Hairstyles for Women 40+

A timeless Goldie Hawn-esque style — piecey bangs and natural waves — is flattering on just about anyone.
Use a root-lifting spray at the crown and a beach spray all over. Flip your hair and scrunch, blow-drying your roots for extra oomph.
Finish it off with a drop of shine serum to make your tousled tresses more polished.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
ROOT-LIFTING SPRAY like Nexxus Root Exxtend, $13.99
BEACH SPRAY like GarnierFructis Wonder Waves Wave-Enhancing Spray, $4.49
SHINE SERUM like Sally Hydrating Glosser, $2.99

Volume is the key to making this short cut current and flattering.
Start with root-lifting spray and blow-dry using a small, round brush — the kind with a metal center is great because it heats up to hold the height in place. Pull your hair upwards — if it turns out too fluffy you can tweak it with your hands later.
Finish it off with a fine mist of hairspray and shine spray.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
ROOT-LIFTING SPRAY like TIGI Catwalk Root Boost, $11.99
HAIR SPRAY like Dove Flexible Hold Hairspray, $4.99
SHINE SPRAY like Joico Spray Glace Shine Enhancer, $8.95

Ultra-tight curls need extra love and attention.
Be sure not to wash your hair every day and when you do, pile on the deep conditioner. A curl-reviving mist is a great way to give your hair bounce and shape without having to restyle it.
A few drops of hair oil, rubbed between your hands and applied to your ends, will help prevent breakage while making your hair glisten — plus, it smells amazing.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
DEEP CONDITIONER like Burt’s Bees Hair Repair Shea and Grapefruit Deep Conditioner, $8.49
CURL REVIVER like Ouidad Botanical Boost Moisture Infusing & Refreshing Spray, $16
HAIR OIL like Philip B. Rejuvenating Oil, $30

Nothing's more polished or on-trend (à la Gwyneth Paltrow) than a shoulder-skimming bob.
Use a straightening lotion on damp hair and then blast it with a blow-dryer — tousling with your hands. When it's almost completely dry, finish it off with a paddle brush.
Rub a drop of shine serum between your palms and run your hands over your style, starting about an inch from your roots to the ends.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
STRAIGHTENING LOTION like Maxius Beyond Straight, $15.99
PADDLE BRUSH like Conair Soft Gel Handle Paddle Brush, $6.49
SHINE SERUM like Graham Webb Brit Style Shine Serum, $12.95

To brighten your gray without a big color change, David Stanko, haircolor consultant for Redken, recommends a few blonde highlights around your face and an allover gloss.
As for styling, you can keep your hair long and still look sophisticated with a neat chignon at the nape of your neck — just pin it in place with a few bobby pins.
Rub hairspray between your palms and pat errant strands in place.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
AT-HOME GLOSS like John Frieda Clear Shine Luminous Color Glaze, $9.99
BOBBY PINS like Marianna Supreme Bobby Pins, $1.29
HAIRSPRAY like Redken Forceful 23 Aerosol Hair Spray, $17.99

Big waves are sexy and sophisticated. This look is best achieved with naturally curly or wavy hair.
Use a leave-in conditioner and texturizing spray on damp hair and let it partially air-dry.
Then, wrap sections around Velcro rollers and blast them with the blow-dryer set on low. Take out the curlers and finish the style with a touch of frizz cream to tame flyaways.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Ouidad Moisture Lock Leave-In Conditioner, $22
TEXTURIZING SPRAY like EllinLavar Textures Thermmist Spray, $7.79
FRIZZ CREAM like Neutrogena Hair Care Triple Moisture Smooth Shine Anti-Frizz Cream, $7.49

A flippy bob is simultaneously fun and work-appropriate.
Start by misting a heat-protection spray all over. Then, wrap sections under a round brush and blow-dry, pulling away from your head at a 90-degree angle.
To lock in the style, finish if off with hairspray, and for even more texture rub a dab of pomade on the ends.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
HEAT PROTECTION SPRAY like Biolage by Matrix Therma-Active Setting Spray, $16.50
HAIRSPRAY like Aussie Sydney Smooth 12 Hour Anti-Humidity Hair Spray, $3.99
POMADE like Stephen Knoll New York Solid Wax Grooming Pomade, $20.50

This Bridget Bardot-inspired look is simultaneously loose and pulled back — the best of both worlds.
Start with root-lifting spray and tease around your crown with a fine-tooth comb. Smooth out the front section and pin it in place behind the volumized bits.
Wrap the hanging pieces around a large-barrel curling iron and seal it with a light mist of hairspray.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
ROOT-LIFTING SPRAY like Christophe Beverley Hills Volumizing Spray Tonic, $3.99
CURLING IRON like Andis 400 Degree 1 inch Gold Curling Iron, $23.99
HAIRSPRAY like T3 Control Heat-Seeking Hair Spray, $19

When you have short hair, it's easy to experiment with color because there's less commitment. This red shade with chunky blonde highlights is young and edgy.
Always use a shampoo and conditioner formulated to prevent fading.
A little texturizing cream, applied liberally to the ends, brings this look to life.

