Zendaya Just Reinvented the Wet Hair Look with a Chic ‘Mermaid Bob’
What is the ‘mermaid bob’?
· CosmopolitanIf one good thing has come out of 2026, it’s the fact that our all-time favorite celebrity beauty muse Zendaya, has been booked and busy. Between press tours and premieres—she’s starring in five movies and Euphoria this year—and she’s been delivering look after look every time she steps out, giving us endless hair inspo.
Most recently, she’s been wearing a soaked, high-gloss style we’re dubbing the ‘mermaid bob’. It’s perfect for warm weather or any time you want your hair to actually hold a style, since the wet finish helps lock everything in place while still looking effortless. And while a mermaid effect works on any length, it’s especially ideal and easy to execute on shorter hairstyles like a bob or lob.
Ahead, everything you need to know about the ‘mermaid bob’—plus how to get the wet look straight from Zendaya’s hairstylist.
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Think of the ‘mermaid bob’ as an elevated take on the classic wet hair look. It’s a short cut styled to look intentionally drenched, like you just stepped out of the ocean. The finish is glossy and textured, with soft bends or piecey waves that give it that effortless, sun-soaked effect.
Unlike traditional wet-look styles that can feel stiff, Zendaya’s mermaid bob is slightly undone, with no defined part and a few intentionally tousled front pieces. The result is a style that’s equal parts beachy and chic.
How to style the ‘mermaid bob’ like Zendaya:
If you want to recreate the mermaid bob yourself, Zendaya’s hairstylist Ursula Stephen broke down exactly how she achieved the drenched look. “We started with clean, wet hair and blew the hair away from the face,” she explains. “Next, I created a cocktail with a molding cream and hair oil, and worked it into the hair.” Then, to make sure she really gets that textured finish, “I use a detangling brush before taking my fingers to pull and separate the strands around the face to create those framing pieces.”
Dia Dipasupil//Getty Images
Shop Zendaya’s exact mermaid bob styling products
Bur Bur The Mermaid Detangling Brush
MorrocanOil Treatment Hair Oil
$38 at Amazon$38 $32 at Nordstrom$20 at Revolve
Moroccanoil Molding Cream
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.