Zendaya's Slicked-Back Hydro Bob Proves The Cut Is Actually So Versatile

The bob is undoubtedly the hottest haircut of the year — if not the decade — and it makes sense: The cut can easily be customized across hair types and textures, it’s relatively low maintenance, and it just feels fresh and modern. But in all my years in beauty, I’ve consistently seen the same bob “con” cited: “I can’t think of fresh ways to style it.” Leave it to one of our preeminent style icons, Zendaya, to offer a fresh solution to that problem, in the form of a swept-back, summer-ready hydro bob.

For an April 14 appearance at Las Vegas’ CinemaCon — where she was promoting her upcoming film Dune 3 — the actor paired a structural, sand-colored Schiaparelli skirt suit with matching pumps and swept-back strands. The hair, while controlled, didn’t look stiff or super-gelled: Just a little wet, as though she emerged from the sea, ran her hands through her bob, and had every hair fall perfectly into place off of her face. The fresh and neutral vibes carried through to the makeup, which consisted of radiant, rosy-neutral cheeks, a glossy, peachy-neutral lip, and a lash-heavy, brown smoky eye.

In some ways, the styling almost felt like a “business formal” take on the red-carpet glam the star recently wore to the Euphoria Season 3 premiere; that look consisted of a looser, more piece-y hydro bob (styled by Ursula Stephen) and a more dramatic brown smoky eye, paired with an ombré brown lip, courtesy of makeup artist Ernesto Casillas.

Considering her next big project, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, will likely be the auteur’s take on a classic, sword-and-sandals historical epic, there’s probably plenty more neutral vibes and beach-ready hair in Zendaya’s press-circuit future— so get ready for lots of summer beauty inspo.