RiRi, Rih, Barbados Babe, or the Caribbean Queen: Call her as you please, but we all admit that Rihanna is a hairstyle beast. The power princess carries an aura of carelessness of other’s opinions and has relentless confidence in her avant-garde style. Because we, Her Campus UCSD, loves how daring the pop singer is with her hair, we compiled a list of Rihanna’s Top 5 Hairstyles that only our trendiest collegiettes would try.
1. Classy with an Edgy Twist
Rihanna added a twist to the common long, luscious locks looks, and shaved off part of her scalp to create an edgy, sexy look. We have seen a lot of collegiettes sporting a shaved look around campus and can’t get enough of it! Recreate this look by first, cutting the desired portion of hair as short as possible with a good pair of clippers. Then, pair a good razor or shaver with a nourishing shaving cream and shave away. Finally, apply a generous amount of scalp specified aftershave. Sport this hairstyle with an all-black ensemble, and you will look like the baddest b*tch in town.
2. Bantu, Won’t You?
Beautiful bantu knots are an effective way of keeping hair out of your face during lecture and getting double-takes around campus all day. My housemate actually went as Rihanna in bantu knots at a Halloween rave. Guess who did the hair? You guessed it, me! To achieve a bantu knot look, prep your hair by washing, conditioning, and brushing out your fringe. Then, section out portions of your hair, apply hair spray, and twist the hair until you get little coils. Once you have tight coils, secure them with tiny, elastic hair ties that match your hair color. Continue creating coils around your cabeza for a full bantu knot look.
3. Hoist your Hair with a Coiff
As much as we love the coiffed hair look on our dreamiest celebrity crushes (David Beckham never gets old), we can’t help but notice how well Rihanna rocks her coiffed, mohawk look. To create a mohawk, shave the sides and back of your hair as instructed in the first hairstyle. Then, use a styling product, such as a hair gel or hair clay, to push your mane upwards. Style the locks until you get the desired look. Lock the finished product with a hairspray and blow dryer. In addition to Rihanna’s bold hairdo, the Barbados beauty bleached her hair to a light brown/dark blonde hue. If you plan on going from a dark color to a much lighter color, I highly recommend getting your hair done by a hairdresser. Bleaching hair will damage your precious locks, so make sure you are taking all precautionary measures when making this drastic color change.
4. Now I’m FourFiveSeconds From Wildin’
The silver hair trend is often spotted around college campuses by the trendiest of fashionistas. Rihanna first brought an uproar to this wild trend by coloring her hair silver back in 2013. To achieve this look, you must have very light colored hair. Use a bleach to lighten your strands if necessary. Then, use a grey-hue toner with a low volume developer until the desired hair tone is achieved. Your silver locks may not be gold, but you will definitely shine bright like a diamond.
5. Blunk Hair for a Blunt Girl
Our final recommended hair style is a blunt hair cut to match our colliegettes with loud personalities. Have your stylist cut a blunt bob with straight bangs; do not have your hairdresser layer or thin out your hair. If you have curly locks, this hairstyle will be extremely versatile; you could leave your hair curly for “I woke up like this” days, and straighten your hair for “Don’t mess with me” days. The hairstyle will provide you with the power and confidence necessary to tackle any day.
Channel your inner RiRi, be unapologetic, act like the only girl in the world, and show the world that your hairdo “ain’t nobody’s business”!