When I grow up, I want to look exactly like Cate Blanchett or I want a do-over. On Mar. 9, the actor was spotted in New York City wearing fresh off-the-Paris-runway Givenchy. Her outfit consisted of a leather pencil skirt and matching corset belt, with a double-zippered bomber jacket to ward off the cold air. Black latex boots finished the edgy look.
Though I will be dreaming about this outfit for quite some time, it was actually her hair that really stole my attention and gave me yet another source of inspiration for styling my bob haircut. Blanchett’s short hair was slicked back completely away from her face, fully displaying a soft smoky eye and pink lip color. A deep side part gave the look a coiffed appearance from certain angles, but save for a stunning pair of earrings, Blanchett had no other accessories framing her face or in her hair. Clearly, she wanted her structured hairstyle to be the focal point of an already head-turning look.
Bob haircuts have been trending for quite some time now, with everyone from Gabrielle Union to Kim Kardashian going shorter in recent months. The number of bob-hairstyles coming out of Hollywood has felt endless—but so has the styling inspiration. (I, for one, am not mad at that.)
Blanchett’s hairstyle likely required quite a bit of gel to get the look, so I’ve gone ahead and tracked down my favorite formula that can work on wet or dry hair for a slicked-back moment. I’ve also added listed my favorite hair dryer to set my styles in place. Really, if you want to recreate Blanchett’s cool-girl bob, keep scrolling to see the nonnegotiable products you’ll need to have on hand.
Whether you have coily or straight hair, this gel will give you the slicked-back look of your dreams. If you have thick, natural hair like I do, I recommend the massive tub. You’ll be using globs of gel at a time.
Slicked-back looks require a really powerful hair dryer to set them in place. If you don’t have an industrial-strength over-head dryer already, this hand-held one from Dyson feels just as powerful. Bonus: It will also set your hair in place with a few strategic passes over the style.
