Cleopatra, Tyra Banks, Rihanna, Dita von Teese – these women not only share a sense of timeless beauty, power, and acclaim, but are confident champions of short black hairstyles. As the darkest shade on the hair color spectrum, black hair always makes a big impact and can serve as an excellent base for adding additional color streaks or hair highlights. Depending upon the texture of your locks, there are various different styles open to you. Find out more about some of our favorites below.

For those of you with straight hair that falls evenly and regularly, why not experiment with variants of a bob? The short bob is one of the most eye-catching looks there is, and you can make it as wild and crazy as you like by adding geometric contours to it. Due to the high light-reflecting nature of dark hairs, black hair is perfect for shortcuts like these as they can make a big impact without much volume.

Just because you have short hair doesn’t mean you can’t rock an updo. Natural black hair grows much more slowly than other types of hair, so you may not be able to achieve some of the elaborate twists that others can, but that doesn’t mean you should miss out altogether. The simple puff is a great easy hairstyle for natural black hair, as are finger coils.

Short black hair is gorgeous and versatile for styling, but can be tricky to care for. If you really want your short black hairstyle to shine, your pampering routine must be uncompromising. Black hair (natural or colored) can quickly appear dull and brittle, which means it needs maximum gloss care.