Styling Tips for Short Hair

Keep your sleek bob looking chic by going in for frequent bang trims. Eye-skimming and eye-covering are two very different looks.

Use a color-enhancing shampoo to keep dark locks glossy.

Use an anti-frizz serum before drying hair so hair doesn't get too bushy.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

COLOR ENHANCING SHAMPOO like Ultimate Brunette Shampoo with Vibrant ColorComplex, $4.99.

ANTI FRIZZ like Suave Sleek Anti-Frizz Cream, $2.99.

SMOOTHING CONDITIONER like John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Lustrous Touch Smoothing Conditioner with Satin Finishers, $6.49.

If your hair tends to get frizzy at the roots and flip out at the ends, use that to your advantage and rock a hat-keeping all the visible style in your ends. Take a large dollop of mousse and run it through towel-dried hair.

Roughly dry your whole head with a blow dryer.

Take a small-barrel curling iron and define face-framing bits. Then, after you put on your hat, rake your fingers through the curls to soften the look.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
MOUSSE like Joico Firmwhip Design Foam, $16.

CURLING IRON like Remington Protect and Shine Curling Iron allows you to control the temperature settings so it never gets too hot, $16.99.

VOLUMIZING SHAMPOO like Phyto Volume Volumizing Shampoo, $24.

Use a small curling iron (holding it parallel to your head) and wrap small sections (about an inch) around the barrel for a glam, '40s look.

Do your entire head, curling all the way up on one side of the part. Vary how much curl you get on the other side so you leave a bit of super-smooth roots on one side.

Spray your whole head with a setting spray and a bit of shine spray when you're done.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

SMALL CURLING IRON like Revlon Studio 35 Professional Styling Iron, $6.99.

SHINE SPRAY like Sunsilk ThermaShine Detangling Shine Spray, $4.49.

SHINE SERUM like Motions At-Home Salon Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99.

Work a texture cream through the ends of your hair. Take a flat iron and use a little heat at the roots so everything is straight and shiny.

Use a small curling iron on the ends to make them flip up a bit so you get a different sort of texture.

Run a shine serum through your hair for a more polished look.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

TEXTURE CREAM like Sexy Hair Concepts Short Sexy Hair Slept-In Texture Cream, $15.99.

CURLING IRON like Revlon Studio 35 Professional Styling Iron, $6.99.

SHINE SERUM like Citré Shine Shine Miracle Anti-Frizz Serum, $7.99.

A quick updo for short hair. Grab a handful of bobby pins and take little sections of hair and twist them back leaving the ends sticking out so you get a messy chignon effect.

Spritz your bangs with a little volumizer at the roots and blow-dry them so they lay sideswept across your forehead.

Finish with a light, fine mist of hairspray to keep everything in place.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
BOBBY PINS are one of the fastest ways to get a whole new look. Scunci Bobby Pins, $1.29.

VOLUMIZER like TRESemmé Volume Big Boost European Root Lift Spray, gives you instant oomph. $4.69.

HAIRSPRAY Keep a bottle around, even if you hardly ever use it. Aussie Catch The Wave Hairspray, $3.99.

While hair is still damp, make a deep side part with a comb.

Then blow-dry your hair with a medium-sized round brush so you get a smooth finish.

Quickly run a straightening iron over large sections of hair — you don't want to flatten your chic bob cut but a little extra heat adds a lot of extra polish. Finish with a spritz of shine spray.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
A FINE-TOOTH COMB like Mason Pearson Comb, $20.

A TOURMALINE DRYER will protect hair from any additional damage. Revlon Tourmaline Ionic Dryer, $29.99.

SHINE SPRAY like Sunsilk Shine Spray, $4.49.

Deep condition hair three times a week with a super rich conditioner to flight frizz and breakage.

Try a leave in conditioner and a strong hold gel for the perfect mix of control and conditioning.

Let hair air dry and touch up with a serum to control any frizz or flyaways.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

GEL like, Sexy Hair Concepts Volumizing Gel, $12.49

SHINE SERUM like, Motions Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99

LEAVE IN CONDITIONER like, L'Occitane Shea Butter Conditioner, $17

Start with a volumizing shampoo to get some life in your locks.

Run a mousse through your roots and blow-dry while running your fingers through your hair.

Use a nozzle attachment to focus air right at the roots for extra lift.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

VOLUMIZING SHAMPOO like Pureology Volume Shampoo, $26.

MOUSSE like Herbal Essences Totally Twisted Curl Boosting Mousse, $3.99.

