Rihanna’s Greatest Hairstyles of the Last Decade
Rihanna is a famous singer who burst onto the scene 10 years ago when she was only 16-years-old. It was 2004 the first time we saw the singer from Barbados perform her first hit song, and she quickly became one of the most famous, most successful and most relevant pop stars in the world. The sultry singer has a great accent, an amazing voice and she’s become quite the performer. She underwent an unfortunate incident in her personal life several years ago when her then-boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, abused her after an award show. She’s since moved on and become even better. However, there is one thing that doesn’t change about Rihanna; she always has amazing hair. Her hair changes all the time, but what doesn’t change about her is the fact that she always manages to rock whatever new do she’s sporting. Here are some of our favorites over the past decade.
Long and Blonde
When Rihanna appeared in London for the Stella McCartney fashion show with long blonde locks that were pulled to one side, everyone fell in love with the look. It was one of her simpler hair styles, and it didn’t fail. She had dark roots, which gave it the kind of edgy look she always goes for. She sported this look for several months, not stopped with the long blonde locks until she was tired of the look. It wasn’t a surprise when they were there one day and gone the next, considering she’s the kind of superstar who doesn’t like to rock the same look for long. However, anytime she goes back to long blonde hair, it’s a good look for her. Most women with her skin tone choose the wrong shade of blonde, but the Barbados-born singer chose a killer shade that complemented her facial features and her edgy look.
Big and Curly
This is another of our favorite hairstyles from Rihanna. It was 2011 when the singer debuted this look at the V Festival of Hylands in London, and it completely rocked. The shoulder-length blonde curls were awesome on the singer. She rocked this style with a sort of bohemian look. She’s always dressed a bit on the bohemian side, but this was an era in which she did it just a little more frequently than others. It was with this particular hairstyle we saw a lot of high-waisted shored before they became stylish, white wash jeans and crop tops. She was years ahead of the game with this cut and the style she so carefully chose to go with it. We must say we loved the carefree style, and we wish she’d bring it back a little more often.
Sleek and Brown
When Rihanna showed up at the River Island store launch in London in 2013 with her sleek long hair, we were impressed. While we are talking about it, have we noticed yet that she tends to change up her hair anytime she goes to London? The gorgeous extensions were a rich medium brown that highlight her face and her features. Her choice style for this particular cut was to have it pulled around one side of her shoulder, which showed off her long, sleek neck and her slender features. The look was one we really loved on the gorgeous singer, because it’s a look that’s a bit more grown up and mature than we are used to seeing her. However, it’s also a look she didn’t forget to add her own signature to, shaving one side of her head almost completely and showing that off only when she parted her hair to the side and tucked it around the other side. It’s something we adored seeing because it was just so sleek and sophisticated. We love Rihanna, and we love this look. Sure, she’s young and fun, but there’s something so elegant and chic about a long cut with soft waves and an upscale appearance.
Short and Bright Red
This is a classic Rihanna hairstyle. The pop star is known for her occasionally wild hair choices, and this one is the epitome of wild. Short and bright red, this hair screams, “Notice me!” which is exactly what we think she wanted when she chose this bold hue. This is the hairstyle she chose to rock at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, and it was just as bold as her music and performances were that particular year. What we liked most about this style is the length. Just over the shoulders but below the ears, she managed to make this color a bit demure. The cut really distracted from the boldness of the color, which means that she was able to keep it classy even though it’s not a color one normally associates with class and elegance. However, the cut made the color.
Long and Elegant
This is the hair that Rihanna debuted just before she decided to shave one side of her head. For a few weeks before she showed up with that look, she had long hair all around. The light brown with rich golden highlights and lowlights was perfect for her, and never more so than when she parted it simply down the middle. When she wore it straight or wavy, the look was elegant and sophisticated. She was definitely on top of her game here, and she was not afraid to show off her more elegant and mature side. Of course, she’s never one to keep a hairstyle for long, so it wasn’t too much longer before she ditched half of this style to shave the underside of one side of her head for something else, but we still loved it while it lasted.
