Change your hair, change your life. Lopping lengths in favor of a short hairstyle may seem like a daunting prospect, but short haircuts for women are more like a nourishing celebration. A good trim or full cut revives tired ends, brings movement or enhanced texture to lengths, and can seriously shake up your look (and so, your life). It makes sense that big shifts like exiting a toxic relationship, making a big move, or switching careers are often accompanied by a dramatic chop: the power of a short haircut lies in its ability to make us feel brand new again, and ready to take on the world.
The current guard of short haircuts offer ample inspiration, even for those experiencing an especially steady life period. Bobs worn blunt or mussed, the enduring resurgence of shags and reimagined mullets, buzz cuts, and pixies, are all on the menu, infusing social feeds and red carpet events with a welcome levity. In short (sorry), it's enough to tempt even those with the longest of lengths to hack it all off.
Here, a selection of short, statement-making celebrity hairstyles to inspire your new look.
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Zoë Kravitz
In terms of things to think about before giving your hairdresser the green light, Melanie Pellegrini, senior stylist at John Frieda Salons, says you should “consider your day-to-day life and routine, to make sure you’re able to style it yourself, rather than it just looking good in salon.”
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Jessica Biel
Pellegrini also recommends stocking up on products that give body and texture, like Living Proof’s Texture Mist. For a sleek finish, Color Wow’s Pop & Lock offers the smoothness and shine that your polished cut requires.
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Yara Shahidi
For natural curls, New York City-based celebrity stylist Marc Ballance loves curls that frame the face. Ballance says a cut like this will showcase their natural volume.
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Sydney Sweeney
One can never go wrong with a layered look. We especially love this retro bob with rounded edges to add some volume.
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Rihanna
The wet hair look works for any cut, but we love it paired with a blunt bob. Here, Rihanna keeps her hair wavy with a deep side part.
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Taylor Hill
If you want to go ultra-short, opt for a pixie cut. To add volume, Taylor Hill wears her pixie with curled blunt bangs that graze the top of her eyebrows.
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Lori Harvey
Channeling the 1920s, Lori Harvey's modern finger waves are a chic way to style an ultra-short bob.
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Lily Collins
A blunt bob with sharp edges makes for a bold cut. If you want to keep it looking minimal and sleek, opt for a middle part like Lily Collins.
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Charlize Theron
To give a blunt bob more texture, add slight waves. These slight bends throughout Charlize Theron's bob just look so effortless.
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Kylie Jenner
An angular lob makes for a bold statement. Kylie Jenner wears her's with a deep side part for added drama.
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Rowan Blanchard
Wet hair and short hair cuts just go perfectly together. Opt for something like Rowan Blanchard's sleek pushed back look for ultimate cool girl vibes.
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Jenna Ortega
We love a curtain bang for any occasion, but it really is a nice added detail to a short haircut. Here, Jenna Ortega's curtain bangs blend seamlessly with her long layered bob.
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Laura Harrier
For something a little more “undone,” try giving pieces of hair slight bends and waves throughout your short cut. We love that Laura Harrier's waves aren't uniform, giving us that “I-just-woke-up-this-fabulous" vibe that's so effortless.
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Emma Watson
Another win for deep side parts, Emma Watson's wavy bob has added depth when parted on one side. Add waves for more volume.
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Ayo Edebiri
Ayo Edebiri's sleek ultra-short bob with a side part is every minimalist's dream. Opt for a flexible holding gel like the Fenty Beauty The Gelly Type Strong Hold Gel.
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Cate Blanchett
Ballance likes to give short wavy hair “invisible” layering so that hair doesn't lie flat. It also adds dimension without giving up any lenght.
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Gigi Hadid
An ode to Marilyn Monroe, Gigi Hadid wore her bob with curls at her ends for the 2024 Met Gala. A modern spin on the famed actress's texture curly bob, Hadid's bob is more relaxed with slight waves before recreating the iconic ringlets.
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Rachel Zegler
An angled bob is blond on its own. We love the slight bends and deep side part Rachel Zegler has to elevate the look.
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Elle Fanning
Alluring and enigmatic, Elle Fanning wears her lob with a deep side part that gently covers one eye. The slight curl at the ends is a nice added detail to dress up the look.
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Ice Spice
When opting to wear your natural curls, Ballance recommends using a hydrating leave-in product to keep hair healthy. He says to try products like the IGK Rich Kid Wave Enhancing Air Dry Cream or a light paste like the Shu Umera Ishi Sculpt that will hold curls and nourish at the same time.
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Beyoncé
Textured wavy hair makes for the perfect voluminous bob. Beyoncé wears her's slightly layered for added dimension.
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Miley Cyrus
Only Miley Cyrus could make the mullet cool again. This modern spin pairs her feathered bangs with layered pieces that sit just above her soulder.
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Taylor Swift
The bleached blonde era (and the Met Gala 2016, in general) is a canon event in the singer's lore. But for beauty lovers, it's one of Swift's most memorable looks. Layered, tousled, and paired with her signature bangs, this rock-n-roll vibe is just super fun.
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Rihanna
A sleek and straight angled lob is super chic. But if you're looking to elevate it with a hair accessory, opt for a wide-brim fedora.
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Anja Rubik
When in doubt, opt for the tousled, “I-just-woke-up-like-this" look. Anja Rubik's slight waves are an easy way to zhuzh up a blunt bob.
Allen Berezovsky26/60Kerry Washington
You already know we love the tousled wavy bob. But if you want to make it look just a little bit more done up, add a bobby pin like Kerry Washington to keep the front pieces from falling in front.
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Irina Shayk
A modern cut, the angled bob with its sharp edges brings such sophistication to a short haircut. We love Irina Shayk's middle part that softens the entire look.