HAIR DRYER like T3 Micro Hair Dryer, $200.

Wash with a protein-spiked shampoo for extra strength and shine.

Use something that will boost shine but won't weigh anything down (like a bit of spray-on leave-in conditioner to prep the hair for heat). Use a round brush for the smoothest blowout. Tip: Blow-dry small sections. It takes longer but looks better.

Put a dab of shine serum on your hands, rub them together and run them over your hair so you end up using just the right amount of product.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
A NON-OILY, SUPER-SMOOTHING SHAMPOO makes a difference. Phytobrush Special Smoothing Shampoo for Blow Drying, Anti-Frizz, $24

A BIG ROUND BRUSH holds hair right where you want it while you blow-dry. Conair Round Brush, $7.99.

PREP TREATMENT like Sally Hershberger Supreme Head Style Primer for Normal to Thin Hair for a bonus layer of protection and conditioning. $24.98.

Spritz hair with styling spray and blow-dry with a round brush for volume and so ends are smooth and polished.

Take medium-sized Velcro rollers and wrap hair down around them in one-inch sections. Leave rollers in your hair for at least 20 minutes. Spray with a fine-mist, strong-hold hairspray before removing the rollers.

With a natural boar bristle paddle brush, brush out the front/top section of your hair so you get that swooshy, sexy hair-falling-over-one-eye effect. Leave the rest of the curls more solidly in tact. Just shake them out a little bit so hair looks soft.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
STYLING SPRAY like Ojon Plump and Hold Spray, $22.

HAIRSPRAY like Ted Gibson Beautiful Hold Hairspray, $11.

CONDITIONER like Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Conditioner, $6.99.

Spritz some styling spray into your hair (to give it some guts) and quickly blow-dry, shaking hair out with your fingers so you ramp up the volume.

Take a large-barreled (1.5 inch) curling iron and wrap 2-inch sections of hair.

Take a natural boar-bristle brush and brush through the curls to loosen them into waves. To make this look a little more special/offbeat, add a whimsical headband to shake up a more traditional evening look.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
PROTECT strands with Dove Advanced Care Heat Shield Styling Spray, $4.99.

CURLING IRONS give you a little wave with heat. T3 1.5 Inch Twirl, $215.

BRUSH with natural bristles to add shine, sans product. Mason Pearson Boar Bristle Brush, $170.

Apply a hair mask in the shower for a strong dose of hydration. Detangle with a wide-tooth comb in the shower. Rinse almost all of it out — however, a little residual moisture is a good thing.

Work a mixture of shine glaze and leave in conditioner through wet hair and let it air dry.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

HAIR MASK like Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Treatment, $3.93.

SHINE GLAZE like Ouidad Shine Glaze, $17.

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Bumble & Bumble Leave-In Conditioner, $22.99.

Try a volumizing/foaming conditioner — it's weightless and adds oomph sans oil.

Use a straightening spray and mist over hair before quickly drying. Don't overdo it on the products, hair this thin can start to look stringy or greasy quickly.

Once it's completely dry, flip your head over and lightly mist the ends with a little dry shampoo to add volume without oil.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
STRAIGHTENING LOTION like Aveda Hang Straight Straightening Lotion, $20.

DRY SHAMPOO like Samy Dry Spray Shampoo, $5.99.

VOLUME CONDITIONER like Dove Extra Volume Conditioner, $4.

Naturally curly hair sucks up moisture so stick with a great, emollient leave-in conditioner on soaking wet hair.

When you get out of the shower, towel-dry lightly. Use a wide-tooth comb to detangle hair working from the ends up to the roots.

Use a diffuser on a low heat to dry hair partially, letting it air-dry the rest of the way for best results.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Modern Organic Products Leave-In Conditioner, $10.99.

WIDE-TOOTH COMB like Vidal Sassoon Wide-Tooth Comb, $1.29.

DEEP CONDITIONER like Neutrogena Triple Moisture Hair Mask, $6.99.

A quick fix for second-day hair: Spray some dry shampoo at the roots to sop up excess oil. Work it through the ends as well to add volume.

Pull hair half back, keeping hair loose for a softer, less-extreme style.

Rewet and dry bangs to freshen everything up. A little detail, but it makes a huge difference.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
DRY SHAMPOO like Klorane Gentle Shampoo With Oat Milk, $11.

MINI DRYER like Revlon Travel Style Dryer, $23.99.

Texture Paste like Garnier Fructis Style Surf Hair Texture Paste Matte Effect, $3.99.

Work a rich leave-in conditioner through damp hair to smooth the cuticle.