Short with Bangs
It takes someone with a gorgeous face and a lot of confidence to rock a bowl cut, and Rihanna is just that woman for that. When she decided to forgo her long locks for a jet black bowl cut, the world wasn’t shocked, but we were envious. It’s not often you come across a woman with the body and face to work any hairstyle she tries, no matter how awful it might look on the rest of the women in the world. It was 2009, which was long before the rest of the women in Hollywood began cutting their hair short. It’s yet another example of just how quickly she can start a trend and make women all over the world cut their hair and try new things. The bowl cut was something a lot of boys rocked in the early 90s, but we’ve never seen a woman with a bowl cut we liked. That is, until Rihanna decided to get this cut and wear it like a true rock star.
Dark Pixie
We’ve never, ever, ever seen Rihanna look more amazing than she did in 2012 when she performed at the London (See, there it is again…) Paralympics with Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Decked out in a red dress with short, dark hair cut like a Pixie, she took the Anne Hathaway cut to a whole new level. There is nothing more flattering on the singer than this gorgeous hair cut, and she’s been rocking it over and over throughout the years. She must realize that this is the cut and color that make her look her absolute most amazing, which is why she continues to rock it whenever possible. While we’d love to see her utilize this gorgeous cut a bit more often, we’d kind of hate to see Rihanna stick to just one thing for a long period of time. We’ve gotten so used to her constant state of change that we’d kind of miss it. Besides, how would we know what everyone’s hairstyle was going to look like 2 years later if Rihanna didn’t rock it first? This is the same hairstyle that Halle Berry has been rocking for many years and Anne Hathaway has been doing the past years, and it suits Rihanna beautifully.
Blonde and Spiked
There is something so undoubtedly cool about a woman that can spike her short hair and show off her dark roots above her blonde locks that we just can’t help but love. Few women have what it takes to spike their hair and make themselves look as bold and brash as Rihanna, but it really works for her. When she showed up, fur coat and all, to the 52nd annual Grammy Awards with this cut, it was considered very edgy. It’s usually a bit of a tame event without much in terms of bold clothing or anything too out-there, but Rihanna has never been one to believe overly much in style rules. Her concept is that if she can rock it, she’s going to rock it. There are no rules when it comes to appropriate hair and clothing for this singer; and that’s part of what makes her so phenomenal in the eyes of fashionistas everywhere.
Pixie Cut with Swept Bangs
The pixie is a cut we always love on Rihanna, but we especially liked the cut when she added long, sweeping bangs. Again, this is a hairstyle she had several years ago, yet we are just now seeing other stars and regular women begin to cut this style. It’s like there’s someone in Rihanna’s head telling her to cut her hair this way or that way because she’s going to be the first to do it, around two years before anyone else has the idea to rock the same cut. She’s such as fashion powerhouse. The only person she didn’t beat to the punch with this one is singer Pink, who has been spiking her short, blonde hair since the beginning of time. However, Rihanna still gets credit for making this a popular hairstyle among women, since it wasn’t until she rocked the look that it became so famous.
Red and Partially Shaved
What’s an even cooler way to have bright red hair than in a short cut? How about in an even shorter cut with a super awesome shaved design on the side of one’s head? Of course! It’s the perfect hair cut, color and style for singer Rihanna. Everything about this cut is edgy and screams, “Tell me I’m not beyond stylish and amazing!” and it totally works for her. With one side of her head shaved and the top a bold red, she knows how to rock this look to the fullest. The top is always teased and brushed over to one side in a very Jessica Rabbit look. It’s something that only a few women in the world could pull off. It has less to do with her appearance and a lot more to do with his sheer rock star status and level of confidence. A woman who is able to shave one side of her head and figure out how to continue looking feminine and lovely without immediately beginning to look like some sort of thug is amazing in our book.
Blonde and Shaved
When she tired of the red, shaved, short look, she went back to her love of blonde hair. Rihanna got rid of the red and traded it in for a softer blonde color that was actually almost golden. She continued to wear it in the same style, only changing the color. It worked for her, though. She was able to rock the look that was only slightly different than the one she had before. The blonde was a little bit less brash, but it was still edgy; a perfect look for the star. The shaved sides stayed a dark color, and she kept her roots dark as well. It’s another look she likes. When Rihanna goes blonde she does not ever color her roots. She always leaves them dark, as if she has several weeks of grown out hair under her color. Why she does this when the rest of the world goes back to the salon every few weeks to hide that is beyond us. We just wish this style would catch on a little faster.
Photos by Getty Images
