The hairdressers' secrets to getting the best bob... and the style you must not get if you're over 50

We are about to enter peak new haircut season. Is there some ancient human rhythm dictating this? When winter sets in, I love growing my locks. The moment the sun comes out, I find myself longing for a chop: something flirty and flighty to emphasise what's left of my bone structure.

Priyanka Chopra, 41, availed herself of precisely this sort of spring fling in Rome last week.

Modelling a 200-carat Bulgari choker, she sported a boxy, choppy bob — tousled and current — to show off her rocks. The next day, she was back to tumbling tresses, so it must have been a wig or extensions. Still, the star looked so stunning with her shorter do, a cut may well be on the cards.

Priyanka Chopra, 41, rocking a bob - which helped show off her Bulgari necklace - in Rome

George Northwood says: 'Big, blown-up bobs look great - and slightly ironic - on Zendaya (pictured) because she's young and cool. But, that is quite a middle-aged hairstyle'

In the 1960s, one didn't say 'bob' without thinking Vidal Sassoon and his severe, angular incarnation, suiting fabulous beauties.

Today, one does not utter the term without conjuring George Northwood, king of the fluid, universally flattering 21st-century bob.

Spring skin scents

Acne Studios x Frederic Malle (£200, libertylondon.com

 A sparkling and sublime, cystalline fragrance with sweet and floral notes.

Maison Crivelli Iris Malikhan (from £90, Selfridges

An exquisite iris offset by verdant musk, mimosa and amber elements.

Experimental Perfume Club Pistachio Haiku (from £45, experimental perfumeclub.com)

A nutty opening evolving into a base of cedarwood and resin with real neck appeal in summer.

Narciso Rodriguez for her Musc Nude (£50.40, look fantastic.com)

Musky skin scent imbued with jasmine, rose and tonka bean.

& Other Stories Plants Illustrated (£29, stories.com/en)

Green, with underlying earthiness; pear and black pepper yield to musky woods.

Asked to define his take, George says: 'My bob is always slightly undone — even if it's straight and smooth — nothing too set or dated, but with a natural, effortless feel.' Or, as we know it, 'The Alexa', named after his long-time muse, Alexa Chung.

But what is it about the style that obsesses Northwood? 'What fascinates me is that a bob is a kick-ass, powerful statement cut,' he enthuses. 'I love the power of the bob. I love its timelessness and that it's easy to grow out. It's a great way to make impactful change, while being a cut that is easy to maintain. Alexa's was iconic, and now we have Zendaya's. The bob is always a defining moment in someone's career.'

So how to do it? George maintains that there's a bob for everyone: 'If you have hard features, go for a softer, looser, choppy bob. But if you have soft features, you can take a harder, blunt bob, which will add definition and frame the face.

'Then, if you have a round face, avoid a fringe [which cuts the shape in half], and keep it one length.' Back in 2021, George was championing the 'Flob', or flat-iron bob, for which he created a YouTube tutorial — should you wish to have a go at home yourself.

This summer, we have a number of options. Indeed, Vogue has charted 11: the princess, Italian, emo, mermaid, glam, mob, bubble, micro, beachy, shaggy and sleek.

George simplifies matters: 'There are basically two ways to go — the extreme chopped-into, hacked-into bob. Or what I call a 'purist bob', which is natural, quite graphic, one length all the way round, but worn in an undone way.'

When I tell him that I adore Zendaya's voluminous, less structured, S-shaped, Hollywood legend version, he cautions: 'Big, blown-up bobs look great, and slightly ironic, on Zendaya because she's young and cool. But, that is quite a middle-aged hairstyle.

'On someone who is middle-aged it's going to look dowdy. Granny chic looks different on a 50-year-old.' Point taken.

If you're after a glassy look à la Hailey Bieber, then Color Wow's Dream Coat Supernatural Spray (now £22.95, lookfantastic.com) is the key.

This one-sold-every-minute wonder boasts heat-activated droplets that crosslink to form a water-resistant veil for a smooth finish which lasts up to two to three shampoos.

For those taking their bobs on tour: invest in tiny travel straighteners. I have a pair that must be almost a quarter-of-a-century old, yet they sorted me out when I had a brand new bob that I couldn't yet control amid crazed humidity. Stylocks Mini Hair Straightener (£13.72, amazon.co.uk are a bargain).

Race you to it! 

Beauty Pie Holly Willoughby's On-the-Glow Edit (members, £55; non-members, £133, beautypie.com) launched last week. This collection features the presenter's 'no-mirror needed' kit, her favourites for lips, cheeks and lashes, housed in a chic, transparent case. 

My icon of the week: Gillian Anderson

Actress Gillian, 55, declares Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser (£42, spacenk.com) 'a big part of my life'. Make-up artist Florrie White used British midlife brand Reeson Bronzing Balm (£38, reesonbeauty.com) on the film star to great success. Gillian also loves Sarah Chapman Skinesis products (from £13, sarahchapman.com)

Cosmetic craving

Legions of us sigh over our slumped and drooping eye areas, especially as we get older, and correcting this is one of the most popular cosmetic surgery procedures today.

By comparison, eye creams can feel much of a muchness — an act of faith rather than something that makes a visible difference. This is why Dermalogica Phyto Nature Lifting Eye Cream (£115 for 15ml, dermalogica. co.uk) feels so revolutionary. After a single night’s use, next morning you look at yourself and see discernible lift.

Powerful peptides, botanical blends, and CoQ10 (an antioxidant used for growth, levels of which decline with age) deliver an immediate firming and tightening effect, and defend against free radicals.

It’s not cheap, but it does offer serious bang for your buck.