Why the Wob Is 2014's Coolest Haircut

With blow-dry bars popping up so frequently that they might soon rival Starbucks in ubiquity, it seems kind of strange that the hot hairstyle everyone is buzzing about is the opposite of a blowout. But as soon as Beyoncé took the Grammy stage last month, chin-length hair glistening in all its wet-look glory with moisture-soaked strands alternately clinging to her face and whipping about her, immediately women around the world wanted to know one thing: How do I get that wob?

The wob.

Don’t laugh, that’s really what people are calling it, as in wet bob. Wob. Miley Cyrus landed on the cover of W this month with a platinum wob that helped make her unrecognizable in the steamy photo spread, while Jessica Szohr and Kate Mara (two starlets known for their love of any cutting-edge trend) wore slightly drier versions on the red carpet recently. It's a bold look for sure. In an industry full of shellacked extensions, Beyoncé standing on the stage with a 'do that looked as if she’d just stepped out of the shower was supremely cool for its apparent lack of effort.

Related: The 18 Best Haircuts for Every Length

“The 'Beyoncé effect' is essentially the new 'Oprah effect.' If she says or does something, expect to see it everywhere,” George Papanikolas, Matrix celebrity stylist, tells Yahoo Shine. “Her wob onstage was super edgy and modern." And the key to making the wet look work lies in the length. "The chin-length shape works so well because you really can see all the texture and color and shine with the bob. It’s all one length, which really shows off the edgy elements," says Papanikolas. "With longer hair, the edge might get lost and it would just look more like wet, stringy hair.”

But if you aren't ready to commit to the wob, well, start with the bob. "Bobs are really suitable for any face shape and all sorts of hair textures," Damian Santiago, says stylist and co-owner of Mizu New York salon. "That’s why I call it the eternal bob. They will always be in style because they work for everyone."
 
To get the more everyday look,  Papanikolas advises using spray gel (a light one like Matrix Biolage Styling Blue Agave Nectar Control Gel that won't make hair too crunchy) all over damp hair and blow-drying with a diffuser, scrunching hair with fingers to create texture until it’s a little more than halfway dry. “The product you use is important," he insists. "It’s the difference between having hair that's soft and touchable and having hair that’s crispy.”

Photos: 12 Prettiest Beauty Looks at the Grammys

Next, apply a quarter-size dollop of a glossing cream like Bumble and bumble's Brilliantine through all of your hair, from root to tip (but more lightly at the roots) to get that sultry sheen. Then the most important step is the one you don't do: “Don’t touch it,” says Papanikolas. “Just leave it alone. If you keep messing with it, it will get frizzy and crunchy.”

That's it. That's all you need to do. If only fitting into Beyoncé's hot little outfits were this easy ...

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