Spritz in some spray gel to control puffiness and frizz and diffuse on a low heat.

Twirl hair around your fingers to shape curls in front for a more polished look.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like TIGI Bed Head Ego Boost, $15.50.

SPRAY GEL like Clairol Herbal Essences Set Me Up Spray Gel, $3.99.

CURL SHAMPOOO like Samy Curls Shampoo, $5.99.

A close crop requires heavy-duty hydration to look chic. Always use a moisture-rich conditioner.

Wet hair with a setting lotion and sit under a drying hood on low heat to bring out hair's natural texture.

Work a little leave-in condition through a few pieces in front.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Charles Worthington London Results Leave-In Conditioner, $5.99.

HAIR MASK like Pantene Pro-V Strengthening Mask, $3.99.

GEL like Soft Sheen Carson Protein Styling Gel, $4.29.

Roughly dry hair on a medium heat without applying any product beforehand.

After hair is dry, add a dry spray wax and work through hair until you get that perfect unwashed look with just the right amount of volume.

Add a teensy bit of shine just to your bangs.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
DRY SPRAY WAX like Short Sexy Hair Play Dirty Dry Wax, $18.95.

SHINE POMADE with Modern Organic Products Separation and Shine Pomade, $12.99.

VOLUMIZING SHAMPOO like Kiss My Face Big Body Shampoo, $8.19.

Put a tiny bit of gel in the front section of your hair before drying.

Pull layers forward as you dry so they frame the face and lie flat all at once.

Flat-iron bangs and then ruffle a bit so they maintain a little movement.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
LIGHT GEL like Got2B Styling Gel, $4.

ROUND BRUSH like Conair Vented Round Brush, $6.99.

MINI FLAT IRON like T3 Mini Flat Iron, $119.

Start with your bangs and spray them down with a little water mixed with leave-in conditioner.

Dry them using a small round brush so you get a little oomph right at the ends. Spritz with shine spray.

Dry the rest of your hair without using too much product. You want the rest of your hair to look a little more matte than your bangs.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

SMALL ROUND BRUSH like Goody Tufted Round Brush, $3.99.

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Alberto VO5 Detangle & Shine Restoring Daily Leave-in Conditioner, $3.99.

SHINE SPRAY like Matrix Color Smart Reflective Shine Spray, $14.99.

Get a rocker-chic bob by keeping hair perfectly straight with a blow dryer and flat iron.

Then, add a little shine to the bangs to keep the look from getting too severe.

Offset the sleek bangs with a worked-over texture on your ends-matte and piecey with a little extra volume.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
MATTE PASTE like Redken Rewind Styling Paste, $15.99.

SHINE BALM like Davines Defining System Shine Pomade, $27.99.

VOLUME SPRAY like Phyto Actif Volume Spray, $28.

Deep condition hair three times a week with a super rich conditioner to flight frizz and breakage.

Try a leave in conditioner and a strong hold gel for the perfect mix of control and conditioning.

Try not to play with your hair as it dries, the more you touch it the frizzier and less chic it will look.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

GEL like, Ouidad Climate Control Gel, $22

SHINE SERUM like, Motions Smoothing Shine Serum $5.99

LEAVE IN CONDITIONER like, Joico KPax Conditioner, $16

Apply a texture spray to damp hair.

Roughly blow-dry, working hair through your hands.

Take a mini flat iron and straighten sections for definition and shine.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
TEXTURE SPRAY like GHD Sea Spray for Waves, $24.

MINI BLOWDRYER like T3 Bespoke Labs Overnight Dryer, $130.

MINI FLAT IRON like T3 Mini Flat Iron, $119.

Run a wave-enhancing texture cream through damp hair.

Twist small sections around your finger and then wrap your head in a towel. Unwrap in 5 minutes and allow hair to air-dry the rest of the way.

When hair is completely dry, spray on some shine.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
WAVE/TEXTURE CREAM like Short Sexy Hair Bulked Up Texture, $17.96.

ABSORBANT TOWEL like Aquis Microfiber Towel, $16.99.

SPRAY-ON SHINE like Paul Mitchell Freeze and Shine Spray, $10.50.

Always deep-condition after you wash your hair. Choose a product that's full of replenishing oils.

Blow-dry hair in small sections keeping the dryer on low heat and angled down from the root, says Pantene stylist Tippi Shorter.

Use a flat iron sparingly to get a bone-straight finish.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

DEEP CONDITIONER like Burt's Bees Hair Repair, $7.99.

