Craving Romantic Waves? Try The Botticelli Bob
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5 days ago
Pretty as a picture
Super-sleek short hairstyles might have held the spotlight over the summer, but this season it’s all about soft romance. Channel your inner Renaissance woman with the Botticelli bob, the cropped cut bringing loose waves back into the spotlight.
What Is A Botticelli Bob?
‘A Botticelli bob is a playful and not-so-fussy, curly-textured bob,’ explains Anna Wiig, a hairstylist, colourist and the founder of wiig. ‘It can be any length, but it’s more about the slightly dishevelled curl.’
The look gets its name from artist Sandro Botticelli, whose paintings often depicted beautiful women with free-flowing, wavy locks. While Botticelli’s muses might have had hair trailing down to their waists, this new take brings Renaissance waves into the present with its shorter length and mildly messier style. ‘It is a Renaissance-inspired look,’ confirms Anna. ‘There’s less emphasis on structure and clean edges, as we see in a lot of other bobs. This one is more fun and easygoing, and can be styled easily with or without hot tools.’
@tomsmithhd Botticelli Waves #hairtrends #hairtok ♬ Renaissance avant-garde art string concerto B27 – CAMELLIA
Who Suits This Cut?
Think the Botticelli bob is just for the curly girls? Think again. ‘This look can be worn with any face shape and hair texture,’ notes Anna. ‘I would say that curly or textured hair works best, but this can be easily replicated with braids or styling tools.’
How To Ask For A Botticelli Bob In The Salon
This style of bob is created more through styling than cutting, although Anna says ‘you’ll want a bob with no layers’ to get the proper final effect. When asking for a Botticelli bob in the salon, indicate that you want a bob with loose, wavy styling. ‘As always, bring any photos along with you to show what you are looking for,’ adds Anna.
@caroisbored most of the time i‘m ecen to lazy for this tbh 😣 #curlyhair #curlybob ♬ bad idea right? – Olivia Rodrigo
How To Style A Botticelli Bob
‘This bob is all about soft, playful waves and texture, with no hot tools needed,’ says Anna. ‘If you don’t already have texture, then I would suggest styling it at night and sleeping in it. This means you can wake up in the morning and not worry about a full styling routine.’
When it comes to getting the ‘sleeper’ version of the look, Anna suggests you ‘start by applying a volume hold product to wet hair, then diffuse the hair at the roots – mainly so it’s not soaking wet, but leaving roughly 10 percent of the moisture in. Section your hair into four sections, like a hot cross bun section, and braid each section trying to start as high up as you can. Sleep on this and take it out in the morning.’
And when morning comes, all that’s left to do is ‘finger through the strands using something highly moisturising, such as a good quality hair oil, and focus on just the ends to create some definition.’
Don’t have time the night before? It’s still possible to get the look on the day. ‘If you don’t have time to sleep on it, still do the braids, but use a diffuser or grab an old sock that can go over the hair dryer to soften it and heat the hair up from top to bottom,’ recommends Anna. ‘Let it cool down and take the braids out.’
What Next?
Anna sees more modern modifications slipping into the look over time. ‘I could see this bob evolving by adding some soft, shorter bits at the front to frame the face,’ she notes. ‘But without going too short, or else it won’t curl as well!’
Hair Inspiration
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Featured image: London Fashion Week SS24 Street Style (c) Deborah Iona Photography, British-Fashion Council
