We Can Barely Recognize Bryce Dallas Howard Without Her Signature Red Locks

"Jurassic World" actress Bryce Dallas Howard has always stood out from the crowd, both for her acting chops and her eye-catching red hair. Being a redhead is a family trait, which she shares with her father, Ron Howard, and siblings. Although Bryce's natural hair could easily be the envy of any aspiring carrot top, we were curious to see how she would look if she decided to explore other hair color options in the future. 

Thanks to our photo editors at The List, we were able to fulfill that curiosity — with mixed results. We barely recognize Bryce without her signature red locks, and some of the alternate looks we tested out would detract from her natural beauty. However, the retouched photos our editors created also revealed that Bryce could look equally great if she dyed her hair a darker color. Here, we'll break down the results of our hair color experiment. 

Going blonde is not for the faint of heart, and it can be a very polarizing hair color choice. In 2021, Bryce Dallas Howard got roasted on X, formerly Twitter for an unfortunate outfit choice, and we think netizens might be equally unimpressed by her hair color if she opted for blonde. Whereas red hair adds vibrancy to Howard's appearance, even the warm-toned blonde shade our photo editor chose washes her out. 

Unfortunately, as hair stylist Gabriel Samra shared with Prevention, the orange tones that make Howard's natural hair look so pretty don't translate well into blonde locks, which can look damaged or dull due to brassiness. This can make you look older, which is exactly the case in this photo of Howard. A cooler-toned blonde could create a more youthful look, but we think she would be better off sticking to her natural color. 

Bryce Dallas Howard's natural red hair adds a lot of warmth to her appearance, and our photo editors preserved that quality with this chocolatey brown hue. However, this color boosts the contrast between Bryce's hair and her other features, making her skin and eyes look brighter than they already appear. 

While going blonde can be very damaging, this particular experiment wouldn't cost Bryce her hair health. As master colorist Genna Still shared with Glamour, one of the best things about dying your hair brown is its minimal effect on your hair: "The bright side of going darker is that there is no real damage." Taking Howard's hair several shades darker to achieve this look would allow her to try out a new color while still maintaining her lustrous locks, making it a great overall choice if she wants to mix things up. 

Although black hair is an edgy color trend, it doesn't look out of place on Bryce Dallas Howard. Instead, this dramatic change makes some of Howard's facial features pop in a very flattering way. For example, her eyes look brighter and more noticeable with black hair than they do with signature red locks. Our photo editor chose a photo with the ideal makeup for this dark hair transformation, which features a light pink lip shade and very subtle eye makeup. 

As makeup artist Wayne Goss explained to Woman and Home, "Focusing on mascara and a touch of coal pencil on the top of the lash lines" creates a perfect complement for dark hair. This look is equally suited for glamorous red carpet premieres and fun, casual events. Of the hair color options we've explored here, we think black would be the best choice if Howard decided to change up her look in real life.