Forget Botox – why The Bob is the secret weapon to making you look younger
BOBS are back as we emerge from the pandemic and swap long locks for shorter styles.
Singer Nicole Scherzinger, 43, is the latest star with a chin-length cut, following TV host Holly Willoughby, 41, and Love Islander Molly-Mae Hague, 22.
Celeb hairstylist Lee Stafford, whose team were behind Posh Spice Victoria Beckham’s iconic 2006 “pob”, left, says demand for the look is up.
He says: “Women had longer hair in lockdown and now want to change it up. A drastic chop can transform you and boost your confidence. My team gave Posh her ‘pob’ and I’ve seen normal people have their lives completely transformed by a bob.
“People used to call me the Soho Bob King. If a client wanted one, they would be sent in my direction.” Lee reckons a bob suits any face shape and can take years off – better than Botox.
He tells Siobhan O’Connor how celebs’ face shapes suit various bobs, before and after.
WINNIE HARLOW
Heart-shaped face, fringe
A FEW weeks ago on Instagram, Jamaican-Canadian model Winnie, 27, showed off a bob with fringe – not dissimilar to pop queen Beyonce’s look.
LEE SAYS: Hearts sometimes have larger foreheads. Short bobs with a fringe are great at balancing these out – the shorter the better, as it cuts the length of a longer face. This shape can pull off the harder, poker-straight, sleek look with ease. I love Winnie’s style with a fringe.
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MOLLY-MAE HAGUE
Round face, sleek and blunt cut
THE Love Islander, now creative director of fashion brand Pretty Little Thing, was known for her cascading tousled tresses. So the 22-year-old shocked fans after a trip to the hairdresser’s when she shared a picture of her sleek new look.
LEE SAYS: Molly-Mae’s bob is extremely sleek and blunt – a style which doesn’t suit everyone. But round faces tend to look more babyish and this cut gives Molly-Mae a more mature look by emphasising her cheekbones.
NICOLE SCHERZINGER
Diamond face, chin-length
SINGER Nicole shared her long-to-short transformation with a post on Instagram this week. The 43-year-old US star, a panellist on the Masked Singer and former X Factor judge, captioned her video: “This is your sign to try out a new hairstyle.”
LEE SAYS: Nicole has incredible jaw and cheekbone structure, so cutting her hair to chin level will highlight her diamond face shape. Her bob has also created a lot more volume – something we all want to hold on to as we age.
HOLLY WILLOUGHBY
Round face, shoulder-length
THE co-presenter of ITV’s This Morning and Dancing On Ice, with Phillip Schofield, has been another to lop a lot off. Holly, 41, has gone for a trim, sleek look but is keeping the parting.
LEE SAYS: As we age, our hair thins. So simply knocking off just a few inches can make a huge difference, adding more bounce and volume – both evident with Holly’s change. This longer, shoulder-touching bob, or lob, is ideal for Holly’s round-shape face, as it elongates it slightly.
KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN
Long face, sharp cut
AMERICAN reality star and supermodel Kourtney, 42, has undergone a dramatic style change. Gone are the long, boob-brushing locks, replaced with a shorter, sleeker style.
LEE SAYS: Long hair can lengthen your face further – not always easy to pull off when you have a long, oval face like Kourtney and her sisters. Shorter lengths create a sharp line with your cheekbones and jawline, so emphasising definition and creating an illusion of width.
JESSICA ALBA
Oblong face, soft style
THE US actress, and founder of baby and beauty goods firm The Honest Company, cut back her tumbling tresses in November, seven months after turning 40.
LEE SAYS: Jessica has a strong jawline and cheekbones – making a sharp, short haircut a great partner. She wears it soft and loose which softens her oblong face shape. As we age, we begin to lose definition of these features, but bobs are a great and simple way of showing what we still have, hence why it’s an age-defying trick.
ALEXA CHUNG
Elongated oval face, wavy bob
MODEL, fashion designer and TV presenter Alexa, 38, has long favoured a lengthier bob, or lob, but recently decided to go shorter.
LEE SAYS: Oval face shapes can be longer, so inching your hair up to reach the jawline or cheekbones always looks great. Oval is the perfect face shape so bobs always suit them. Opting for middle partings with a wave to the hair makes it more on-trend. Alexa has great bone structure, which is what you want to highlight with the hairstyle.
RAYE
Square shape face, big bouncy bob
THE 24-year-old Brit Award nominee is as well known for her bouncy bob as her voice. The Bed singer once had long pastel-pink hair before getting a bouncy lob, or long bob.
LEE SAYS: With wider cheekbones and a chiseled chin, Raye has a square face shape. Lobs like hers are great at elongating wider faces, while a side parting covers part of the cheek and jaw to give the illusion it’s narrower. This is the perfect look for the singer. A lot of her fans will be copying it.