Halle's Hair: Then and Now | Essence

01

Trademark Return

The Halle Berry Cut is back. The Oscar winner returned to her roots rocking her signature look this past weekend at a Spike TV awards show and made us fall in love with the do all over again. Take a peek at Berry’s evolving hairstyles throughout her fabulous career and tell us which style is your favorite.

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02

Glamorous Shag Swag

Halle burst onto the scene with this fringe cut and single-handedly made short hair hot.

03

Fresh Faced Vixen

She sported her signature short cut with face-framing curls to the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards.

04

Back to Her Roots

As versatile as she is beautiful, Halle can take risks with finesse. She donned a crown of flat twists and Bantu knots to the 1998 Blockbuster Awards.

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05

Blonde Ambition

The diva spices things up by going honey blonde. Take care of color-treated hair by deep conditioning weekly. One conditioner we love is Cantu Go Strong Strengthening Treatment, $4.99, drugstore.com.

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06

Wild Style

“I have fun experimenting,” says the film star. Halle switches between straight styles and natural textured curly styles with ease.

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07

Red-Carpet Ready

Halle has fun with her look on and off the red carpet. To get the piecey look that she has here, use a dime-size amount of Sebastian Molding Mud, 19.50, drugstore.com, and twist with your fingers.

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08

Low Profile

Short tapered styles like this one only need a little product to keep them in place.

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09

Crowning Achievement

Who can forget the night Halle became the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award for best actress? This simple spiked cut is the perfect complement to her colorful beaded Elie Saab gown.

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10

Scene Stealer

Piecy wisps, à la Halle Berry in “Swordfish.” “This style always looks a little messy,” says stylist Porsche Waldo. “It can be a great camouflage for new growth, because you can’t tell if it’s right or wrong.” Curl the crown under, then flip ends up and finger-shape.

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11

Chop Shop

2003
“I love short hair. I’m lazy when it comes to fussing with it,” says the star, who sparkles in an ultra-short wavy style at the 75th Annual Academy Awards.

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12

Beach Babe

Sporting a beachy wavy hairstyle at the “Gothika” world premiere, Halle Berry shows off her versatility. To get her do, gather your strands into a large center braid and sleep with it overnight. In the morning release the braid and randomly curl sections of hair with 1 ½ curling iron barrel.

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13

Bed Head

“Don’t get stuck on one style,” says New York stylist Marvin A. Carrington. “The most modern looks are disheveled and sexy-messy. It’s not about perfectly smooth hair.”

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14

Long & Lovely

Halle went for gorgeous long locks at the “Their Eyes Were Watching God” premiere. Add some body with a roller set for bouncy curls. Or try wrapping your hair around a large-barrel curling iron for looser waves.

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15

The X-Factor

Halle Berry sports a “storm” full off bouncy curls at the “X-Men 3: The Last Stand” premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Use hot rollers instead of a curling iron to achieve lush, romantic curls. For extra volume, set hair at the crown.

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16

She’s Bangin’

2007
Halle rocks some sexy bangs at the “Perfect Stranger” press event. Does this style suit Berry’s face shape? We want you to weigh in!

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17

Parting Ways

Looking for an effortless away to add some sex appeal to your do? Try parting your locks. Halle achieves a carefree yet chic look with a side part at the Jenesse Silver Rose Gala and Auction in Beverly Hills.

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18

Simple & Chic

“Being a red-blooded woman, I love that I get to change it (my hair) every hour if I want to. I have some of the best hairdressers in the business who create new styles for me.”

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19

Time for Change

2009
When it’s time for a change, consider a new cut. But you don’t have to chop it all off. Light layers like Halle’s or a side-swept bang can easily update your look.

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20

Less Is More

2009
“I’m shaving it off,” says Berry excitedly about her hair for an upcoming movie. She will produce and star in the novel turned movie “Nappily Ever After. “I know. Here comes the controversy, but I have to do it for the role. And it’ll grow back—I hope.”

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