Hairstyle How-To: Taylor Swift's Retro Curly Faux Bob

By Zuzana Ritchie, Beauty Writer and Make-Up Artist

One of the most standout hairstyles on the red carpet of the VMA Awards was undoubtedly Taylor Swift’s take on retro. And despite her signature long hair, she managed to fake a bob. Here’s how:

1. Prep the hair by shampooing and conditioning. Apply styling mousse or your favourite heat-protecting styling product into towel-dried hair.

2. Blow-dry your hair straight with a big paddle brush. This ensures a shiny and glossy texture before curling it.

3. Start curling 2-inch sections with a conical curling wand or medium-barrel curling tongs. Begin to curl around the face first. Curl in the direction of your face. Release each curl from the wand, keep it curled around your finger while holding it close to the scalp then clip it under with a hairclip so the curl shape is preserved.

4. Holding the wand vertically curl the back of your head in random directions, towards your face, left and right. Pin each curl tightly to your scalp. Fix with a hairspray and allow them to cool.

5. Release the curls. If you have longer hair you need to create an illusion of a bob length. Pin each curl at the back of your hair under, at the nape. Twist them a little, so the vertical curls are shorter to pin. Secure with a pin at the mid-length of each curl and let the bottom end of a curl hang out a little.

6. Get retro-creative with a vent brush and front curls. Gently brush out the curl at the top and the one on your main side (choose which side suits you best). To maintain the retro styling, try to create a repeated S-shape of these two front curls by brushing them and pining them, repeatedly mimic this S-shape and keep the curls at the bob length.

Top Tip: Jazz up this hairstyle with a gem-encrusted, decorative hairclip on one side.

By Zuzana Ritchie, Beauty Writer and Make-Up Artist