Finding the perfect haircut and style can be a challenge–we all have different preferences on looks and even when you do find a cut or style that you like on someone else, there's a chance it may not look exactly the same on you. The reason for this? Differences in anatomy such as face shape and of course, hair and curl type, which play huge roles in whether or not a cut or style will fall the way you want and expect it to.
You can tell if you have wavy hair if your hair naturally dries into a shape that has more of a bend than straight hair does but less of a curve than those with curls do. We know that's pretty broad, but that's also the beauty of having wavy hair. More often than not, how much your wave develops can depend on the haircare products you use, the weather, humidity levels, etc.—and while that can sometimes feel like a drag, it's also part of the fun.
If you have wavy hair, though, you're quite lucky because you're in the middle of the spectrum and can choose to lean more straight or curly should you want to. So, we outlined 50 of our favorite wavy looks as seen on some of our favorite celebrities with short, medium, and long hair. From Ciara and Blake Lively to J.LO and Sydney Sweeney, keep scrolling for looks that range from high glam to effortless. Plus, two professional hairstylists share tips on how to recreate some of the looks.
Meet the Expert
- Kourtney Scott is a hairstylist atMaxine Salonin Chicago specializing in precision cutting and styling.
- Anastasia Stylianou is known for her work as a world-renowned hairstylist specializing in fashion, celebrity, and curly hair.
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Wavy Hair with Curtain Bangs
Halle Berry's curtain bangs paired with a half up-half down style give her loose waves an unexpected and glamorous shape.
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Wet Hair Waves
Give your entire look a bit of edge by giving your waves the wet look. To recreate, apply a mixture of hair gel and cream to damp hair and use a wide-tooth comb to evenly distribute. Finish by sectioning hair off and using a diffuser to slowly dry the hair in place.
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Voluminous Wavy Lob
For those blessed with thick and voluminous hair, letting waves run loose can look incredibly sexy and chic at the same time. We love how Ciara styled her lob, with her waves doing their thing and a center part.
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Air-Dried With Texture
Hailey Bieber's loose, air-dried waves look all-natural and couldn't be easier to replicate. Let hair air dry to start, then spritz texture spray throughout the ends before scrunching with fingers.
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Lived-In Waves
Here, Constance Wu shows us how to rock undone hair with an effortless vibe, giving her loose waves and lob an almost Serena van der Woodsen-like appeal thanks to her flyaways and glam makeup.
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Half-Up, Half-Down With Loose Waves
This half-up, half-down style helps show off Quinta Brunson's glam accessories. Talk about a fantastic day-to-night look.
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Air-Dried Waves with Bangs
Curly bangs are all the rage, and for good reason. We love the uniform look of all-over waves à la Sandra Oh. It feels laid-back and effortlessly chic.
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Feathered Beach Waves
We love Nicole Richie's beach waves, which can be replicated with a medium-barrelled curling iron and some texture spray. Be sure to run the fingers or a comb through hair once it's curled to get that post-beach day look.
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Blown-Out Waves
While some waves are looser or more textured, model, Martha Hunt's, are nearly straight, with just a slight bend throughout.
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Center-Parted Waves
We can't get enough of Lizzo's center part and tighter waves. If you want a more natural-looking middle part, consider veering ever-so-slightly to the right or left (about half an inch).
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Textured Beach Waves
Blake Lively's long tresses ooze beach vibes. The slight bend, damp ends, and unstructured part complement the long length perfectly.
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Long Bob
Laverne Cox's long bob is in good company with long layers and soft curls. Chicago-based hairstylist, Kourtney Scott, says this is a great universal cut for both fine and thick hair, low-maintenance and youthful.
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Ultra-Long Half-Up, Half-Down With Volume
Highlights, a pouf, and ultra-long locks? Count us in for this fun, flirty 'do. If you're starting with sopping wet hair, use a diffuser for frizz-free drying. Then, follow up with a protective leave-in conditioner to keep flyaways at bay while shielding hair from heat damage.
