If anyone has mastered the art of the bob, we’d have to argue it’s Hannah Waddingham. Her shiny blonde bob has been our number one source of hair envy for years, and somehow, it just keeps getting better. Her latest look, the ‘flipped bob’, is all about face-lifting bounce. Consider us invested.
The 52-year-old actress looked phenomenal as she walked the red carpet at the 2026 Albies this weekend. Her gleaming gown may have caught the light, but nothing could steal our attention away from her bob, parted to the side, before falling into sculpted, flipped-up ends.
As it turns out, we’re not the only ones to be won over by the look. ‘I absolutely love this look,’ says Melissa Timperley, celebrity hair stylist and founder of Melissa Salons. ‘The deep side parting boosts volume through the roots, and it works beautifully with those exaggerated flicked ends. It’s a great example of how you can completely transform a classic bob just by changing the way you style it.’
The ‘flipped bob’, as Melissa explains, is defined by those upturned ends. ‘Instead of creating that traditional rounded shape, you’re directing the hair outwards, which creates width, movement and the illusion of more volume,’ she says.
While Melissa is a big believer that age shouldn’t dictate your haircut, if you’re looking for inspiration, she notes that this is an incredibly flattering style to copy.
‘The volume through the roots and around the cheekbones draws the eye upwards, which can give a really lovely lifting effect,’ she tells us.
She also notes that Hannah’s face-framing pieces work hard too. ‘Those shorter pieces really open up the face, creating softness and movement,’ she says. ‘I always explain to my clients that wherever your haircut finishes naturally draws attention to that part of your face. The same applies to face framing. Where those shorter pieces sit can really enhance your cheekbones, eyes or jawline.’
On Hannah, you can really see this theory in action, with the shorter pieces falling at her cheekbones and emphasising her incredible bone structure.
The look comes down to very clever styling, and while Hannah has a glam squad behind her, Melissa assures us it’s a style that’s easy enough to replicate at home.
For the star of the show – the flipped ends – Melissa recommends investing in a large tong or a hot brush. ‘You want to direct the ends outwards, away from the face, rather than curling them underneath. The trick is not to create too much of a curl, you just want that beautiful, exaggerated flick through the ends.’
‘One of my biggest tips is to let the hair cool completely before touching or brushing it out. Hair sets as it cools, so if you start playing with it while it’s still warm, you’ll lose that lovely shape much quicker.’
That said, if your hair is particularly stubborn and tends to drop quickly, Melissa says a spritz of Davines Sea Salt Spray can work wonders to help the style last. ‘It’s brilliant for adding a little grip and texture, particularly through the ends. I’d apply this to damp hair before styling to help give the hair a bit more hold.’
Consider Hannah’s look proof that even a simple styling tweak can give the classic bob a whole new lease of life.
