logo
The 51 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now
Beauty

The 51 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Short hair, don't care

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

By Annabelle Fernandez - published

If you've always wanted to go short, now's a better time than ever to take the plunge (think: less sweaty hair moments). But there's no going back once you commit to the chop—unless you're doubling down onhair gummies—so how the hell are you supposed to style it once you do? Here, 40 celebrity looks that will act as your spiritual hair guide.

From: Marie Claire US 

Related Articles:

Ultra-Long Hair Is Trending—But Is It Chic?

5 Common Hair Myths Debunked

How To Wake Up With Great Hair

A simple cut that's instantly elevated by a little curl in the face-framing strands. It's one five-minute curling iron trick that'll make a *world* of difference.
1 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Everything about this look is pure magic, from the short rounded curls to the shimmery cat eye ?.
2 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Curly haired gals, we've got you: use a diffuser when you're drying hair to boost volume at the rooms. Or, look for a half-inch curler if you want to create your own corkscrew curls.
3 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

A sweet layered bob that's just the right right length and style for angular faces. Pro tip: a little bit of waving action with a flat iron is the best way to nab this style if you've got straight strands.
4 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

The new beachy wave is shoulder-length—not longer.
5 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

The dip-dye highlights right at the ends of her strands add a perfect little pop of color to this wavy look.
6 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Tuck or pin your hair behind your ears to fake a half-updo.
7 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

A classic mid-length bob for those who aren't quite ready to say yes when your stylist asks to "take it up a bit."
8 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Stewart's the ultimate hair and beauty chameleon, and we're kind of in love with this completely slicked-back—but not greasy—straight-ironed style.
9 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

One way to keep things interesting when you're going short: tease it and curl it up into messy ringlets, like so.
10 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

The Stranger Things star may still be a teenager, but she's already become a style icon of sorts for her super-short locks and her serious style chops.
11 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

All-over waves is the perfect way to dress up a straight-edge bob.
12 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Saldana takes a vacation from her signature long locks with an elegant asymmetrical cut and a red lip.
13 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Sarah Paulson showed us this week that she can pull off essentially anything—green sequins and all—and this slicked back, asymmetrical cut is no exception.
14 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

We love a good Taylor Swift bob, but this tousled style with feathery bangs is *everything*.
15 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

And her bestie's not so bad in super short locks, either. Here, she's wearing a flapper-esque French girl cut.
16 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

The Glee star keeps it simple and sweet with a light feathery bob with just the right amount of layered texture.
17 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

The star that made us all want to go out and request a pixie cut STAT keeps it interesting with plenty of layers and a wispy fringe.
18 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

So sleek, so perfect. Naturally VS Angel knows best.
19 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Sometimes the best bobs are the most simple—blunt and one length all the way around.
20 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

"Pixie cut" is way too sugary for this spicy look. More like: try-me-and-we'll-see-how-sweet-I-am cut.
21 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

The Goldilocks length—not too long, not too short—hits right between the shoulders and the chin.
22 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Somehow she seems more Blair Waldorf with this slicked-back look, right?
23 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Beauty PSA: Pastels are much easier to pull off for short-haired girls than long-haired ones—you avoid that whole mermaid thing.
24 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

A true bob, down to the subtle layering at the ends to round out the shape. Waves keep it from being too cutesy.
25 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

One of our favorite Bey looks yet. The blunt ends give this bob a cool-girl flair.
26 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

The queen of everything you're too scared to do, here with perfect French girl pixie inspiration.
27 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Depp keeps it classic with this elegant, ever-so-slightly rounded style.
28 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Exhibit C proves that a stick-straight finish looks just as good on short hair.
29 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

It's Elle Woods after she made partner! The cut itself is a little longer than what you see here—the curls bring it up about an inch. So, imagine a daytime look that's mostly one-layer and just baaaarely grazes the tops of the shoulders. And then curl the hell out of it for a retro moment like this.
30 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

The OG pixie of the early aughts that make us think, "Well, growing out a shaved head isn't THAT bad, after all."
31 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Knightley often straight-irons her short bob, but we love the natural texture of this lived-in, wavy look.
32 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

That knowing "I'm growing out my pixie but you'd never know how awkward it is because my long sideburns are tucked behind my ears" look.
33 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Make the most of uneven texture (hair that's flipping out too much at the ends or hair that's hanging too flat) by curling the ends with a barrel iron. The ends will wrap up loosely by the nape of your neck for a sophisticated old Hollywood look.
34 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

A slightly wavy bob with a liiiiittle bit of layering to lighten up the ends = the ideal way to ease into short hair for longer-locked gals.
35 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Nyongo's "short hair, don't care" look is the coolest of looks for summer.
36 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Spritz some sea salt spray in your hair to achieve more natural waves like Miller's, and take a '20s spin on the bob by tucking one end behind your hair and securing with a pin, while letting the other strands blow in your face.
37 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Alexa Chung makes the best of short lengths with some hair jewels and a center part that allows for even, draping tendrils to frame her face.
38 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

A black-and-white film siren look courtesy of a curling iron and a deep, curving part.
39 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

This pixie style looks fresh on oval face shapes, especially if you opt for piece-y layers in your hair for greater texture up top. To get unruly post-shower hair to fall in line, work product like a mousse or paste through short hair before blow drying to avoid duck feather flyaways.
40 of 51

The 40 Best Short Hairstyles and Haircuts to Try Now

Monáe's been experimenting with all kinds of beauty looks for her Hidden Figures press tour, from Minnie Mouse ears adorned with safety pins to extravagant top knots. But for the everyday, we're all about the sophisticated puffy curls that give this blunt look so much more character.
41 of 51

Janelle Monáe

The flapper pin-curls of the '20s are still just as glamorous today, as shown by Loving star Ruth Negga at the Golden Globes.
42 of 51

Ruth Negga

It's tough to choose our favorite of all of Katy Perry's dye jobs, but this sweet retro blonde style—with a single green strand in the mix—takes the cake.
43 of 51

Katy Perry

One of the sleekest short cuts ever? Here, the supermodel shows us what it looks like when you ask your stylist to take your bob up an inch, cut slightly cropped side-swept bangs, and apply a super-conditioning hair mask.
44 of 51

Amber Valletta

The bold RiRi take on the bob involves midnight black strands and thick, in-your-face bangs.
45 of 51

Rihanna

Beauty PSA: Pastels and platinum hues are much easier to pull off for short-haired girls than long-haired ones—you avoid that whole mermaid thing.
46 of 51

Cara Delevingne

The ideal light-as-air lob: one that's gently curled out at the ends and gets lighter toward the bottom for an ombre effect.
47 of 51

Jodie Foster

In which Kristen Stewart convinces us that shaved, bleached hair is definitely one badass way to keep your head cool in the heat (now, if only we had her courage to go through with it).
48 of 51

Kristen Stewart

One way to play with shorter strands if you have naturally curly texture: let it grow out at the front and have your stylist cut it closer on the sides. The tousled bangs will be worth the sweaty forehead situation in the summer.
49 of 51

Carrie Coon

Not your average pixie cut alert: if you're got a boyish shape like Halsey's, brush your bangs toward your eye-line if they're super-shorn instead of angling them back.
50 of 51

Halsey

Behold one of the sweetest pixie cuts we've spotted yet this year—a piece-y fringe masterpiece we're bookmarking for summer.
51 of 51

Gemma Aterton

Tags

Amber VallettaCara DelevingneCarrie CoonGemma AtertonHairHairstylesHalseyJanelle MonaeJodie FosterKaty PerryKristen StewartRihannaRuth NeggaShort Hairstyles
Share this article