Gone are the days when you needed tons of blowouts just to hide or manage your naturally curly hair. These days, Hollywood is embracing those ringlets and coils and lots of black celebrities with curly hair are all here for this new trend.
Check out this article to discover these African American celebrities who wear their curly hair loud and proud if you want to finally say goodbye to relaxed and straightened hair and hello to the naturally curly you.
Black Celebrities with Curly Hair
If you want to show off your curly hair, here are some of the best curly-haired black celebrities you should take notes from.
1. Alicia Keys – Low Pigtails + Hair Rings
Here’s Alicia Keys keeping her look sleek yet still fun. She went with low pigtails so her hair is sleek at the top yet wild and curly at the bottom. As if the looks weren’t playful enough, she even accessorized it with hair rings for added pizzazz.
2. Ari Lennox – Top Coily Ponytail
Show off your curls in all their glory by pulling them off into an eye-catching top ponytail. In this way, you can enjoy bouncy curls and a curl-free face at the same time. It’s a win-win for both your gorgeous hair and amazing facial features.
3. Beyoncé Knowles – Bronde Medley + Dark Roots
When it comes to black celebrities with naturally curly hair, Queen Bey is definitely at the top of her game.
She made sure that her bouncy curls would be the apple of everyone’s eye by dyeing them in attention-grabbing shades of brown and blonde, making it seem she has a spotlight with her wherever she goes.
4. Danai Gurira – Ultra-short Pixie + Hair Art
The curly-haired American actress, Danai Gurira made waves when she debuted her short-copper curly ‘do and this pixie is the grown-out version of that.
As if its short length were not eye-catching enough, she even added tribal hair art that symbolizes her ancestral African roots.
5. Gabrielle Union – Layered Hair + Side Part
To tame and showcase your wild curls at the same time, one of the black celebrities with curly hair to copy is Gabrielle. She went for a layered ‘do with a side part which gives her hair a lively boost while keeping it in place at the same time.
6. Halle Berry – Copper Brown Curls + Middle Part
One of the most famous black Hollywood actresses over 50, Halle Berry kept her curly hairstyle simple yet sophisticated. She went for middle parting, balancing off her curly hair and opening up her face.
As a result, she enjoys the best of both worlds since she gets to show off both her curls and her pretty face at the same time.
7. Issa Rae – Sleek High Ponytail
Jo-Issa Rae Diop, famously known as Issa Rae loves to get stunning hair colors on her curly hair. Whoever thought that it’s impossible for curly hair to look sleek is wrong, and Issa is one of the black celebrities with naturally curly hair to prove that.
To achieve that polished look, she wore a tight high ponytail and left the rest of her hair in its naturally wild state.
8. Janelle Monae – Double High Buns
For an out-of-this-world take on updos, these double high buns should be at the top of your list. With these, you don’t just get to keep hair away from your face, but you also get to add a cool and rocking vibe to your hairstyle!
9. Janet Jackson – No-part Low Ponytail
You don’t have to cut your hair to sport a curly bob. Take a page from Janet’s hairstyle book and opt for a low ponytail like hers instead. She also added amber highlights to her curls to make them pop even more.
10. Jaz Sinclair – Copper Layered Lob
If you’re not afraid of voluminous curls, then Jaz Sinclair should be your hero. You can achieve a curly hairstyle like the models ‘do by adding lots of layers to your curls. Opt for a side part to tame the curls and make them more manageable.
11. Jennifer Hudson – Copper Stacked Bob
This celebrity bob hairstyle is famous among fashionable black women. Look every inch like the diva Jennifer Hudson is by copying her curly hairstyle.
The stacked bob also has the same voluminous effect. But since it has shorter layers at the top and back, it gives off a more interesting shape.
12. Kelly Rowland – Pinned-Back Curly Long Hair
Curly-haired famous singer Kelly’s center parting and pinned-back hairstyle is the best combination to achieve that elegant formal hairstyle.
With her hair parted at the center and the front hair strands pinned back, she’s letting her beautiful facial structure take the spotlight.
13. Kerry Washington – Updo with Curly Fringe
Kerry shows us how to harness the face-framing power of bangs. By leaving a few hair strands at the front, she gets an instant curly fringe that conceals her forehead and frames her face perfectly.
14. Macy Gray – Auburn Micro Bob + Golden Highlights
Highlights and curly hair work so well like peanut butter and jam. Macy’s golden highlights brightened up her complexion and added dimension and texture to her curly hair.
15. Mariah Iman Wilson – Double Bun Half-do
For a youthful version of Janelle’s double buns, try Mariah’s double bun half-do. It’s a great hairstyle for getting the playful look of space buns while letting your curls run wild.
16. Novi Brown – Natural Black Shoulder-length Hair + Deep Side Part
Novi Brown is an advocate for natural hair so she likes to wear hers loud and proud like her hairstyle. The deep side part gave her hair a volume-boosting asymmetrical shape.
17. Oprah Winfrey – Dark Brown Hair + Copper Highlights
Oprah really does know everything, including how to make her curls more noticeable. She gilded her curls with copper highlights which makes them extra shiny, especially when the sunlight hits her hair.
18. Taraji P. Henson – Golden Copper Asymmetrical Layered Bob
Taraji is one of the black celebrities with naturally curly hair who’s free-spirited and fun-loving and this hairstyle proves it. With her asymmetrical cut and different layers, she showcases her bouncy curls in the most playful way possible.
19. Thandie Newton – High-Crimped Ponytail
Thandie Newton has sported all types of ponytails, but this one’s quite different because it shows off her naturally curly hair. The best part about her look is she didn’t pull the ponytail too tight which resulted in a crimp-like texture that made her look more captivating.
20. Tiffany Haddish – Braided Half Hairstyle
For a romantic look, this combination of curly hair and braids is the way to go. The half-crown braid will instantly make you look like royalty while the curly hair will give it the whimsical touch it needs.
21. Tika Sumpter – Top Crimped Ponytail
Tika Sumpter is the best hair inspo for women with type 3c curls. She loves displaying her tiny coils in all their glory but in a more refined yet still flirtatious way like this top ponytail.
22. Viola Davis – Grown-out Short-Cropped Hair
When it comes to black celebrities with curly hair, it’s Viola who you should idolize if you love to wear your hair au natural. This grown-out pixie cut displays all her beautiful curls in a chic and edgy way.
Your naturally curly hair is beautiful and it’s about time that you wear it loud and proud. So go ahead and take your cues from these black celebrities with curly hair on how it should be done.
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