MARIE CLAIRE RECOMMENDS
COLOR-SAFE SHAMPOO like Nature’s Gate Organics Organic Fruit Blend Shampoo, Color Protecting, $8.19
COLOR-SAFE CONDITIONER like John Frieda Radiant Red Color Last Conditioner, $6.79
TEXTURIZING CREAM like Barex Gum Gum, $24.50

Chin-length curls are fun, flirty, and easy to maintain.
Always use a leave-in conditioner on your ends because curly hair is prone to breakage. Follow it up with curl cream to tame each ringlet.
If you need more definition, use half-inch hot rollers on the pieces that fall around your face.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Ojon Restorative Leave-in Treatment, $29
CURL CREAM like Moroccanoil Intense Curl Cream, $26
HOT ROLLERS like Bed Head Light Me Up! 20-Piece Hairsetter, $49.99

A cropped cut can be both age-appropriate and very pretty — but it’s important to have either height or angles around your face to keep it from looking harsh.
Always start with a spray version of leave-in conditioner — it hydrates but won’t weigh down your hair.
Using a small boar bristle brush, pull your hair away from your face as you dry. For added dimension, try shine-spray.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Sexy Hair Concepts Healthy Sexy Hair Soy-tri-Wheat Leave-in Conditioner, $11.17
BRUSH like Bio Ionic Boar Bristle Round Brush, $39.95
SHINE SPRAY like It’s a 10 Miracle Shine Spray, $20

Honey-gold highlights and curls make for a bouncy, fun, everyday look.
Always use a shampoo and conditioner that will preserve your color. And before you style, mist on a heat-protection spray to prevent damage.
This look is best achieved with hot rollers — when your hair is mostly dry, curl up the bottom half and let them set until they’re cool to the touch. Take them out and gently style with your fingers to make the ringlets appear more natural.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
SHAMPOO like Pantene Pro-V Blonde Expressions Daily Color Enhancing Shampoo, $6.19
CONDITIONER like John Frieda Sheer Blonde Instant Conditioner, $6.79
HEAT-PROTECTION SPRAY like Redken Hot Sets Thermal Setting Mist, $14.99

This wispy layered cut is the updated Farrah Fawcett.
A split-end protection cream is key to keeping your hair looking healthy. Also, use a little styling cream before you blow-dry.
With a round brush held parallel to your face, pull your hair back and out to create a flip. The back should be mostly straight with the ends bent under. Lock it in place with hairspray.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
SPLIT-END PROTECTION CREAM like Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Leave-in Split End Protection Treatment, $3.99
STYLING CREAM like PureologyNonoGlaze Styling Creme, $24
HAIRSPRAY like Matrix Vavoom Finishing Freezing Spray, $14.99

This look is all about lift and piecey-ness.
Apply a volumizing mousse and a dime-sized amount of styling cream on the top sections of your hair while it’s damp. Use a paddle brush to pull pieces away from your scalp as you blowdry.
For shorter bits around your neck, dab your fingers in a pot of texturizing paste and twist while you dry.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
VOLUMIZING MOUSSE like Herbal Essences Body Envy Volumizing Mousse, $3.99
STYLING CREAM like Kerastase Nutritive LumiereNutri-Sculpt, $23.95
TEXTURIZING PASTE like L’Oreal Studio Line Out of Bed Weightless Texturizer, $4.99

For a softer version of the sleek bob, ask your stylist for chin-length angles and a longer layer that grazes your shoulders.
Before you blow-dry, mist with prep-spray. Then, dry large sections with a paddle brush and finish the ends with a round one.
Put a drop of shine serum in one palm and mix in a blast of hairspray — rub them between your hands and glide your fingers over your hair for sheen and hold.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
PREP SPRAY like Sally Hershberger Shagg Spray, $12.99
SHINE SERUM like Citre Shine Color Prism Anti Frizz Serum, $6.95
HAIRSPRAY like Rusk W8less Shaping and Control Hairspray, $12.29

Waves and bangs are a surefire way to look younger — and this style will soften anyone's appearance.
Start with a cocktail of curl cream and heat-protection spray — blend them together in your palm and run your fingers from roots to ends. Use a paddle brush and blow-dryer on your bangs and let the rest of your hair dry naturally.
For a more refined twist, wrap large sections around the barrel of a curling iron without opening the clamp.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
CURL CREAM like Frederic Fekkai Luscious Curls Cream, $20
HEAT-PROTECTION SPRAY like Paul Mitchell Heat Seal Multi-Purpose Humidity Resistant Spray, $16.50
CURLING IRON like Braun Cordless Smoothstyler, $24.95