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Cara Delevingne
Cara Delevingne's ice blonde bob is a stunning shade. Here, she wears it with a slight curl at the ends and a deep side part.
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Kristen Stewart
Another way to elevate your pixie cut is with a two-tone highlight. Kristen Stewart masterfully balances bleached blonde highlights with much darker roots.
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Zendaya
Zendaya wear loose pin curls to put a modern spin on the classic ‘40s hairstyle. If you're looking for some added volume to your curls, this is the look for you.
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Maria Borges
A short afro is a great way to celebrate your natural texture. Use a curl cream, like the SheaMoisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, to enhance your curl pattern and keep hair feeling nourished.
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Adwoa Aboah
If you want go even shorter with afro, opt for a buzz cut. Adwoa Aboah wears her's bleached.
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Dua Lipa
A tousled lob, which celebrity hairstylist David von Cannon describes as a slightly longer bob that elongates hair (especially if it's wavy), will give you that effortless look. “[It] feels relaxed, yet refined,” Von Cannon says.
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Karlie Kloss
For a fine hair, Von Cannon says you'll want to use volumizing products that won't weigh hair down. He likes the Phyto Pro Style Volume Mousse to give a boost at the roots while keep hair light.
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Lupita Nyong’o
Von Cannon is also a fan of a rounded afro if you have natural texture. “[It's] balanced volumed all around for a classic, full silhouette.”
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Molly Ringwald
If you like the shag look, Von Cannon says to give it more layers to give it a more modern spin. “[It] enhances waves with soft, blended layers for effortless texture.”
Arnold Jerocki37/60Alexa Chung
Can never go wrong with a rounded bob. Alexa Chung wears her's with long layers and curled at the end.
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Jourdan Dunn
Adding some beachy waves can bring texture and volume to your chin-length bob, as seen here on Jourdan Dunn. Pro tip: Short hair does need regular upkeep to stay healthy (and to keep its shape). Von Cannon recommends trimming hair consistently every six weeks or so to maintain its structure.
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Scarlett Johansson
Von Cannon recommends using a texturizing spray to define waves like Scarlett Johansson's. He likes Bumble and bumble's Surf Spray to get that lived-in texture.
Jon Kopaloff40/60Sandra Oh
Von Cannon loves a layered cut for natural curls; he says it's all about strategic layering ("[It] adds shape without creating bulk," he says) and hydration. He recommends a rich leave-in conditioner or curl cream, like the Kérastase Curl Manifesto Leave-In Cream, to protect curls from heat and keep curls soft.
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Brie Larson
For ultimate shine and frizz control like Brie Larson's sleek wavy lob, Von Cannon recommends using something like Verb's Ghost Oil that will keep hair looking smooth without weighing hair down.
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Selena Gomez
Von Cannon loves a layered look; he says opting for layers will help remove bulk while adding softness and shape. Selena Gomez wears her lob with long layers that add some depth to the overall style.
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Bella Hadid
“Chic and minimalist, perfect for showcasing the face,” says Von Cannon of a pixie cut. Bella Hadid wears her pixie slick and sleek with bangs swept to the side.
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Jennifer Lawrence
If you're growing out your bob,
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Anne Hathaway
A feathered pixie, as seen here on Anne Hathaway, makes for a great short haircut. For a nice added styling detail, sweep bangs to the side.
Aaron J. Thornton46/60Cynthia Erivo
We're all about silver hair. Cynthia Erivo wears her buzzed afro in a cool gray shade.
Jeff Spicer/BFC47/60Lily James
Tousled and layered are the perfect short haircut duo. Lily James's long layers give a casual chicness that's super cool.
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Arizona Muse
A layered blowout, Arizona Muse's angled bob is voluminous and bouncy in the most fabulous way possible.
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Willow Smith
Willow Smith wears her bob wavy with the cool girl “wet hair” look.
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Solange Knowles
A rounded afro like Solange Knowles is a favorite with experts if you want to wear your natural hair. Use a hair pick to give it the shape you want.
Jim Spellman51/60Ashley Graham
Another win for tousled waves, Ashley Graham wears her's with a deep side part with a vibrant shine.
Karwai Tang52/60Gemma Chan
A sleek blunt bob with a high-shine is bold and chic. Wearing a hooded cape like Gemma Chan is not necessary for added drama, but we're here for it.
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Emilia Clarke
We love a slicked-back look with a short hairstyle. Use a flexible hold hairspray to keep hair in place while still keeping some movement, like Emilia Clarke's bob.
Steven Ferdman54/60Kaia Gerber
Give your short bob some body with loose bends like Kaia Gerber's voluminous bob. It works great with a center part.
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Jenna Coleman
Simple and easy, Jenna Coleman's tousled waves gives some added texture to her lob.
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Lea Seydoux
Giving old Hollywood glam, Lea Seydoux's blunt bob has a sleek finish with a slight wave at the ends for some volume.
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Jenna Dewan
A blunt bob cut right at the jawline helps accentuate high cheekbones and other features you want to showcase. Jenna Dewan wears her's with a deep side part.
Steve Granitz58/60Saoirse Ronan
A grown-out bob can turn into a chic short haircut that sits right at your shoulders. Saoirse Ronan has subtle layers with her's to gently frame her face.
Kevin Mazur/MG1859/60Zendaya
Channeling Joan of Arc for the 2018 Met Gala, Zendaya stunned the red carpet with red hair and a blunt wavy bob with matching blunt bangs.
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Jennifer Lopez
Looking for ways to elevate the slick blunt bob? Keep face-framing tendrils out for a more dynamic look.
