From J.Lo to Hailey Bieber, the Hydro Bob Is Suddenly Everywhere for Spring
If, like many, you've cut your hair into some type of bob in the past year, you might be after some inspiration on how to style it. Short hairstyles have been dominating for the past year, and whilst long hair has seemingly endless styling opportunities, you'd be forgiven for thinking that shorter haircuts have fewer options. But there's one hairstyle that celebrities with bob haircuts have been wearing lately, and it's so chic and wearable, you'll want to wear it too. Tom Smith, hairstylist and international artist in residence at Billi Currie, has coined it the "Hydro Bob", and he says we can expect it to be a huge hair trend this spring.
What Is the Hydro Bob?
Laura Harrier has embraced the hydro bob with slicked-back hair and wet-look lengths.
"Reminiscent of last spring's 'Boy Bob', this style is an androgynous and editorial look drenched in gloss and moisture and is incredibly practical to achieve," says Smith. The wet-look hairstyle is officially back for spring, and Smith says that this one suits everyone. "The shape can be tailored to the individual, working with their features to create a length that sits between the lips and the mid-neck, and then styling products are used to give definition and hold, making it a great style for those who like their hair to feel controlled and refined," he says. "Tucked behind one or both ears, this can be combined with spring's popular side partings or single strands."
The wet look is a great option for an evening when you want to make a statement, and another plus is that it's so easy to achieve. Before you go rushing out to buy hair gel though, Smith says that you can re-create the look with hydrating hair products that you likely already have.
"Whilst nourishing leave-in creams such as Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother (£28) are ideal for the definition and hydration this style requires, a great trick for those who don’t find the time to do weekly masks or treatments is to simply style the hair with your favourite moisture mask," he says. "This will give the semi-wet-look effect and allow your hair to soak in goodness at the same time."
Ready to embrace the hydro bob? Scroll ahead for our favourite celebrity wet-look-bob looks we've saved, along with how to create the style for yourself.
Wet-Look Bob Ideas
Jennifer Lopez wore her bob haircut in a wet look hairstyle for Paris Haute Couture Week, tucking her hair behind the ears and letting a couple of face-framing tendrils loose.
I adore America Ferrera's ultra-sleek wet-look bob that is tucked behind the ears and worn with a middle parting.
Rihanna shows us how to do the wet look on curls—it's giving goddess. Layering curl gels or hair masks is a great way to achieve the wet look.
Comb a hair serum like Color Wow Pop & Lock Gloss (£20) through the lengths to help you to achieve this sleek look, as seen on Hailey Bieber.
Ayo Edebiri's side-parted take on the wet-look bob is both stylish and timeless.
Laura Harrier wears the hyrdo bob trend here again, this time in a more casual style tucked behind the ears.
Lori Harvey wears her super-sleek wet-look bob with her kiss curls.
I'm bookmarking this wet-look lob style for summer for when I want that perfect pool-to-beach-bar hair.
This side-parted, wet-look bob on Rochelle Humes just exudes glamour.
It seems Bieber is a big fan on the wet-look bob, wearing it again here in a side parting.
Taylor Hill stepped out at Milan Fashion Week with this curly, wet-look bixie cut, and I'm obsessed.
How to Do Wet-Look Hair:
The key to wet-look hair is that you don't want your hair to be dripping wet with gel, so you're better off saturating it with a high-shine serum to achieve the wet look without it actually feeling wet. Celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton regularly uses this Color Wow serum to achieve wet-look hair on the likes of J.Lo and Kim Kardashian.
With this style, you want to avoid using products like mousse that dry and leave hair crispy. R+Co's Moisture + Shine Lotion is another great option to flood hair with hydration and gloss without leaving it feeling sticky.
A comb will help you to evenly distribute the product through your lengths and help to shape the hair, whether you're sweeping it back or tucking it behind your ears.
Smith's top tip? Use leave-in styling treatments to double up as a wet-look product and nourishing treatment in one.
You could also use a hydrating hair mask on wet hair to channel the hydro bob. This one from Amika is one of our favourites.
Curl creams and jellies lend themselves brilliantly to naturally curly hair, as they leave both a gloss and definition that can be layered up for an ultra-glossy wet-look style.
This lightweight hair oil is a great finisher on top of product for extra gloss. It also smells incredible.
A shine spray is a must for finishing your look with an expensive-looking lustre. GHD's is my favourite.
Next Up: 6 Super Pretty Ways to Style Your Bob Haircut for Party Season
Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman & Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.When she’s not writing or testing the latest beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner and her miniature dachshund.
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