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Shoulder-Length With Waves
We're all about one-length cut that hits just above the shoulders. Coupled with fringe and unstructured bends, Kerry Washington's look is fresh yet sophisticated.
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Ultra-Long and Soft
The beauty of these soft waves is that they work on most hair textures—it's all about finding the right styling products to help manage the length. If your hair is looking a bit dull and weighed down, work in a shine-enhancing serum.
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Tousled Ends
The queen of layered haircuts gives hers a little lived-in feel with tousled ends and beachy waves. To prep the hair, detangle, add shine, and run a leave-in conditioner through damp strands before styling.
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Retro Long Pixie
Make like Viola Davis and give your cropped cut a retro feel with these glamorous waves.
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Layered Bob
We can't get enough of layered bobs, and neither can Drew Barrymore. Scott touts this style as being great for medium to thick hair types. To ensure your layers are well-blended with the rest of your mane, add a slight curl to the top sections.
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Choppy and Textured Bob
Thanks to Rachel McAdams, we're ready to chop our hair into a classic A-line bob. "This is a great style for medium to fine hair with straight or light texture," notes Scott.
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One-Length Bob With Baby Bangs
You'd think Zendaya's one-length bob and baby fringe would come across as timid, but paired with her auburn color and bold brows, it's anything but.
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Full-Length Lob With Tousled Waves
Looking to own that model-off-duty cut? Take a cue from Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who styles her full-length lob with tousled waves and a messy tuck behind the ear.
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Barely-There Wave
If you're all about the length, take a page out of Queen Bey's book and give it some personality with a barely-there wave. Long layers and highlights will create added movement and dimension. It's effortless and easy to achieve.
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Deep Side-Parted Wavy Bob
Jada Pinkett Smith is giving off retro vibes with this deep side-parted wavy bob. We love how it perfectly frames her face and allows her to show off her undulating texture. To give your curls structure and bounce, ask your stylist to incorporate strategic layers into your cut.
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Sultry Side Part
Leave it to J.Lo to make glamorous waves look attainable. And her side part flatters her diamond-shaped face.
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Angled Bob
When Mila Kunis debuted her chic angled bob, we instantly turned into the heart-eyed emoji. Bobs are versatile, easy to style (and maintain), and the cut blends well with hair that has natural movement. "This hairstyle is so flattering, especially if you have a square jawline that you want to soften," adds celebrity hairstylist, Anastasia Stylianou.
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Asymmetric Bob
Give your lob an unexpected twist with a slightly asymmetrical cut. Paired with tousled strands and a bold brow, the look is all-around statement-making.
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Root-to-Tip Waves and A-Line Bob
Jennifer Lawrence's blonde lob with root-to-tip waves and feathered layers is serving up some serious hairspiration.
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Accessorized Crimped Bob
Amp up your A-line bob with a bedazzled hair slide and crimped waves. They add volume and texture to fine tresses.
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Voluminous Short Bob
Let your hair do all the talking with this short 'do that doesn't skimp on volume. Ask your stylist for a cropped cut with longer pieces at the front. And don't forget the volumizing mousse.
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Long and Layered With Body
Long, thick hair weighing down your look? Opt for long, layered cuts over blunt ones.
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Long Shiny Layers
We're all about hairstyles that suit all hair types, and Iman's long-layered soft curl look fits the bill. Scott says to use a thermal protectant whenever applying heat to protect your color (and your tresses).
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Shoulder-Length With Curtain Bangs
Alexa Chung styles her famed curtain bangs with undone, messy waves and a cropped shoulder-length cut. "Two things stand out with this hairstyle: texture and attention to detail," notes Stylianou. Simply put: it just works. "Ask your hairstylist for some subtle freehand layers and bring the layers to life at the end with a dry texture spray," she adds.
