Beyoncè's 44 Best Hair Looks Prove Why She's a Total Beauty Icon

Beyonce with a half up half down, blonde hairstyle

@beyonce

Beyoncè has seen and done it all, and so has her hair. Over the last two decades, the iconic singer has graced stages and red carpets wearing nearly every style under the sun, from curls to cornrows. And when it comes to hair, she's also become equally known for experimenting with color, trading in her natural dark brown locks for stunning variations of blonde.

With an archive of hair looks just as iconic as her discography, it's hard to narrow down Queen Bey's best hairdos. But we managed to round up 44 of our favorites. Ahead, take a glimpse at Beyonce's best hair looks in the past two decades, along with some tips to help you follow suit.

01 of 44

Platinum Face-Framing Layers

Beyonce with face-framing straight platinum blonde hair.

@beyonce

Here's your reminder that Queen B looks good in every shade, including this icy white platinum. She rocked this face-framing cut and cool color post the "Renaissance" World Tour.

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Renaissance Curls

beyonce

@beyonce

Beyoncé is still in her "Renaissance"—and her hair looks from the tour were nothing short of stunning. These big, bouncy curls are just one shining example.

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Long Lengths

Beyonce with long straight platinum hair.

@beyonce

Long and luscious were the first words that came to mind when Bey unveiled this new 'do. In fact, this may be the longest hairstyle she's ever had, proving she's a versatile Queen.

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Top Knot

Beyonce with a sculptural top knot

@beyonce

This look is by no means your average bun. It's sculptural, defined, and a romantic, with curly tendrils at the nape and face left loose.

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Crème Brûlée Curls

beyonce

@beyonce

With the help of her go-to colorist Rita Hazan, Beyoncè has achieved her lightest blonde yet. Dubbed "crème brûlée blonde," the shade features three shades of blonde (baby, pale, and golden). When worn in a half-up, half-down style, it captures the golden gradient's beauty.

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Glass Waves

beyonce in dubai

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Wrapping your hair around a small barrel wand will give you the perfect wave pattern, but for that smooth, glass-like effect a la Bey, keep a conditioning shine spray on hand at all times.

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Platinum Waves

Beyonce with platinum waves

@beyonce

If there's one look that Beyoncé returns to time and time again, it's mermaid waves. This time, she tried the style in an icy platinum blonde with natural roots.

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Side Split

@beyonce side slit baby bangs

@beyonce

Put the side bang controversy aside. You can get the fringe, and side part too. Beyonce yet again sets an example that we can do it all.

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Tri-Color Curls

Beyonce

@beyonce

We told you: Beyoncé loves to play with color. This tri-color brown-blonde blend is such a stunning take on the ombré hair trend.

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All Brushed Out

beyonce at 63rd grammys

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

We're loving the Diana Ross vibes coming from Beyonce's brushed-out waves at the 2021 Grammy Awards. Leaving some natural texture brushed out beneath ironed waves is going to help gives the look that fluff factor.

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Pulled Back Curls

beyonce

@beyonce

These loose curls are undoubtedly gorgeous. However, we're more so obsessed with Bey's chocolate brown and light brown hair color. It's such an eye-catching blend.

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Hollwood Curls

beyonce

@beyonce

Everything about this look screams Old Hollywood glamour. Bey's auburn brown hair makes her cascading curls look even more mesmerizing.

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Butt-Length Braids

Beyonce with braids

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When it comes to braids, the longer, the better. And clearly, Bey agrees with us. Here, she's rocking butt-length knotless braids with perfectly placed beads.

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Disco Diva

beyonce wearing a high ponytail

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With a glam pony this high and bouncy, it won't be the only thing swaying on the dance floor. Using a blowout spray and ceramic round brush will help give your tresses that disco-dancing bounce that'll last all night long.

