7 Low-Maintenance Haircuts Celebs Are Prioritizing Right Now
There's never a bad time to opt for a major hair transformation, but there's a certain kind of magic surrounding the start of a new decade that pretty much begs a nod toward reinvention—and the versatility of our strands serves as the perfect potential canvas. Whether you're looking to add some chic curveballs to your styling game, or are thinking about something more drastic (like dyeing your virgin hair), 2020 is ready to foster some creative courage.
That said, switching up your hair M.O. for the New Year doesn't necessarily have to require a huge uptick in maintenance. As pretty much all of our favorite celebrities have been demonstrating recently, some of the coolest haircuts on our radar also happen to fall considerably "low" on the maintenance meter. Because we're feeling inspired by all the cool crops, cuts, and fringe debuts, we rounded up seven low-maintenance haircuts celebs are prioritizing right now to serve as inspiration for your vision board. Plus, of course, the most-necessary products you'll need to perfect them at home. Keep scrolling!
A Fresh Take on the Mullet
Barbie Ferreira
"The beauty of this look is that it can be cut for any hair type—just add texture with an undone feel," explains Ferreira's hairstylist, Laurie Heaps. "You can embrace your natural waves and curls, wear it straight, or switch it up by adding extra bends and dimension with hot tools."
Whether you choose to wear this low-maintenance style curly or straight, Heaps recommends using a texturizing spray like the below from Redken, which will lend lightweight texture and lift to your cut.
Úrsula Corberó
Must-Have Product:
A Slightly Grown-Out Lob
Margot Robbie
According to celebrity hairstylist and owner of 454 North Salon in West Hollywood Cervando Maldonado, Robbie's mid-length cut is not only a low-maintenance option, but it's also one of the biggest trends he's forecasting for 2020. Plus, as Ana De Armas (below) demonstrates, this cut has major legs for thicker hair textures, as well.
"I recently cut Margot's hair from past her shoulders to an inch past her collarbone, which is a fresh new take on the one-length vibe," Maldonado tells us. "The length gives you versatility in styling (low pony, updos, etc.) yet when worn down, it can look loose and effortless or sleek and polished depending on how you style it."
Celebrity hairstylist Bryce Scarlett, who styled Robbie's hair for the 2020 Golden Globes, shows us how to get waves, here.
Ana De Armas
Must-Have Product:
A Piece-y Pixie
Zoë Kravitz
Though she had been working back-grazing dreads for a while, a couple of months prior to award season, Zoë Kravitz opted for a more low-maintenance haircut she's worked (and we love) before—a piece-y, imperfect pixie cut by self-proclaimed "Hair MacGyver" Nikki Nelms. We're obsessed, and it really shows of Kravitz's killer bone structure, no?
For a pixie, a texturizing molding paste like this option from Oribe is key—it will gift fine textures with an extra hit of volume and oomph to encourage a piece-y look like Kravitz's, but also lends enough control and smoothing power if you have a thicker texture.
Rowan Blanchard
Must-Have Product:
A Short Sweep
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith and Charlize Theron have the exact same haircut (ahem, and color!) right now, and frankly, we're SO into it. A low-maintenance, middle-ground option between a pixie and bob, the look lends easy versatility depending on how you style it—part it to the side for some drama, push it forward for a pseudo-bowl cut, or push it back for a relaxed and textured look that will stay off your face.
To ensure your cut keeps its volume regardless of how you style, we recommend priming your strands with a volumizing elixir like the below from Virtue Labs.
Charlize Theron
Must-Have Product:
A Cher Hair Moment
Bella Hadid
Cher-inspired ultra-long strands have been having a major moment, and as a chic antithesis to another huge cut of the moment (a sleek, blunt bob), this low-maintenance option offers a cool alternative for someone who's looking for longer hair this year, and not shorter.
Obviously, extensions are an instantaneous option for creating length, but if you're looking to go all the way naturally, this cut will just require some regular trims (to keep those ends healthy and far from splitsville) and some TLC-gifting formulas. We're big fans of Leonor Greyl's cult-loved pre-shampoo oil treatment to keep hair in tip-top shape to help encourage growth. Also, we can't get over Kerry Washington's braided, super-long strands paired with a few shiny accessories, below.
Kerry Washington
Must-Have Product:
The Farquad Flip
Selena Gomez
Who knew the infamous villain from Shrek would ever yield major influence as far as hair trends? But it's true—with what has been dubbed by the editorial community as The Farquad Flip—an iteration of the blunt bob with certain style nods like a straightforward middle part and flipped-under ends has had an epic rise in popularity. Everyone from January Jones, Kaia Gerber, and Selena Gomez to Kylie Jenner, Khloé Kardashian, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph have been working the style.
"It's an easy, chic look," explained Jesus Guerrero, the stylist behind the Kardashian-Jenner flip to Elle. "I love how simple it is, yet it exudes so much power." Of course, this look starts with a cut—you'll need a blunt, low-maintenance bob or lob, and then it will come down to your styling tools. Guerrero says brushing your cut with a small round brush is paramount in order to re-create the celeb favorited flipped-in vibe.
January Jones
Must-Have Product:
Curtain Bangs
Camila Cabello
Okay, so not ALL category of bangs are created equally on the maintenance scale. But if you're looking for a chic take on the trends that are blowing up within the celebrity set, one that is (surprisingly) very chill as far as your care-taking requirements, look to the French girl–inspired curtain bang trend. (Model Jourdan Dunn has debuted multiple versions of the look that we've been loving.)
"Curtain bangs are definitely making a comeback as more retro styles gain popularity," celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons, told us here. "What I love about curtain bangs is that they're low maintenance and can easily be grown out into face-framing layers—perfect for any face shape and suits every hair type."
Using a dry shampoo to refresh quick-to-grease bangs is key, and you can also spritz your lengths to create more volume. We prefer Amika's cult-loved formula, which has zero color-disrupting residue.
Jourdan Dunn
Must-Have Product
Up next, How to Create Margot Robbie's Golden Globes Waves, According to Her Hairstylist
This article was published at an earlier date and has been updated.
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.
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