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Wet-Look Curly Lob
Look closely and you'll see that RiRi's slight lift at the roots adds height to her lob and middle-parted fringe. Plus, her wet-looking curls are so red carpet.
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Shoulder-Length Ombré
Jessica Alba's shoulder-length cut won't weigh down finer hair textures, and the mid-shaft waves will fake volume in all the right places. "This hairstyle is great for diamond or oval face shapes," says Stylianou.
Byrdie Tip
Twist the hair once in a barrel, wrap it loosely around the tong, and leave it for a few seconds. Then pull out at the end as it cools down. You're not curling the hair—you are creating bends and movement.
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Graduated Bob
When it comes to putting in the effort, we're willing to take the plunge if it means good hair days are in our future. "This graduated bob with soft curls can be worn by anyone with fine to thick hair, but it is definitelyhigher maintenance," warns Scott.
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Old Hollywood Retro Waves
Could Jessica Biel look any more elegant? She exudes old Hollywood glamour with her sleek retro waves. If you have fine hair, use a thickening spray to fake texture.
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Tightly-Coiled Bob
Looking for some short bob inspo? Janet Jackson plays up hers with a warm caramel color. Scott recommends a smoothing blowout cream before styling with a molding paste for hold, definition, and texture.
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Cascading Waves
Winnie Harlow works it with her statement-worthy tresses. A chic middle part and long, cascading waves make for the perfect head-turning look. Work a small amount of curl-defining cream throughout hair to define waves and induce shine.
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Layers With Loose Curls
We can't tell what's hotter: Sofia Vergara's pink lipstick or swift layered haircut. Her bangs hit right at the chin, making a center-part, side-part, or sleek pull-back all great options.
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Flipped-Out Lob
When in doubt, flip it out. Especially ideal if your hair is lacking in the volume department, a wavy lob like this one on Olivia Culpo works well with blunt ends and a side-swept parting.
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Layers and a Side Braid
If ever there was a time to get layer-happy, Priyanka Chopra Jonas has proven it's here and now. Rather than a thick head of hair weighing down her look, the layers help to add balance and structure. Plus, we love that she paired her feathered ends with a simple side braid.
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Voluminous Natural Waves
Laura Harrier is giving us some major hair envy with her voluminous natural curls. Since curly hair tends to skew dry, Scott recommends adding lots of moisture with a curl enhancing cream.
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Swept-Back Updo
Hats off to Adele for taking our breath away with her voice and her red-carpet beauty looks. Here, she's sporting long layers and a medium-length style with tons of volume that frames her face perfectly.
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Fiery Red A-Line Lob
Taraji P. Henson takes her shoulder-length lob to the next level with this fiery red hue. We're totally digging the straight-back part and perfectly-coiled bends all throughout.
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Vintage-Style Lob
Vintage waves get a modern makeover with this shoulder-hovering bob. The smaller the curling iron you use, the tighter the curl will be.
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Ear-Grazing Pixie
Growing out your pixie? This ear-grazing crop looks fabulous paired with long bangs and a few passes of a curling wand. Plus, the warm blonde color makes it a show-stopper, no matter the length.
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Long, Loose Waves With Shine
Looking to keep your length—and then some? Let Demi Lovato's long, undulating tresses serve as your inspo. Long layers beginning just below the chin help to bring out your natural waves and lend movement.
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Messy Fringe
A messy fringe and layered shoulder-length cut are all you need to look effortlessly cool like model, Freja Beha Erichsen's.
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Textured Shoulder-Length Lob
If you have fine to medium hair texture, opt for a versatile blunt shoulder-length lob—it's equal parts fun and fresh yet can be sleek and chic when the time calls for it. Douse hair with a dry texturizing spray for a matte look, like Katy Perry's.
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Face-Framing Layers
Fine-haired folks, listen up: If you don't want to go full-throttle with layers, opt for a longer, one-length cut with subtle face-framing pieces. Scott says it keeps the hair looking thick while the shorter pieces around the face give it style.