15 of 44

Cascading Braid

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 15: Beyonce attends TIDAL X: 1015 on October 15, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for TIDAL)

Getty Images / Brad Barket

Everything Beyoncé does is larger-than-life, so, of course, her hair looks are no exception. Her blonde braid extends past her thighs, creating a dramatic and ultra-cool hair moment.

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Brushed Out Curls

SANTA CLARA, CA - FEBRUARY 07: Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 Halftime Show at Levi's Stadium on February 7, 2016 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Getty Images / Ezra Shaw

Beyoncé's 2016 Super Bowl performance was legendary, and her hair was perfect for the occasion. Her full, fluffy blowout was achieved by adding tight curls to the hair and brushing them out with a paddle brush.

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Snatched and Natural

beyonce wearing half up half down

@beyonce

We love a naturally textured style and a fearlessly snatched 'do. Here's how to get the look: First, use a boar bristle brush around the hairline to help bring the top half of your style together at the crown. Then, secure it with a bungee hair cord to minimize damage and pulling. Finish things off by using your favorite edge control to smooth any flyaways.

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Curved Cornrows

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JULY 09: Beyonce attends the Premiere Of Disney's "The Lion King" at Dolby Theatre on July 09, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

Getty Images / Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic

Bey wore an intricately curved cornrow ponytail to The Lion King premiere. The front swirls and perfectly laid edges enhance the braided look.

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Heightened Half-Up

NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 17: (Exclusive Coverage) Beyonce attends TIDAL X: Brooklyn at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on October 17, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for TIDAL)

Getty Images / Kevin Mazur

Adding extra height to your half-up style can help elongate your look, complementing ensemble details like an extra long earring. To add extra height to your 'do:

  1. Place your ponytail above the crown of your head (above the curve).
  2. Add an extra elastic 1/2 an inch above your ponytail.
  3. Use a small section of hair from underneath your ponytail to wrap around the base and hide those hair bands.
20 of 44

Down Low Cornrows

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 28: Recording artist Beyonce during the 60th Annual GRAMMY Awards at Madison Square Garden on January 28, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for NARAS)

Getty Images / Kevin Mazur

Beyoncé is no stranger to rocking cornrows. She gave the straight-back look an extra edge by adding in blonde braiding hair.

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Golden Goddess

Beyonce

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Bey showed up to the 2017 Grammy Awards looking like a golden goddess. Her all-over golden blonde hair had a curled-crimped vibe to it that we want to recreate ASAP.

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Braided Back

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 28: Singer Beyonce arrives at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on August 28, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/WireImage)

Getty Images / Allen Berezovsky

Braids are a timeless hairstyle. They can be a focal point or a minor detail, but no matter their placement, they won't go unnoticed. Bey's braided back updo at the 2016 MTV Awards offers a modern elegance that would work well on any hair texture.

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Blunt Bob

Beyonce

Getty Images / Jon Kopaloff

We all know Bey looks great in a bob. This blunt edged cut makes it even bolder and adds a thickness that keeps it looking full. This golden blonde color doesn't hurt anything, either.

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Side Statement

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 04: Beyonce attends the "China: Through The Looking Glass" Costume Institute Benefit Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 4, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/FilmMagic)

Getty Images / Jamie McCarthy /FilmMagic

Hello, high pony. This statement style was most appropriate for the 2015 Met Gala theme, "China: Through The Looking Glass." Who knew a side ponytail would end up being one of the most talked about looks on the red carpet?

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Flawless A-Line

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 26: Beyonce poses at the 56th GRAMMY Awards on January 26, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Steve Granitz / Getty Images

When Beyoncé released her self-titled album in 2013, this haircut became its iconic representation. First seen on Beyonce in her single Flawless, the blonde and wavy a-line bob quickly accelerated the a-line's popularity in a modern way. Ditching the high bevel in the back, Bey's approach to this cut focuses on the subtlety of that longer length in the front.

