15 Curly Haircuts that Work for Any Style (2024)

Cropped Ombré Waves

Beyoncé regularly makes waves for her chart topping singles, cinematic albums, and more recently, her own hair care line. Her killer dance moves and vocal range tend to distract from one of her other notable qualities: her hair. From platinum blonde long locks to caramel colored waves, her styles run the gamut and never fail to give us serious hair envy. This includes her ombré waves. Her chocolate brown roots steadily transition to bright blonde, and the natural waves only add to her color’s dimension.

Blunt Bang Bob

Whoever said short hair was boring has clearly never seen Selena Gomez’s tousled ‘do. Her layered bob keeps volume high and texture piecey. For a little extra hold, spritz the R+Co Trophy Shine and Texture Spray ($36) throughout.

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Braided Side Puff

If you want endless short, curly hairstyle inspiration, Issa Rae is a one stop shop. From pixies to poofs, she can rock it all. If you choose to incorporate tight braids like she does, scalp care is key. Keep a scalp-soothing product with a targeted nozzle like the Rootist BioBrew Fermented Strengthening Serum Spray ($48) on hand so you can reach small, out-of-the-way sections.

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Side Swept Curls

One of the hard parts about having short hair is keeping shorter strands out of your face. Pro tip: copy Halsey. Use a round brush to blow dry your bangs away from your face, so you can rock your bob without bobby pins.

Voluminous Ringlets

If you have texture like Ilana Glazer, growing your curls can be a challenge. Keeping them cropped is usually more convenient. Use a styling lotion or cream to keep curls hydrated and defined. The Cécred Moisturizing Hair Lotion ($38) hydrates and protects from heat damage. Work some product through your locks for more defined ringlets.

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Shoulder Length Shag

Sarah Jessica Parker’s classic curls made waves on Sex and the City in the early nineties, and almost twenty years later, Carrie’s cut is still serving up major hair inspo. Admittedly, it is one of the longer looks of the list, so if you are getting anxiety about making the cut, this is an easy starter step.

Curled Bangs

Regardless of what Gen Z has to say about side parts, Yara Shahidi is here to prove them wrong. Her dramatic side part is the perfect way to style coily bangs. Keep the rest of your style all one length for a dramatic contrast.

Relaxed Waves

Curly hair comes in all forms. Maybe you don’t have coily ringlets or consistent curls. Instead, you may relate more to Taylor Swift’s relaxed waves. A waved, classic bob means both classic and modern. To make your curls more uniform, use a curling iron to loosely style a few flat pieces.

Wavy Pixie

Pixie cuts are often spikey and straight, but Halle Berry has chosen a new, curl-friendlyapproach. To mimic her style, keep the front piece extra long to show off your natural texture.

Tousled Messy Bun

Messy buns are exclusively for waist length hair. Short, curly styles can rock this too. Curly hair naturally has a tousled look, making it the perfect foundational texture for a messy updo. Take a page out of Nicole Richie’s book and leave your baby hair loose for a more tousled look.

Undone Waves

For more relaxed textures, Vanessa Hudgens’ shoulder length cut feels loose and low commitment. For her high-shine look, spritz some of the Color WOW Extra Mist-ical Shine Spray ($29) onto styled or air-dried hair. For extra gloss, blow dry the sprayed areas.

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Scrunched Shag

The seventies celebrated the shag haircut, but today the cut is having a renaissance, especially when Rita Ora is rocking it. Rake a mousse through wet hair and then, use the diffuser attachment on your hair dryer to bring out your natural texture.

Sleek Waves

Lili Reinhardt makes a convincing case for chin length, curly cuts. To spruce up this classic style, comb the opposite side of your part down and pin back. Add a little more volume to the bangs for style reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour.

Curly Pompadour

Admittedly, Lupita Nyong’o can make any hairstyle look good, but this low-maintenance look is perfect for those without a lot of length. If you have coily strands, spritz a hydrating spray like the Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross Hydrating Hair Mist ($19) throughout.

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Voluminous Lob

Jenny Slate’s tousled lob is a celebration of her natural texture. The bad news? It requires lots of volume. The good news? Achieving new hair heights may be easier than you think. First, chop off your dead ends. Then, evaluate your conditioner. Heavy formulations can weigh hair down unnecessarily. Instead, use a weightless formula like the Grown Alchemist Volumizing Biotin Vitamin B7 Conditioner ($50).

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