In case you haven't noticed, the beauty world is obsessed with bob hairstyles again. Shoulder-grazing haircuts were spotted across the Fall 2025 New York Fashion Week circuit while celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Kerry Washington have also committed to a shorter length in recent months. Next up: Gabrielle Union, the latest star to step out in a chopped hairstyle, who proved the bob is here to stay while attending the 2025 NAACP Image Awards on February 22.
For the red carpet, the actor's short hair was styled by longtime hairstylist Larry Sims into a mega-bouncy, voluminous look with subtle waves. With a length hitting right at Union's jawline and soft, flippy waves, the style is very similar to the classic French bob that's shaping up to be a big 2025 hair trend. The major body, deep side part, and curly front piece added even more Old Hollywood allure to Union's look.
Paired with a silver sequined Monique Lhuillier dress (inspired by the Empire State Building, mind you!), Union looked every bit the "Black Bombshell Barbie" Sims referred to her in his Instagram post. Union even commented that the look was, "My favorite yet."
The rest of Union's beauty look was kept simple and soft—makeup artist Tasha Reiko Brown opted for "clean skin-focused beauty" with "whispers of peaches." More specifically, Brown used a dab of Chanel's Rouge Coco Baume Shine in Honey Bliss for a kiss of peachy color and a similar shade of blush on her cheeks along with fluttery long lashes.
While this isn't the first time Union has shown off her new bob, it is the first time we've seen it this big and bouncy on the red carpet. When Union debuted her bob haircut during Paris Fashion Week, her hair was sleek and cut at the nape of her neck with an asymmetrical part and lots of light layers for added volume.
While we may not know exactly what Sims did to achieve such body for the NAACP Image Awards, we can take a guess—I'm willing to bet he used a plethora of volumizing hair products like mousse and hair spray, plus a blow dryer, round brush, and curling iron to give Union's bob its bounce and waves. If you have major hair envy after seeing Union and her voluminous bob (I wouldn't blame you), I rounded up some products so that you, too, can be the subject of hair jealousy.
