Style Hair Short Hairstyles The Best Short Hairstyles of 2018 By Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon Wells Mary Shannon is an Associate Digital Editor and has been on the Southern Living team since 2017. She helps run the brand's social media accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and TikTok, where she's happily behind the scenes. When she's not ruffling feathers with an etiquette poll via Instagram Stories, she's writing content for the website and assisting in various print projects like gift guides and home stories. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 9, 2019 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Jon Kopaloff/Stringer/Getty Images Looking back on some of our favorite haircuts from the past year, 2018 brought some of the best short haircuts ever. Long hair no longer reigns supreme on red carpets, and natural textures were at the forefront of short styles this year. Bangs have never been more popular either, from shaggy looks to bold straight-across bangs. The start of a new year is a great time for a fresh look at the hair salon, and this is the best inspiration from the year. Whether you're looking for a trendy pixie, bob, lob, or somewhere in between, these short haircuts are fabulous. It wasn't easy to narrow down, but these are the best cuts of 2018. 01 of 19 Let These Short Styles Inspire you 02 of 19 Yara Shahidi's Curly Blunt Bob with Bangs Emma McIntyre/Getty Images Yara Shahidi hit all the best hair trends in one—bangs, natural curls, and blunt bobs. This look is sophisticated but fun, and totally doable for everyday wear. 03 of 19 Jenna Dewan's Asymmetrical Lob Jon Kopaloff/Stringer/Getty Images Asymmetrical cuts are having a major moment, and no one does it better than Jenna Dewan. Glamorous waves soften this modern cut, but it looks incredible when worn sleek and straight. 04 of 19 Zoe Kravitz's Textured Pixie George Pimentel/Getty Images Pixies are back and better than ever. With a texturizing mousse and some ruffling, you can rock a texturized look like Zoe Kravitz's that creates major dimension. 05 of 19 Viola Davis's Natural Curls Randy Holmes/Getty Images The past few years, celebrities like Viola Davis have taken charge of encouraging women to embrace their natural hair, and 2018 broke major ground for depicting natural hair in popular culture. Her curls are gorgeous, and this length is juuuuust right. 06 of 19 Rose Byrne's Curtain Bangs Manny Carabel/Getty Images In case you haven't heard, bangs are going to be everywhere in 2019, but the trend kicked off in 2018. Retro styling is popular, so curtain bangs like Rose Byrne's are on trend in two ways. Curtain bangs flatter any face shape, and they're easy to grow out. 07 of 19 Emma Stone's Delicate Headband David M. Benett/Getty Images Emma Stone has always been a fabulous hair icon. Regardless the color, her lobs and bobs are consistently incredibly styled. This simple headband is right on brand for 2018 and 2019—minimalistic but beautiful. 08 of 19 Helen Mirren's Long Pixie Steve Granitz/Getty Images Helen Mirren is an icon in every sense of the word, including in the beauty sphere. This long pixie is fresh and easy. A long pixie has more styling options than shorter styles, including simple, classic looks like this. 09 of 19 Olivia Wilde's Balayage Randy Holmes/Getty Images Balayage is the hair coloring technique that is guaranteed to bring natural looking results. Olivia Wilde's sun-kissed strands fade into caramel and light brunette tones, which creates a dimensional look. With lighter strands up front, her color job mimics the natural way her hair would react in the sun. 10 of 19 Kerry Washington's Major Side Part Walter McBride/Getty Images Kerry Washington knows the quickest no-product way to add volume is pulling a deep side part. Side parts were big on runways in 2018, and they're a fun, no-cut route to switching up your look for any texture. 11 of 19 Alexa Chung's Barrettes Mike Marsland/Getty Images We never thought we'd say this, but many of the fashion and beauty trends from the '90s came back in 2018, and hair accessories were on the list. While we're not pulling out our butterfly clips, barrettes like Alexa Chung's show a grown-up and classy way to pull off hair accessories that didn't come from Claire's (you'll be missed, Claire's). 12 of 19 Jourdan Dunn's A-Line Bob Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Subtle A-line cuts like Jourdan Dunn's were big in 2018. These cuts gently become longer in the front, which makes the hair look thicker and the face look slimmer. If done correctly, A-line haircuts look edgy but easy and flatter most face shapes. 13 of 19 Mila Kunis's Full Bangs Jon Kopaloff/Stringer/Getty Images If you've ever considered cutting bangs, now is the time. Bangs were popular in 2018 and are riding into 2019 with looks like Mila Kunis's full bangs. You don't want to go too crazy with styling when you have full bangs, so a simple lob like this is perfect. 14 of 19 Janelle Monae's Retro Pixie Taylor Hill/Getty Images Like we said earlier, retro looks are here to stay. Although you'd normally think of old Hollywood curls on long hair, Janelle Monae found the perfect way to take the trend short. Finger waves are another way to style pixies with a little retro flair. 15 of 19 Vanessa Hudgens' Face-Framing Layers Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Face-framing layers like Vanessa Hudgens' will flatter with any face shape or hair texture. This look is a subtler take on the asymmetrical cut, and it's an easy update if you need a refresher at your next salon visit. 16 of 19 Danai Gurira's Shaved Style Araya Diaz/Getty Images Although Danai Gurira originally shaved her head for her role in "Black Panther," she was a major influence and inspiration for girls with short hair or shaved styles. With fun designs and gorgeous beauty looks on every red carpet, she shut down misconceptions that long hair is prettier or more feminine than short. 17 of 19 Kate Hudson's Side-Swept Pixie John Shearer/Getty Images Kate Hudson perfectly demonstrated how to add texture to a mid-length pixie. This piece-y look is equal parts edgy and ladylike. With short layers and a little pomade, you can easily recreate this look for day or night. 18 of 19 Sandra Bullock's Babylights Michael Kovac/Getty Images Babylights are the most natural way to do highlights, and Sandra Bullock nailed this look. If you've never had highlights or need a little update, babylights are your best choice. Like her coppery babylights complement the natural undertones of her deep brunette, babylights bring out the best of your natural look. 19 of 19 Gabrielle Union's Classic Bob Roy Rochlin/Stringer/Getty Images You can never go wrong with a classic, and a bob like Gabrielle Union's is timeless. There's enough length for updo styling opportunities, but the chin-framing cut flatters her heart-shape face. A side part and one or two layers up front further flatter her face, but this cut keeps it simple all the way around. When in doubt, the bob won't let you down. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit