Hair
The 10 best dramatic celebrity hair makeovers
30 June 2017
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The 10 best dramatic celebrity hair makeovers
Celebrities love a hair cut. So much so that it sometimes feels like the A-list change their hair as often as us normal folk switch our socks. It is, after all, the oldest trick in the book for amassing those much needed column inches or social media mentions. The more dramatic the hair transformation, the more likely the photo opp and you know you’ve well and truly made it when you’re hair has its very own hashtag. Dabbling with hair dye is one thing but a substantial chop is often much more dramatic - no amount of extensions will sort you out like a quick dye job will. From the classic bob to the edgy pixie cut and everything in between, here’s our round up of favourite celebrities who’ve braved the scissors.
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Victoria Beckham
In October 2006 after David and the England team crashed out of the World Cup, Victoria Beckham said goodbye to her wag worthy waves in exchange for a fresh new bob. Embracing a shorter style for the first time since her Spice Girl days, Victoria enlisted the help of celebrity stylist Ben Cooke to cut her hair into the now famous ‘Pob’. As Ben explains: “Victoria’s cut was based on a classic graduated bob shape but to give it a looser and more modern feel I point cut it. This meant that there weren't any straight or club cut ends. The shape worked really well with Victoria's face shape and transformed her whole look at that time.” The cut sparked copycat styles up and down the country and goes down in history as one of the most iconic celebrity hairstyles.
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Sienna Miller
In the noughties Sienna Miller was just as well known for her long, sun kissed waves as she was for her much talked-about personal life. The actress has come a long way from her boho days and in the Summer of 2014 debuted a brand new look. Sienna swapped her signature long locks for a modern wavy take on the bob that we now know as the ‘Wob’. Similar to the style spotted on the likes of Rosie Huntington Whiteley and Taylor Swift, Sienna’s chin grazing, textured style was cut by hairstyling pro Luke Hersheson. Confirming once and for all that bobs are not necessarily mumsy, Sienna’s grungy yet effortless take on the bob works just as well for running errands as it does for the red carpet.
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Kim Kardashian
Up until this year Kim’s signature big bombshell hair had defined her look as much as her world famous derriere and along with the rest of Kardashian klan she always favoured long flowing locks. However after marrying a certain Kanye West, Kim’s look has has taken a more experimental, fashion forward turn and it was only time before her beauty look followed suit. In February 2015, Kim took to Instagram to nonchalantly share a pic of her new do with the caption, “I cut my hair short today”. Gregory Russell, Kim’s go to LA hairstylist, chopped her pre Grammys hair into a blunt, shoulder grazing style with a heavy side fringe. This edgy, tousled look was all about texture and a distinct contrast to her normally sleek and perfectly coiffed style.
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Jessica Alba
Whilst Jessica’s laidback Californian style (and beauty look) is pretty consistent, the actress is quite the fan of changing up her hair length and at the beginning of 2015 she rejoined the bob brigade with an elegant short cut. Giannandrea , hairstylist of choice for Chrissy Teigen and Karlie Kloss, took his scissors to Jessica’s hair and created a blunt, layered, neck grazing bob. Describing his work via Instagram Giannandrea coined the look: “My version of the bob an A-line textured, sharp silhouette.” Completed with some subtle highlighting Giannandrea created a soft ombre look - an effortless style we love.
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Lauren Conrad
Recognised for her quintessentially Californian blonde locks, Lauren has rocked long waves since finding fame as LC on hit teen reality show Laguna Beach. Fast forward ten years and now married and running multiple business, the star decided her hair needed a change. For the big chop Lauren called on the help of her long time hairstylist, and the woman behind her wedding hair, Kristin Ess . Talking about the cut on her website Lauren cited: “When I told my hairstylist Kristin Ess that I wanted a bob, she literally refused to cut it. Instead, she suggested I cut a little bit off first and get used to playing with my new texture and length before really going for it. She cut my hair three weeks in a row, taking it from a lob to a true bob.” The result? A chic, modern take on the shoulder grazing bob.
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Beyonce
The queen of self transformation, Beyonce has embraced every hairstyle in the book. Normally favouring longer styles (although she has gone short and once braved a pixie cut) Beyonce jumped on the ‘Wob’ wagon in 2014. Premiering her new look at the 56th Grammy Awards, Mrs. Carter swapped her usual long, cascading curls for a short, wavy (and ombré) 'do.
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Jennifer Aniston
Having boasted one of the most requested hair cuts of the nineties, Jennifer Aniston has come a long way from the famous ‘Rachel’ cut. Her laidback, girl next door look has always been partnered with long golden locks but we loved it when she mixed it up with a shorter 'do in 2011. Fancying a change, Jennifer turned to celebrity hair guru Chris McMillan to create the elegant cut. Talking to Marie Claire UK he described the look as, “A hairline bob that follows the jawline down. It's shortened in back and longer in front”.
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Jennifer Lawrence
Having become recognised for her long hair the internet went into overdrive when J-Law debuted a dramatically short pixie cut in 2013. As the rumour mills went mad about what had sparked such a change, the star revealed she was forced to chop off her long locks due to damage from dying her hair for the role in the franchise. Talking to Teen Vogue the star explained : “It grew to that awkward gross length and I kept putting it into a bun, so I just cut it off. It couldn't have gotten any uglier!" The key to Jennifer’s much talked about do? A sweeping fringe and lots of layers. Hard to pull of but J-law definitely nails it.
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Scarlett Johannson
Quite the colour chameleon, Scarlett Johannson has been red, brunette and blonde and pulled them all off to perfection. Normally preferring to stick to long styles in 2014 the pregnant Scarlett went super short. With the media focused on her upcoming birth (and supposedly secret marriage) the star gave the press something new to talk about when she debuted a shaggy, relaxed take on a short boy cut. Talking to Refinery 29 in 2014 the face of Dolce & Gabbana explained: "I think I just got tired of wearing a ponytail all the time. I [was] always stuffing it under a wig, so I just cut it off. Everybody kept saying, 'Don't cut your hair! You might hate it!' But, then I thought, Why am I letting other people tell me what to do?”
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Michelle Williams
Inspired by Mia Farrow's pixie hair in sixties classic Rosemary's Baby, Michelle went for a close crop in 2007. The star who found fame on Dawson's Creek has since worked a number of different short styles ever since. Talking with Elle Magazine in 2011: “Of course, the only people who like it are gay men and my girlfriends. Straight men across the board are not into this hair!' Short hair, don’t care - an attitude and a haircut we can get on board with.