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Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Katherine J. Igoe

Long, Layered Cuts on Celebrities to Inspire Your Next Style

Long layered cuts on celebs - meghan markle.

If you like to keep your hair on the longer side but don't love the look of short layers, great news: there are still a wide variety of long haircuts available to you. Thanks to their access to the world's best stylists, celebrities with long, layered hairstyles provide endless inspiration for your next trip to the salon. (Yes, celebrities often add to the density and length of their hair with extensions, wigs, and other tools—but so can you!) No matter the length, texture, and color of your hair, you'll find something on this list that suits what you're going for.

Laverne Cox

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you want long, long, long layered hair (either with or without the use of extensions), Laverne Cox's ombré hairdo is an excellent place to start. The bulk of the layers start at the shoulder, with some ever-important face-framing fringe in the front.

Alicia Keys

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Curly hair, especially 4A to 4C, requires more layers to achieve the proper shape. But this cut on Alicia Keys is still long(er) that you sometimes see. The bangs are shorter and face-framing, but the longer layers give a shape that's a little less dramatic. Investing in someone who knows how to cut curly hair, if that's applicable to you, is a wise choice.

Chrissy Teigen

(Image credit: Getty Images)

With some long layers, Chrissy Teigen's cut lends itself well to some styling with a curling iron to give it some bounce going overboard on the volume. But the key here is the side part, which allows one side to drape dramatically across one half of her face.

Olivia Palermo

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Yes, a bob can still have long layers! Technically, this is probably a lob (the cut falls between chin and shoulder) and there's some subtle piece-y layers, especially in the front. A little curl and a very dramatic side part help add some movement and drama.

Lauren Conrad

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Aside from some angling at the front, Lauren Conrad is giving us some classic The Hills hair with her long blonde 'do. Here, the ombre effect at the top combined with the dimensional blonde highlights help add volume and body, while the cut itself is mostly one length.

Adriana Lima

(Image credit: Getty Images)

There have been few cuts as iconic as Adriana Lima's beachy waves in the heyday of her time as a Victoria's Secret model. There are a lot of face-framing pieces in the front, and then the back is long and luxurious, with the longer layers starting at the shoulder.

Ashley Graham

(Image credit: Getty Images)

I absolutely love this choppy cut on Ashley Graham. Like others on this list, the layers start at the shoulder, but there's a ton of variation in the cut—which can make the hair look less "blended" and thus more voluminous than it actually is. Some added curl only enhances the "messiness" in a cool way.

Oprah

(Image credit: Getty Images)

For a more classic long layered cut, Oprah Winfrey's curls here are a lovely blueprint. The length extends beyond the shoulder blades, but some subtle layering throughout allows the curls to lift and separate (instead of all lying flat against her head).

Iman

(Image credit: Getty Images)

For some blunt, angled hair at the front of the face, Iman's got the perfect inspiration for you. The ends are given a little curl inwards, making the hair look symmetrical and face-framing. An almost-middle part and some highlights help soften the bluntness.

Kate Hudson

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Contrary to popular belief, it's not just thick hair that benefits from layers. Kate Hudson's hair is fine and not very dense, so she's not aiming for a ton of volume. Instead, her longer layers and a little curl help add a little pizzazz while still being her natural texture.

Alessandra Ambrosio

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Granted, Alessandra Ambrosio is a literal supermodel, but her minimal cut is perfection—particularly if, like her, your hair isn't too dense and is quite straight. The front pieces are deeply angled upwards towards the face, but the bottom is mostly even.

Eva Mendes

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Eva Mendes' haircut here is soft and romantic. It appears that the shortest layers are towards the front (no surprise), but they're long enough to tuck behind the ear (making this a great everyday cut, since it's long enough to go back into a ponytail).

Jennifer Lawrence

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Jennifer Lawrence doesn't always favor a hairdo with this much curl, but I'm on record as liking the style a lot. The layers start a little below chin length, and would also work well for a curly- or wavy-haired person who's looking for some long layers.

Logan Browning

(Image credit: Getty Images)

By Logan Browning's admission, she has a mix of curls—some looser, some kinkier—and when it's wet, there are only a few inches of difference between her shortest and longest layers (excluding her bangs). But with some expert styling, it creates a magnificent shape.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

(Image credit: Getty Images)

I realize it's unfair to use Rosie Huntington-Whiteley as inspiration, since her hair is long and super-glossy (may we all be so blessed!). But it's actually not the thickest, so she relies on varied highlights throughout her hair, as well as a curling iron through the ends, to give her minimal long layers some "oomph."