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Middle Part

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 10: Singer Beyonce poses in the press room during the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on February 10, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Getty images / Steve granitz

A simple middle part can be made to feel super elevated. Here's how to recreate this pulled-back ponytail:

  1. Clip all hair behind the ears up and away.
  2. Brush the hairline taut and secure into its own low ponytail at the nape of the neck.
  3. Unclip the bulk of your hair, backcomb at the crown for some subtle volume, and gently bring all hair together at the nape, securing around that first small ponytail.
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Ultra-Tight Curls

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 30: Singer Beyonce helps celebrate the one-year anniversary of Target East Harlem on June 30, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

getty images / Stephen Lovekin

This is one of our favorite curly looks on Bey. Achieving this tightly-defined style requires the use of a small curling wand—like Hot and Hotter's 1/4'' Gold Ceramic Curling Iron. 

28 of 44

Effortless Asymmetrical

LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 28: Beyonce attends the 28th Annual MTV Video Music Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on August 28, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Getty Images / Steve Granitz

This low-side ponytail is easily one of Beyonce's best looks. This style will work best on long hair that isn't layered. Layered cuts may have difficulty sweeping the hair to the side without strands slipping out back.

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Tight Ringlets

(EXCLUSIVE, Premium Rates Apply) INDIO, CA - APRIL 16: *Exclusive* Beyonce backstage watching She and Him during Day 1 of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival 2010 held at the Empire Polo Club on April 16, 2010 in Indio, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Getty Images / Kevin Mazur / WireImage

In 2010, Beyoncé hit Coachella with a head full of tight curls. It's easy to replicate this look at home using a curling wand—we recommend Bed Head's Curlipops Ceramic Clamp-Free 1/2" Curling Wand.

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Tinsel Strands

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 31: Beyonce arrives at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. at Staples Center on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Getty Images / Steve Granitz

Tinsel hair was one of the most playful hair trends to come out of the early 2010s. Here, Beyoncé strategically placed multicolor tinsel strands throughout her hair to create a highlight effect.

31 of 44

Unraveled Ringlets

Singer Beyonce Knowles attends 'Samantha Thavasa/Special Meet and Greet with Beyonce' at Studio Mouris Roppongi on October 16, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan.

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While Bey wore this style in 2009, these unraveled ringlets are definitely a style we still see everywhere. They're timeless, classic, and each to achieve without pro help. Here's how:

  1. Blow out the hair with a volumizing primer.
  2. Once dry, spray 1" sections of hair with a light-hold hair spray.
  3. Curl each 1" section with a 1" curling iron and let the curls cool untouched to set in place.
  4. Use no-crease or prong clips to pin up the curls framing your face around the hairline and part, offering extra hold.
  5. Once the hair is cool, shake it from side to side and massage the scalp with your fingers to help unravel those curls.
32 of 44

Low-Curled Ponytail

HOLLYWOOD - FEBRUARY 22: Beyonce arrives at the 81st Academy Awards at The Kodak Theatre on February 22, 2009 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage)

Getty Images / Steve Granitz

This low ponytail is simple but extremely elegant. Keep things minimal in the front by slicking everything back. Add some texture by giving the ponytail some loose curls.

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Power Pouf

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 14: Beyonce visits MTV's TRL at MTV studios in Times Square on October 14, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by George Napolitano/FilmMagic)

Getty Images / George Napolitano

The bang pouf was a classic 2000s hair staple. This style works exceptionally well for rounder face shapes looking for a bit of elongation or for fringes that need a trim.

