Reese Witherspoon's Throwback Pic Is The Only Bob Haircut Inspo You Need

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Hollywood figures have a long history of rocking inspiration-worthy hairstyles, with 2024 seeing some killer celebrity bobs. Reese Witherspoon is one star in particular who's stunned with her chin-length cuts. In fact, Witherspoon, who's had a head-turning hair transformation, shared a glamorous throwback look from 2002 that serves as great inspiration for those looking to embark on their own short-hair journey.

"Throwing it back to Baby Reese at her first Oscars!" Witherspoon wrote on Instagram in 2022, sharing a red-carpet photo from the star-studded event. The Nashville, Tennessee-raised actor channeled a mixture of Old Hollywood glam and flapper-era luxury with her hairstyle, with the cut featuring loose waves and side-swept bangs. Her hair was the perfect complement to her lacy black gown from Valentino, which featured crystal beading reminiscent of the 1920s and matched her clamshell handbag.

Makeup artist Molly R. Stern described Witherspoon's evening beauty look as "timeless." "I went with a wonderful Delux Beauty bronzy gold shadow called Burnish Bronze [now discontinued] all around her eyes to really make them pop," she told People. "Paired with a pigmented berry lip, she had the flavor of an old Hollywood starlet, with all the excitement of a modern ingenue."

While we don't know exactly how Reese Witherspoon achieved her glamorous bob hairstyle, the "Big Little Lies" actor has revealed a few hair-related tips and tricks over the years. In her 2018 book "Whiskey in a Teacup," she breaks down her simple, Southern-inspired hair-rolling routine — just make sure to avoid these critical mistakes when using rollers.

To achieve the perfect look, Witherspoon rolls her tresses in heated rollers and clips them down after applying mousse all over. "Get into the car to go wherever you're going with the rollers in your hair," she writes. "Pro tip: Roll down the window to let the outside air cool the rollers." Next, the actor takes out the rollers before disembarking at her destination. "Turn your head over, brush your hair upside down, and then flip it back," Witherspoon explains, encouraging generous use of hairspray. "Big hair is traditional, but in this day and age it is fully acceptable to go for shape over height." 

The "Legally Blonde" star also champions coconut oil, like Island Fresh's Organic Coconut Oil, as a must-have moisturizing product, telling Redbook that she avoids the roots during application and washes it out with shampoo. BeautyCounter's Shampoo and Conditioner are also among her go-to beauty products, she said in a 2019 interview with Oprah Daily. With these details in mind, you're one step closer to achieving the shiny, curled hair seen in Witherspoon's iconic bob look.