Sabrina Carpenter’s hair is as recognizable as her music: a voluminous, curtain-fringed bombshell blowout in warm golden blonde. It also makes one of the easiest celebrity Halloween costumes, because the hair does most of the work.
For the technique, see our 90s blowout hairstyle steps and our curtain bangs guide.
She does not stick to one look. The bombshell blowout is the headline, but she has also appeared in a sleek bun, tousled half-up styles, a braided updo, and a soft curtain fringe. Each one is worth knowing about.
These 18 Sabrina Carpenter hairstyle ideas cover every era and occasion, with the specific technique, product, and tool for each.
Sabrina Carpenter Blowout and Volume Styles
18 Sabrina Carpenter Hairstyle Ideas
1. Classic Bombshell Blowout
Voluminous, bouncy, and golden. Crown volume holds all day. Ends curl inward in a rounded shape. This is the Short n’ Sweet signature that launched the hot roller conversation.
Clayton Hawkins builds it on a root-lift spray, Conair Xtreme hot rollers in jumbo size, and a coat of Kenra Platinum Silkening Mist before and after the rollers cool. Let them sit for twenty minutes minimum. Pulling them out warm is why most recreations fall flat within an hour.
The length sits between collarbone and shoulder. Long enough for the wave, short enough to hold shape.
Save2. Voluminous Side-Part Blowout
A deep side part that sweeps the majority of hair to one side, blow-dried with a large round brush for maximum lift, the directional version of her signature volume look.
The side part makes the face look longer and adds asymmetry that the centre-part version does not. Blow-dry the crown section lifting upward and away from the part. The volume you build here is what the finished look depends on.
Save3. Soft Waves with Root Volume
Less structured than the bombshell blowout, more tousled. Waves through the mid-length, visible root lift, ends that move freely rather than curling uniformly inward.
Use a 32mm barrel curling iron rather than hot rollers for this version. Wrap sections away from the face and release onto a clip to cool. Break apart with fingers rather than a brush. The result is softer and less symmetrical than the classic blowout.
Save4. Retro-Inspired Bouncy Curls
Tighter, more defined bouncy curls rather than soft waves, referencing old Hollywood glamour with a modern lightness. Sabrina wore this for several Short n’ Sweet promotional appearances.
A 25mm barrel builds the tighter curl. Wrap smaller sections. Release without touching and let each curl fully cool before running fingers through gently. Too much manipulation while warm collapses the curl.
SaveSabrina Carpenter Updo and Half-Up Styles
5. Soft High Bun
A high bun worn slightly loose, with face-framing pieces pulled out at both sides and a few wispy strands at the nape. Not a tight ballerina bun. The looseness is the detail.
Pull hair into a high ponytail, twist into a bun, and secure with pins rather than wrapping tightly with an elastic. Pull the surface gently to loosen. Take two sections at the front before securing and leave them out to frame the face.
Save6. Half-Up Twisted Style
The top half twisted back and pinned loosely at the crown, with the lower half falling in soft waves.
Twist the two front sections back toward each other rather than simply clipping them back flat. The crossed twist creates a small raised shape at the centre that reads as intentional rather than practical.
Save7. Low Knot with Face-Framing Pieces
A low loose knot at the nape, with two curtain sections left out at the front falling past the cheekbones. The quieter, more understated side of Sabrina’s updo range.
This is the version that works without any heat. Leave the front sections out before gathering the rest. The knot is formed by looping the ponytail through itself once rather than twisting, which keeps it relaxed.
Save8. Braided Updo with Golden Tendrils
A woven or knotted updo with thin golden face-framing tendrils left loose at the front, the braided structure sitting at the mid-crown or nape. Sabrina wore a version of this for formal appearances in the Short n’ Sweet era.
The tendrils are the detail. Curl them with a small barrel and press them flat against the cheek for the first few seconds after releasing. This trains them into a close-to-face shape rather than springing outward.
SaveSabrina Carpenter Colour and Texture Styles
9. Warm Golden Babylights
The colour foundation behind every Sabrina hairstyle. Not flat all-over blonde. Babylights through the root area, brighter foils through the mid-length, lighter pieces at the face frame.
Clayton Hawkins keeps the tone warm and golden rather than ashy or platinum. Show your colourist her Short n’ Sweet promotional photos and say warm golden, not cool. That tonal direction is a specific instruction that prevents you ending up with the wrong shade.
If your base is darker and you want to add warm blonde dimension without full colour, the blonde hair with black underneath guide covers how to layer light pieces over a darker base in a way that reads natural rather than striped.
Save10. Curtain Fringe with Voluminous Blowout
A centre-parted fringe that falls to cheekbone level, blown out with the rest of the hair for a soft, face-framing version of the bombshell blowout.
The fringe should land between the eyebrow and the cheekbone. Too short reads as a heavy full fringe. Too long disappears into the rest of the hair. Blow outward from the centre using a small round brush on each side.
For the full range of fringe styles from curtain to micro that work with voluminous blowout lengths, the micro bangs styles guide covers the fringe lengths and blow-dry techniques that create the most flattering face-framing result at each option.
