Bob Haircuts

The curly bob is the cute cut that celebrates bouncy texture

Here's all the ways to wear it.

13 January 2024

18 Curly Bob Hairstyles To Try This Year For A Look Overhaul

There's something about a curly bob that's so cute, right? With bob haircuts back on top of hair trends, we've seen numerous renditions taking off. But, we'll always love seeing the style paired with beautiful, natural curly and wavy texture. It adds dimension, movement, individuality and a whole ton of personality to the chop – plus, it's cute, feminine and fun.

For curly girls growing their hair towards their shoulder, the curly bob can introduce some gorgeous tailoring that provides the perfect structure and framing. “The days of just leaving your hair to grow have given way to more adventure, with a bigger chop in the hands of a [trusted] stylist,” notes curl specialist, Anthony Carenza.

As with all haircuts, it's important to take your natural texture into account when going for the chop. Due to their structure, curls have a tendency to fall a little more triangularly, so a curl, by curl cut that takes into account where each sits, will give you a custom cut that works beautifully with coils and kinks. Likewise, curly hair tends to shrink more as it dries, so your stylist should bear this in mind when cutting.

How to cut in a curly bob

The internet is divided on whether it's best to cut curls wet or dry, but here to give us an answer is top hair stylist, Hair Lounge owner and curly hair expert, Charlotte Mensah. “I usually start by taking my guidelines at the back and sides so I can get the desired overall length perfect – this means I know it won’t drop longer at the front,” she says. “I’d then blow dry the hair before cutting the hair dry, which allows you to see the exact length and line, eliminating any guess work towards how the hair will lay when the client styles their hair at home. I recommend cutting the hair super blunt while it’s dry because if the hair is wet, your strands will shrink up and look noticeably shorter,” Charlotte adds.

How to style a curly bob

As for styling, this starts in the shower, so choosing curl coaxing products that you know your strands love. “When styling your curly bob, start with wet hair. I suggest you use a cocktail of curly hair products [Charlotte loves her Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil Pomade, Aveda Be Curly Cream and Charlotte Mensah Manketti Oil]. You can scrunch it or twist sections of hair into smoother and thicker curls or coils and diffuse with a hair dryer set on a medium heat and low speed setting. Then dry with your head tipped upside down,” says Charlotte.

If you're not a naturally curly babe, you can work the look, too. To achieve textured waves, take a curling iron and curl sections of different thickness, alternating the direction of the curls. Some should curl towards your face, while others should curl away. The slimmer the wand the more texture you'll create, so something like the GHD Curve Thin Curl Wand will create loads more bounce and movement. And finally: leave the ends out. This is key to getting a lived-in, wavy texture.

The new GHD Curve Thin Curl Wand will give you game-changing curls at lightning speed

We know, because we've tested it.

By Sheilla Mamona