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When it comes to hairstyles, you can have your cake and eat it, too: faux bobs are a hot celebrity trend that you can easily copy at home. They look glam with formal gowns and give you a taste of what you’d look like with short hair, without having to commit to a chop.
In recent years we’ve seen everyone from Zendaya to Selena Gomez, Marion Cotillard, and even Kate Middleton experimenting with faux bobs as a way of changing up their looks without actually cutting their hair. Some of these celebs, especially Middleton, are known for their long hair — it’s even something of a trademark for them. A big change like a bob is all that’s needed to make a major impact at an event or on the red carpet. And then, when the night is over, they can simply release a few pins from their hair, shake out their heads, and return to their glorious, pre-bob long hair.
It’s all about options, right?
If you’re curious about trying on a sleek, 1920s-inspired bob, but aren’t ready for a cut, here are a few tips to keep in mind when achieving this fun look.
1) Start With Major Texture
Working with one or two-day old hair that isn’t squeaky clean is always the way to go. Even better: add some major texture to your hair (which will help keep your style in place) by spraying a quality sea salt spray to your locks beforehand. Scrunch your hair and allow the spray to dry for a few minutes before moving on to the next step.
2) Grab Two Elastic Bands And Brush Up On Your Ponytail Skills
Using a fine-tooth comb, create an imperfect part in the middle of your hair and separate it into two sections on either side of your head. Using two thin, small elastic bands, secure both sections of hair into loose pigtails. The elastic band should not sit right at the nape of your neck, but should be positioned slightly lower.
3) Have Eight U-Shaped Bobby Pins On Hand And Prepare To Roll Your Hair Under
Starting with one section of hair, loop that section up and under and fasten the ends to the bottom of your hair using a U-shaped bobby pin. Depending on the thickness of your hair, you may need two or three additional pins to keep your hair from slipping out. Do the same for the second section of hair. Capture any loose strands of hair that look out of place by rolling them under and pinning them in place — your style will be even more secure if your can link one pin perpendicular to another.
4) Pull Out A Few Strands
This style is not about creating the perfect, sleek bob — it’s about playing with texture and allowing it to take on a sexy kind of messiness. If a few strands fall out of place and you can’t get them to hold, make lemonade from lemons and curl or scrunch them for added texture. There are no rules with this style. You can throw on a hat and look as posh as Princess Kate or let it be slightly disheveled and super glam (ala Emily Ratajkowski at the Golden Globes). Either way, it’s one temporary hair transition that will make you feel like a different person — in the best possible way.
