The hairdressers’ secrets to getting the best bob… and the style you must not get if you’re over 50

We are about to enter the new cutting season. Is there an ancient human rhythm that dictates this? When winter sets in, I love letting my locks grow. As soon as the sun rises, I crave a bite: something flirty and fleeting to emphasize what’s left of my bone structure.

Priyanka Chopra, 41, took advantage of exactly this kind of spring affair in Rome last week.

She modeled a 200-carat Bulgari choker and wore a boxy, choppy bob—tousled and current—to show off her rocks. The next day she had tumbling locks again, so it must have been a wig or extensions. Still, the star looked so gorgeous with her shorter haircut that there might be a cut in it.

George Northwood says: ‘Big, puffy bobs look great – and somewhat ironic – on Zendaya (pictured), because she’s young and cool. But that’s quite a middle-aged haircut.”

In the 1960s, you couldn’t say “bob” without thinking of Vidal Sassoon and his stern, angular incarnation, befitting fantastic beauties.

These days, you can’t say the term without conjuring up George Northwood, the king of the flowing, universally flattering 21st-century bob.

Spring skin scents

Acne Studios x Frederic Malle (£200, libertylondon.com

A sparkling and sublime, crystalline fragrance with sweet and floral notes.

Maison Crivelli Iris Malikhan (from £90, Selfridges

An exquisite iris offset by green musk, mimosa and amber elements.

Experimental Perfume Club Pistachio Haiku (from £45, experimental perfumeclub.com)

A nutty opening that evolves into a cedar and resin base with a real neck look in summer.

Narciso Rodriguez for Hair Musc Nude (£50.40, lookfabulous.com)

Musky skin scent infused with jasmine, rose and tonka bean.

& other stories Plants illustrated (£29, stories.com/en)

Green, with underlying earthiness; pear and black pepper transition into musky woods.

When asked for his opinion, George says: ‘My bob is always a little loose – even though it’s straight and sleek – nothing too tight or dated, but feels natural and effortless.’ Or, as we know it, “The Alexa,” named after his longtime muse, Alexa Chung.

But what about the style that obsesses Northwood? “What fascinates me is that a bob is a strong, powerful cut,” he says enthusiastically. ‘I love the power of the bob. I love the timelessness of it and that it is easy to grow out of. It’s a great way to make impactful changes while providing a cut that’s easy to maintain. Alexa’s was iconic, and now we have Zendaya’s. The bob is always a defining moment in someone’s career.’

So how should you do it? George claims there’s a bob for everyone: ‘If you have hard facial features, go for a softer, looser, choppy bob. But if you have soft facial features, you can get a harder, blunt bob, which adds definition and frames the face.

‘If you have a round face, avoid bangs [which cuts the shape in half], and keep it one length.’ In 2021, George championed the ‘Flob’, or straight iron bob, for which he created a YouTube tutorial – if you want to try it yourself at home.

This summer we have a number of options. Vogue has indeed mapped 11: the princess, Italian, emo, mermaid, glamour, mob, bubble, micro, beachy, rough and sleek.

George simplifies things: “There are really two ways to go: the extreme chopped, chopped bob. Or what I call a ‘purist bob’, which is natural, very graphic, one length all the way around, but worn loose.”

When I tell him I love Zendaya’s voluminous, less structured, S-shaped, Hollywood legend version, he warns, “Big, puffy bobs look great, and somewhat ironically, on Zendaya because she’s young and cool.” But that’s quite a middle-aged hairstyle.

‘To a middle-aged person it will look sloppy. Granny chic looks different on a fifty-year-old.’ Point taken.

If you’re after a glassy look à la Hailey Bieber, Color Wow’s Dream Coat Supernatural Spray (now £22.95, lookfantastic.com) is the key.

This selling-by-the-minute wonder features heat-activated droplets that cross-link to form a water-resistant veil for a smooth finish that lasts up to two to three shampoos.

For those who travel with their bob, invest in small travel straighteners. I have a pair that must be almost a quarter century old, but they picked me out when I had a brand new bob that I couldn’t yet control in the midst of crazy humidity. Stylocks Mini Hair Straightener (£13.72, amazon.co.uk is a bargain).

Race there!

Beauty Pie Holly Willoughby’s On-the-Glow Edit (members, £55; non-members, £133, beautypie.com) launched last week. This collection features the presenter’s ‘no-mirror need’ kit, her favorites for lips, cheeks and lashes, housed in a chic, transparent case.

My icon of the week: Gillian Anderson

Actress Gillian, 55, calls Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (£42, spacenk.com) ‘a huge part of my life’. Make-up artist Florrie White used British midlife brand Reeson Bronzing Balm (£38, reesonbeauty.com) on the movie star to great effect. Gillian also likes Sarah Chapman Skinesis products (from £13, sarahchapman.com)

Cosmetic desire

Legions of us sigh about our sagging and drooping eye areas, especially as we get older, and correcting them is one of the most popular cosmetic surgical procedures these days.

By comparison, eye creams can feel like a lot – more of an act of faith than something that makes a visible difference. This is why Dermalogica Phyto Nature Lifting Eye Cream (£115 for 15ml, dermalogica.co.uk) feels so revolutionary. After one night of use, you look at yourself the next morning and see a noticeable lift.

Powerful peptides, botanical blends and CoQ10 (an antioxidant used for growth and whose concentrations decrease with age) provide an immediate firming and firming effect and protect against free radicals.

It’s not cheap, but it does offer serious bang for your buck.