Lash-skimming bangs draw attention to your eyes while hiding a few fine lines.
Use a leave-in conditioner on your ends to prevent dryness. Then, take a paddle brush and style as you blow-dry, bending the tips of your hair under.
Warm a drop of antifrizz cream between your palms and glide your hands over your hair to blend in flyaways.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Living Proof Leave-In Conditioner, $24
BLOW-DRYER like T3 Evolution Hair Dryer, $220
ANTI-FRIZZ CREAM like Dove Therapy Frizz Control Taming Cream, $4.75

Movement and texture amp up this short, layered look.
Start with a heat-protection spray and a drop of styling cream. Then, using a small round brush, blow-dry in sections, pulling your hair back and wrapping it around the barrel as you go.
To define individual pieces — especially the back and around your face — rub some pomade between your fingers and over the ends.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
HEAT-PROTECTION SPRAY like Sedu Volumizing Heat Protection Boost, $12.99
STYLING CREAM like Kiehl’s Crème with Silk Groom, $17.50
POMADE like Got2B Defiant Pomade, $6.29

David Stanko, haircolor consultant for Redken, recommends lightening your shade when you reach 50. This blonde bob is both timeless and ageless.
Always use a shampoo and conditioner especially formulated for blonde, color-treated hair to keep brassiness at bay.
When styling, use a blow-dryer and shake your hair with your free hand until it's almost completely dry; then, finish drying with a paddle brush. A touch of shine spray makes it even more stunning.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
SHAMPOO like Giovanni Colorflage Shampoo in Beautifully Blonde, $8.99
CONDITIONER like Redken Blonde Glam Conditioner, $29
SHINE SPRAY like Ojon Shine & Protect Glossing Mist, $28

If you have fine hair, a sweeping front layer will frame your face and create automatic glamour.
This look is best achieved with both root-lifting spray and thickening spray. Then, blow-dry with a paddle brush, flipping the ends under.
If you don't want to wash and style every morning, try dry shampoo — it makes your hair look fresh while giving you a ton of oomph.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
ROOT-LIFTING SPRAY like PhytoPhytovolumeActif Maximizing Volume Spray, $28
THICKENING SPRAY like Paul Mitchell Thicken Up, $12.49
DRY SHAMPOO like Klorane Gentle Dry Shampoo, $18

This style transforms long, wavy hair into something sophisticated and pulled-together.
Add wave spray to dry hair to give it some texture. Then, create a deep side part and French braid from your crown to the nape of your neck. Secure it with a hair tie.
Make it look ultra-pretty by using a curling iron on the front piece and the longer hanging strands.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
WAVE SPRAY like Charles Worthington London Big Waves Enhance Spray, $5.99
HAIR TIE like Goody Ouchless Hair Elastics, $2.99
CURLING IRON like Hot Tools Professional Spring Curling Iron, $23.95

Try something fresh with your classic long haircut: Use a comb to create a deep part and pull it all back.
Start with texture spray for extra hold. Then, wrap your hair into a loose, messy bun and pin it in place.
For a pretty, dressed-up touch, tuck a flower clip behind your ear, as you would a hibiscus in Hawaii.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
COMB like Conair Pocket Combs, $2.49
TEXTURE SPRAY like KMS California HairPlay Texture Blast, $16.95
FLOWER CLIP like Karina Charm Accessory 2pc Flower Charms, $7.50.

Angled bangs are both softer and more age-appropriate than blunt versions.
This look needs plenty of leave-in conditioner on the ends and blowdry spray all over.
Dry your hair with a flat boar-bristle brush and finish off the ends and angles with an aluminum-barrel round brush. A drop of shine serum minimizes frizz and gives you a glossy finish.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
LEAVE-IN CONDITIONER like Nioxin Smoothing Reflectives Silk Elixir, $12.99
BLOWDRY SPRAY like EasyStraight Straight Styling Blow-Out Blow-Dry Straightening Spray, $9.99
SHINE SERUM like Ken Paves Healthy Hair Shine Serum, $30

If you have short hair and you’re looking for a change, try pinning it back.
Start by applying texturizing spray and drying your hair to create some lift at the crown. Style your bangs or front layers as you usually would, so they frame your face.
Take a few clips and pin back the sides. If your hair is long enough, create a small bun in the back. Otherwise, clips and hairspray should do the trick.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
TEXTURIZING SPRAY like Scruples O2 Originals Texturizing Spray, $11
CLIPS like Goody Colour Collection Contour Clips, $3
HAIRSPRAY like Alberto VO5 Extreme Style Hairspray, $3.49

You can use a curling iron to give your hair extra dimension without creating classic curls.
Start by spritzing curl-spray onto almost-dry strands. Then, take small sections and wrap them around the iron halfway to create a bend, alternating which direction you go. (Tip: The front pieces should always be curled back away from your face.)
Finally, flip your head and shake while misting hairspray — this gives you a naturally wavy effect.

REAL BEAUTY RECOMMENDS
CURLING IRON like Babyliss Pro Gold Titanium Curling Iron, $55.95
CURL SPRAY like TRESemme Curl Activator Spray, $3.99
HAIRSPRAY like Suave Hairspray Non-Aerosol Max Hold, $3.19