When it comes to a bob, a great haircut does most of the work for you. For everything else, here's how we'd tell you to style a bob at home. The cut sets the shape and styling decides the mood, so you can go from classic on Monday to undone by the weekend in just a few minutes. Still deciding on your shape? Start with our guide to bobs.
The secret to a great bob? Never overthink it. That's the beauty of this cut: your styling should never take more than seven minutes, and it'll look chic every single time.
Here are the three ways we style bobs most in the studio.
Start with the same base
Whichever look you're going for, the prep is the same. Work a little mousse or a smoothing cream through damp hair, then rough-dry with your fingers until it's mostly dry. Lift at the root as you go, especially at the crown, where bobs love a bit of height.
1. The glossy classic
This is the bob that moves when you turn your head. Take your round brush through each section, curving the ends slightly under as you finish. A bigger barrel smooths everything out while leaving that soft, not-too-straight finish we love on a bob.
2. The undone bend
For something a little cooler, go for a bend instead of a curl. Once your hair is dry, take your curling iron or flat iron, clamp it midway down a section, give your wrist a gentle turn, then pull down and off. Keeping the motion downward is what gives you a relaxed shape rather than something too bouncy. Leave the last inch or so straight-ish, letting the hair glide lightly out of the barrel or iron, since ends that are too straight can look a little dated. Alternate directions around your head, then shake it out with your fingers.
Studio note: for a barely-there beachy wave, work in larger sections and start with the pieces around your face. Pull them slightly forward and down, and place your first bend around the eyebrow. If your hair is long enough, add a second around the lip. It gives you a perfectly placed face-framing bend.
3. The effortless flip and tuck
The easiest of the three, and somehow always the chicest. This one is made for your natural texture and day-old hair. Mist in a texture spray or a little dry shampoo, flip your part from side to side, then tuck one side behind your ear and let the other fall forward. Instantly done. Finish with a touch of serum on the ends for shine.
Make it last
On day two, a quick mist of a dry volume spray like R+Co Balloon at the root brings the shape right back. Want a lot more grit and lift at the root? Reach for R+Co Zig-Zag Root Texture Spray instead. And when your ends start to lose their swing, that's your cue to book a trim. Bobs look their best when the line stays crisp.
The best part of a bob is how much you can play with it. Pick the version that feels like you this week, and try another next week.
