Met style editor Amanda Zurita, to name two—know hair. Indeed, they grew up in that world. The brothers, identical twins in fact, spent their childhood at their mother’s San Diego salon, sweeping clippings and learning the ropes. Fast forward a couple of decades and many a professional hair show, the Townsends came to Seattle and opened their salon on Capitol Hill in 2015. 

They could’ve opened up shop in LA, but lucky for us, Seattle’s vibe swayed them to land here. And we’re happy they did. Now, we can learn a few things how the season’s latest looks... 

What’s Trending

As Robert puts it, and surely many agree, “Hair follows fashion.” So, it’s serendipitous that Essensuals London is the only salon in Seattle with a direct line to London Fashion Week (via the Label.m hair care line), where the latest hair trends are seen walking down the runway. 

For spring and summer, that means a little bit of a ’70s and ’90s nostalgia feel: more direct color, more gold less cold tones, and evidently highlights are back. It used to be ashy tones, but now we're moving into lighter, brighter colors, and of course the color melt. Ombre has been on its way out for some time, and the color melt is the natural and more blended replacement. (See how it’s done in our hair feature video.)

Another look making quite the comeback: the mullet. “I did two mullets last week,” says Jason. Soft, choppy shags are also making waves in the hairstyle world. 

Instagram Is a Game-Changer 

It’s all about expectations versus reality. When someone shows an aspirational look to the Townsends, they make sure it’s attainable, for one. Additionally, it’s a great way to show the desired vibe, rather than try to fumble your way through what you may want. As for the Essensuals London Instagram, you won’t find any filters being used. All the color you see on clients are the real deal results.

All About Education

Knowing how to take care of your hair is, in a way, always trending. The lovely thing: the Townsends are here to help. Some people don’t need a hairdresser so much as they need a hair coach. (Yes, guilty here.) From knowing that washing your locks in hot water is a no-no to cleaning the lint from the back of hair dryer to avoid burning your hair, the nuggets of wisdom here are many.

Beyond the pro-tips, London is the heart of hair education and Essensuals London and its hairstylists stay woke on the latest trends and keep their skills as sharp as their sheers.

Oh, and if you needed one more reason to love them, Robert is a Cure superfan—the tunes here are on point.