Farrah Fawcett

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Any list of long layers (or any layers, for that matter) would be incomplete without Farrah Fawcett. Here she's giving us the Charlie's Angels cut, with fringe-y bangs and some deep angling in the front with much longer layers in the back. A classic for a reason.

Nicole Beharie

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The more modern iteration of a '70s-inspired cut (here done expertly on Nicole Beharie) doesn't rely on as many layers in front or as wide a curl throughout. But you've still got the side part, longer layers in the body, and angled out front pieces.

Penelope Cruz

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you like long layers, Penelope Cruz should be on your haircut vision board immediately (her career has been defined by a series of expert cuts that show off her gorgeous tresses). It somehow manages to be both windswept and soft, with a messy part to add to the beachy vibe.

Alexa Chung

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Alexa Chung has spoken about her ideal haircut: a long bob, with minimal and haphazard-looking layers, to add dimension to her thinner hair without going overboard on the volume. Not everyone may want a cut that's this "messy," but when it works, it's gorgeous.

Winnie Harlow

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Hello, Old Hollywood! With a ton of curl throughout Winnie Harlow's 'do, this is very obviously carefully styled; but (aside from some shorter pieces in front) the cut actually looks pretty uniform. So the volume and life comes from the hair density and added volume.

Suki Waterhouse

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you're unfamiliar, the "wolf" haircut (which is a mix between a shag and a mullet) is popular for people with long hair hoping to add a little fun to their cut. This, on Suki Waterhouse, is a little longer than she sometimes prefers; it still contains that choppiness even though the hair in the body is more blended.

Rachel McAdams

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Rachel McAdams' hair has always been enviable, and it's a nice balance: thick enough to have some natural body (and necessitate some layering at the bottom, as we see here), but still highly versatile. A side part gives a cascade of gorgeous curls here.

Gabrielle Union

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Beautiful, thick, relaxed hair doesn't necessarily require a ton of layering at the bottom: the volume speaks for itself, looking rich and luxurious. Gabrielle Union has given us a multitude of layered cuts over her career, but it's hard to argue with something so simple and beautiful.

Dua Lipa

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Seriously, does Dua Lipa just bring a leaf blower with her at all times?? (I'm kidding, she's just cooler than the rest of us). The layers here are very, very long, so a soft curl does wonders to help with body and volume—that, and the aforementioned breeze.

Priyanka Chopra-Jonas 

(Image credit: Getty Images)

This cut is mostly one length on Priyanka Chopra-Jonas (it looks like there might be some very minimal layers), so some brighter highlights help add volume. I'm a fan of the side fringe bangs; without it, the cut might look a little too severe at the front.

Aubrey Plaza

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Long layers can still be messy and fun! (It helps that Aubrey Plaza has an innate cool factor, too, as well as a good curling iron.) There's likely some hair gel in here, too which helps "lift" the front, face-framing pieces and define the longer layers in the body.

Ana de Armas

(Image credit: Getty Images)

I just really wish I had hair that was this long and glossy! Ana de Armas, who's got some very minimal long layers that are styled simply, is relying on the health of her hair as well as a very subtle ombre hair color to achieve this seemingly effortless look.

Ciara

(Image credit: Getty Images)

I think my favorite part of this haircut on Ciara is the tiny, silver-flecked braids throughout her hair. (Also the fact that I could never get my hair that sweeping.) When your cut is this long, you can actually get away with layers that are quite robust—several inches shorter—while never compromising on length.

Brigitte Bardot

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Perhaps the platonic ideal for long, layered hair, Brigitte Bardot gave new meaning to the messy-but-chic cut. There's curtain bangs at the front and choppy angled pieces at the front, and the bottom's uneven (with a little frizz for good measure!). It's deceptively simple but inherently cool.

Jessica Biel

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The modern "Bardot" skips out on the bangs and keeps the layers long, as we see on Jessica Biel. There's some added curl here, but that classic unevenness at the bottom plus some angling at the front looks like a very chic grow-out of the classic cut.

Zendaya

(Image credit: Getty Images)

With her blonde long bob curled to perfection, Zendaya is (yet again) serving us some serious hair inspiration (she changed the color while promoting the film Challengers). There's not a ton of layers, but—as ever—a side part provides more volume to one side.

Meghan Markle

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle has always been a source of hair inspo for me, and when she wears it long with long layers (as we see here), it's incredibly enviable. There are actually a lot of layers here, starting at the shoulder blade, so she doesn't need to do much to give it life and volume. It's perfect as-is.

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