Save11. Sleek Straight Blowout
The smooth, flat version of her signature length. No waves, no volume. A glass-finish blowout that shows off the golden colour and the cut’s clean perimeter.
Apply Olaplex No.6 Bond Smoother to damp hair before blow-drying. Use a large flat paddle brush and dry section by section from nape to crown. Finish with a ceramic flat iron through the ends for the mirror surface.
Save12. Textured Collarbone Bob
A bob version of the Sabrina length, cut at the collarbone with internal layering that adds movement, styled with soft texture rather than a smooth blowout.
The collarbone length is the minimum required for her hot roller technique to work. If you are getting this cut, specify internal layering rather than blunt. The layers give the waves somewhere to move.
For the layer placements that add the most volume to medium-length blowout and wave styles, the medium layered hairstyles guide covers which cuts give a foundation that performs as well as Sabrina’s hair does under a hot roller.
SaveSabrina Carpenter Occasion and Event Styles
13. Red Carpet Voluminous Blowout with Deep Side Part
The formal version of her signature: maximum crown volume, a deep side part and ends curled under.
The difference between this and the everyday blowout is the side part and the finish spray. Set a clear deep side part with a tail comb before blow-drying. Spray L’Oreal Elnett Extra Strong Hold from distance after the rollers are out.
Save14. Ponytail with Voluminous Ends
A mid-height ponytail gathered loosely at the back, with the ponytail section curled into bouncy waves rather than hanging straight, and face-framing pieces left loose at the front.
Wrap a thin piece of hair around the elastic base to cover it. The face-framing pieces need to be curled to match the ponytail before you gather the rest up. Curling them in place after the ponytail is set is harder to control.
Save15. Tousled Undone Waves
The deliberate bed-head version. Waves that look slightly flattened and lived-in rather than freshly styled, the hair moving loosely rather than holding a uniform shape.
This is actually the hardest Sabrina look to recreate convincingly because tousled requires starting with the full blowout and then deliberately roughing it up. Use Bumble and bumble Surf Spray and scrunch through the already-styled hair. Too much product makes it stiff. Too little and the waves just fall.
Save16. Sleek Slicked-Back Style
All hair pulled back off the face and slicked smooth at the root, the gathered section curled or left straight at the back. The version Sabrina wears when the look is all about the face.
Apply a light gel or pomade at the hairline and smooth back with a fine-tooth comb. Secure at the nape or mid-head with a clear elastic. A thin section wrapped around the base lifts this instantly from gym hair to considered updo.
Save17. Side-Swept with Shine Gloss
Hair swept entirely to one side, falling in soft waves over one shoulder, with a gloss finishing spray that gives the colour its maximum luminosity under any lighting.
Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil through the ends before the finishing spray adds the specific reflective quality that photographs as salon-healthy hair. Two drops, no more. Run through the ends only, not the roots.
Save18. Down Look With a Clip
Hair worn fully down in soft waves with a single decorative clip, barrette, or pearl detail at one side holding a thin section back from the face. The minimal updo.
The clip is the styling decision. A plain claw clip is not this look. A pearl barrette or a vintage-style decorative slide reads as intentional. Place it at the temple rather than above the ear for the most flattering position on most face shapes.
SaveFrequently Asked Questions
What is Sabrina Carpenter’s hair type?
The colour is warm golden blonde with babylights and face-framing highlights. To copy it, ask your colourist for a golden blonde base with soft babylights through the front.
What hot rollers does Sabrina Carpenter use?
Clayton Hawkins has referenced the Conair Xtreme Instant Heat Jumbo Hot Rollers consistently as part of the Short n’ Sweet look. The jumbo size for mid-lengths and a medium size for the crown section. Let them cool completely before removing, minimum fifteen to twenty minutes. That is the step most people skip.
How do you get Sabrina Carpenter’s hair colour?
Ask your colourist for warm golden blonde babylights through the root area and a slightly brighter foil through the mid-length. Show a reference image from her Short n’ Sweet era specifically. Tell the colourist you want warm, not cool or ashy. Maintenance is Olaplex No.4P toning shampoo every seven to ten days maximum to keep warmth without going grey.
What length is Sabrina Carpenter’s hair?
Between collarbone and shoulder. That specific medium length is what makes the hot roller technique work. Below the shoulder the weight pulls the volume down within a few hours. Above the collarbone the waves look tight rather than bouncy. The length is as important as the product.
What products does Sabrina Carpenter’s hairstylist use?
Clayton Hawkins has cited a root-lift spray before blow-drying, Kenra Platinum Silkening Mist as both a heat protectant and finishing spray, and the Conair Xtreme hot rollers. Olaplex No.7 Bonding Oil appears through her editorial looks for the gloss finish. For maintenance colour, the Olaplex No.4P toning shampoo keeps the blonde from going brassy.
Final Thoughts
Sabrina Carpenter’s hairstyles have one thing in common across all 18 variations: the foundation is always in the product and the technique, not in the natural texture. The hot rollers, the babylights, the root spray. Get those right and the look follows.
Start with the classic bombshell blowout. Add the curtain fringe on your next salon visit if it suits your face shape. The colour refresh needs Clayton Hawkins-level warmth and Olaplex bond maintenance. Everything else is a styling choice.
