Presenting, 21 short curly hairstyles that are worthy of a big chop
Pass the scissors
Been debating a major haircut and in need of some short curly hairstyles inspo? You’ve come to the right place to browse a ton of ideas.
Because the truth is that all types of textured hair look super chic when worn short, be it in a layered pixie cut, a short bob or a teeny weeny Afro. The only thing you need to remember is that short styles need frequent trims to stay, well, short – so you have to be committed to those hairdresser visits. If you're someone that prefers a low maintenance kinda style, maybe just a lil curly hair styling refresher is what you need instead.
Whether you’re thinking about cutting longer curls a bit shorter, doing a big chop or your curls/coils are around short and you just need a little style switch up, we’ve scoured the celebrity archives to find a range of examples on different curl types to give you that much-needed inspo. Here are 15 short curly hairstyles to help you visualise a new look…
Halle Berry
Halle Berry has worn her curls in everything from a pixie to a long bob, and we love this asymmetric shorter bob on her.
Curly bob with French-girl fringe
Don't let having curly hair put you off rockin' the sweetest fringe. This is proof that it's in fact super-chic.
Jodie Turner-Smith
Here, the gorgeous Jodie Turner Smith wears her natural Afro fairly short and it SO suits her bone structure. (We’re also low key obsessed with that green liner.)
Ruth Negga
Ruth Negga’s curls are super defined in this shorter bob-length cut that perfectly shapes her face.
America Ferrera
HOW good do these choppy waves look on America Ferrera’s long, layered bob.
Lil' layers
A myth that has been perpetuated is that fine hair shouldn't be layered as you need all the weight to add thickness. No bueno, because how good do these uniformed layers look on type 3 curls? Dreamy.
Lupita Nyong’o
We love the deep side part on Lupita Nyong’o’s shorter Afro here.
Julia Garner
A longtime curly pixie cut wearer, here, Julia Garner sweeps her curls to one side with this partially slicked back style.
Rihanna
We love Ri Ri’s short coily pixie cut here. She wore this look to an event celebrating Fenty Hair so no doubt some of her products were used to create the look.
In a flap
Flapper-esque finger waves and kiss curls were all over the 2025 Met Gala so if you've got cropped curls, this is a need-to-try-look.
Cynthia Erivo
We are so used to seeing Cynthia's completely shaven head or her Wicked micro braids we forget she rocked this stunning bleached blonde TWA.
Audrey Tautou
Audrey Tautou’s ultra thick layered pixie cut is serious French girl vibes.
Viola Davis
We love the height and volume of this short and coily style on Viola Davis.
Michaela Coe
Another great example of a TWA – AKA teeny weeny Afro – on Michaela Coel.
Solange
We are seriously into this curly blonde moment on the gorgeous, and frankly hair chameleon, Solange Knowles.
Slide away
Pretty and practical, stock up on some slides to stop curls falling in your face. Yes it gives a cute damsel in distress vibe but constantly having to tuck tendrils behind your ears is not fun!
Meagan Good
Proof of just how chic a layered pixie can be on Meagan Good. We love.
Wet-look coils
Drench your curls/coils in curl cream and hair wax for just-stepped-off-of-the-catwalk vibes.
Jourdan Dunn
Nothing to see here, just a super strong case for the wet look wavy bob on Jourdan Dunn.
Amandla Stenberg
Just look at these gorgeous defined curls on Amandla Stenberg– the copper hue just makes the look even better.
Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
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