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Bey-Hive

WASHINGTON - DECEMBER 07: Beyonce Knowles attends the 31st Annual Kennedy Center Honors at the Hall of States in the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on December 7, 2008 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jeff Snyder/FilmMagic)

Getty Images / Jeff Snyder

Bey in a beehive is iconic, and this classic 'do has truly never gone out of style. To get the look:

  1. Get the hair's texture to be straight. We recommend doing a blowout and giving the hair a few passes with a flat iron, as needed.
  2. In sections, mist the hair with a dry texture spray and back brush. The spray will help give extra grit. Do this from nape to crown and lightly on both sides of the head, from the ears back.
  3. Mist a hairbrush with hair spray to pull the hair back, and rely on your hands to sculpt the desired shape and height.
  4. Secure along the "seam" with hair pins.
35 of 44

Wand Waves

Beyonce with soft wand waves at the GRAMMYS in 2007

L. Cohen/WireImage

Sculpted wand waves create such a glamorous, classic Hollywood hair moment, but with Beyonce's longer length, it has a mermaid effect that we can't get enough of. Here's how to get the look:

  1. Spray your sections with hair spray.
  2. Wrap 1" sections around a 1" curling wand, all going in the same direction.
  3. Pin up the hair that frames the face for a stronger hold.
  4. Once the hair is cooled, spray your brush with hair spray and gently brush those waves out.
36 of 44

Curled Updo

beyonce wearing a bun

Getty Images / Jim Spellman

We rarely get to see Beyoncè wear her dark brown hair and an updo. That's why this look is a winner. Her sleek bun is incredibly elegant and chic.

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Colored Curls

Beyonce during 6th Annual BET Awards - Backstage and Audience at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by L. Cohen/WireImage)

getty images / l. cohen

Before we saw the skunk hair trend emerge in the 2020s, the early to mid-2000s gave us a lot of chunky highlights and hair color gradients. Case in point: The light brown-blonde gradient on Bey's fluffy curls.

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Lots of Layers

Beyonce Knowles during "Dreamgirls" Press Conference with Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Hudson and Bill Condon at TBD in TBD, United States. (Photo by Vera Anderson/WireImage)

Getty Images / Vera Anderson

Layers will give the hair movement, shape, and even volume when cut correctly. Talking to your stylist about your goals will help you decide which route to go. These heavy face-framing layers keep Beyonce's length in shape and accentuate her face shape flawlessly.

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Woven Topsy Turvy

Beyonce during The 77th Annual Academy Awards - Red Carpet at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)

Getty Images / KMazur / WireImage

Beyoncè's woven back ponytail she wore to the 77th Annual Academy Awards looks like a good old-fashioned topsy-turvy. To create a similar style:

  1. Section off the top half of your hair.
  2. Secure the remaining hair into a low ponytail.
  3. Use your fingers to split the hair above your elastic in two, and flip your ponytail through the hole, loosening and adjusting to your liking.
  4. Spray the roots with texture spray and tease for volume, then gently weave the hair into your ponytail using hairpins.
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Heavy-Handed Highlights

Beyonce during The 31st AFI Life Achievement Award Presented to Robert De Niro at Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, United States. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

Getty Images / Jon Kopaloff / FilmMagic

It's hard to believe a hair trend from 2003 can still be making its rounds twenty years later, but chunky highlights are next in line for a major comeback. Once again, Beyoncé was ahead of the curve.

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Tropical Tresses

Beyonce Knowles during 2001 MTV Movie Awards - Arrivals at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage)

 Getty Images / SGranitz / WireImage

Bey's woven bright blonde highlights, micro braids, and yellow plumeria exude a totally tropical vibe. All would be enough on their own, but when you throw it all together, it's the perfect look for a summer vaycay.

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Beaded Cornrows

Beyonce Knowles during MTV's "TRL" Tour - July 12, 2001 at MTV Studios in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by KMazur/WireImage)

Getty Images / Kevin Mazur

In the '90s and early aughts, you could regularly catch the singer rocking classic cornrows. Here, she added beads on the ends for extra flair.

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Box Braids

Beyonce in box braids

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When you need to give your strands a rest, box braids are a stylish way to go. You can play with the shape of your sections, the colors in your braids, even their width. With a protective style this expressive, you'll never run out of options.

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Sporty Spice

Beyonce wearing Ivy Park in a sporty half-up hairstyle

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Entrepreneur is one of Bey's many hats, and we love the sporty spice hair she's sporting in her Ivy Park ath-leisure wear.

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