FLAT IRON like Hot Tools Ceramic Flat Iron, $59.99.

HAIR MOISTURIZER like Infusium 23 Leave In Conditioner, $6.99.

If you want a quick way to modify a frizzy look, spritz hair with spray gel and rake fingers through hair.

Gather hair in a low ponytail at the nape of the neck, securing with a small elastic. Then twist the hair, secure the impromptu chignon with large bobby pins, allowing the ends to stick out.

Pull a few pieces out in front if you want a slightly more undone appearance.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
SPRAY GEL like Matrix Biolage Bodifying Spray Gel, $16.99.

SHAMPOO like Suave Daily Clarifying Shampoo, $2.49.

BOBBY PINS like Scunci No Slip Grip Bobby Pins, $3.29.

Use a color-enhancing shampoo to liven up your highlights and add shine.

Douse hair in volumizer and then blow-dry using a vent brush.

Add a little shine serum to the bangs and front layers to give them additional polish.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
COLOR-BOOSTING SHAMPOO like Pantene Pro-V Color Revival Shampoo, $5.79.

VOLUMIZER like Amplify by Matrix Volumizing System, $16.49.

SHINE SERUM like Salon Selectives Smoothing Serum, $4.49.

Deep condition hair three times a week with a super rich conditioner to flight frizz and breakage.

Try a leave in conditioner and a strong hold gel for the perfect mix of control and conditioning.

Let hair air dry and touch up with a serum to control any frizz or flyaways.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

GEL like Ouidad Climate Control Gel, $22

SHINE SERUM like Motions Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99

LEAVE IN CONDITIONER like Joico KPax Conditioner, $16,

A cropped pixie cut for curly textures looks so chic — but you need to use products that add a lot of moisture and shine to keep hair from puffing up. Even though hair is short, use a rich conditioner.

Run a cocktail of styling cream and gel through damp hair. If you can stand it, let your hair air-dry.

Otherwise, use a small round brush to smooth out the very front sections, then blow-dry brush-free on a very low setting.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
STYLING CREAM like Rusk Str8 Lotion, $10.95.

CURL CONDITIONER like Deva Curl Conditioner, $37.

CURL GEL like Garnier Fructis Style Curl Scrunch Gel, $3.99.

For a sleek bob, wash hair with a clarifying shampoo to get rid of product buildup.

Then, blow-dry using the tiniest bit of shine glaze to curb frizz.

Finish by running a flat iron though the front pieces only-you want sleeker in front and a little fuller in back.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
CLARIFYING SHAMPOO like Aubrey Organics Green Tea Clarifying Shampoo, $9.99.

SHINE SERUM like Matrix Biolage Smoothing Shine Milk, $16.49.

MINI FLAT IRON like Warren Tricomi Hot Iron, $90.

Shampooo with a sulfate-free formula once a week — it won't strip natural oils from your hair, which keep curls under control.

Half a dropper of organic hair oil on very damp hair keeps ringlets looking healthy especially during dry weather.

Layer a cocktail of leave-in conditioner and gel over and let hair air-dry.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

HAIR OIL like Dr. Hauschka Neem Hair Oil, $29.95.

SULFATE-FREE SHAMPOO like Back To Basics Color Protect Shampoo, $11.99.

CURL GEL like Ouidad Climate Control Gel, $24.20.

Try a leave-in conditioner and a strong-hold gel for the perfect mix of control and conditioning.

Rake the product cocktail through damp hair with a wide tooth comb. Scrunch hair to add volume.

Let hair air-dry and touch up with a serum to control any frizz or flyaways.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS

GEL like Sexy Hair Concepts Volumizing Gel, $12.49

SHINE SERUM like Motions Smoothing Shine Serum, $5.99

LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Alterna Leave In Conditioner, $20

Spritz hair with styling spray and blow-dry with a round brush for volume and so ends are smooth and polished.

Take medium-sized Velcro rollers and wrap hair down around them in one-inch sections. Leave rollers in your hair for at least 20 minutes. Spray with a fine-mist, strong-hold hairspray before removing the rollers.

With a natural boar bristle paddle brush, brush out the front/top section of your hair so you get that swooshy, sexy hair-falling-over-one-eye effect. Leave the rest of the curls more solidly in tact. Just shake them out a little bit so hair looks soft.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
STYLING SPRAY like Ojon Plump and Hold Spray, $22.

HAIRSPRAY like Ted Gibson Beautiful Hold Hairspray $11.

CONDITIONER like Neutrogena Triple Moisture Deep Conditioner $6.99