• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents New York Shop
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
  • The Cut Shop
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • The State of the Uterus
  • Parenting
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Horoscopes
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
  • Curbed
hairy situations
May 11, 2017

Let’s Celebrate and Rank All of Olivia Pope’s Glorious Scandal Hairstyles

By Ashley Weatherford

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet

On Scandal, power-fixer Olivia Pope has dismantled a top-secret spy agency; helmed not one, but three presidential campaigns (only one of which — if you want to get technical — was successful); and has delivered more effusive patriotic monologues than one can count. Throughout it all, her hair — amazingly — has remained spectacularly impeccable. That’s the magic of television, as they say, but it’s also the magic of Kerry Washington’s Olivia Pope. As rumors swirl surrounding the fate of Scandal’s seventh season (as of this posting, TV Line reports that the show’s seventh season will be its last), let’s look back at the hairstyles that followed Olivia Pope on her America-saving quests. From the bangs that had a life of their own, to the side-swoops and giant curls that played out on TV, week after week.

View
1 / 44 Photos
#44 Super-size bangs. Season 2, episode 11. Photo: ©2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#43 The two big B's: bangs and buns. Season 2, episode 8. Photo: © 2012 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#42 Seriously focused baby bangs. Season 1, episode 1. Photo: © 2011 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#41 "Death stare with a hint of '70s flair" hair. Season 2, episode 12. Photo: ©2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All r... #41 "Death stare with a hint of '70s flair" hair. Season 2, episode 12. Photo: ©2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#40 "I've seen some shit" hair. Season 4, episode 10.
#39 "You can never have too many hot rollers" curls. Season 6, episode 2. Photo: © 2016 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All... #39 "You can never have too many hot rollers" curls. Season 6, episode 2. Photo: © 2016 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#38 The fairly miserable lob. Season 2, episode 14.
#37 The Lululemon low bun. Season 3, episode 1.
#36 A hot comb's masterpiece. Season 4, episode 13.
#35 The "excuse me, but ..." low pony. Season 1, episode 3.
#34 Must-see-TV curls. Season 2, episode 5.
#33 The worried low bun. Season 2, episode 12. Photo: ©2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#32 The "searching for the best words to eviscerate you" curls. Season 6, episode 2. Photo: © 2016 American Broadcasting Companie... #32 The "searching for the best words to eviscerate you" curls. Season 6, episode 2. Photo: © 2016 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#31 The "do you have any coconut oil?" natural curls. Season 5, episode 4. Photo: ©2015 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All... #31 The "do you have any coconut oil?" natural curls. Season 5, episode 4. Photo: ©2015 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
#30 The smug updo. Season 3, episode 5. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#29 The elaborate side-swoop. Season 3, episode 2. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#28 Big curls that like to listen. Season 2, episode 1. Photo: © 2012 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#27 Roller-set curls. Season 5, episode 2.
#26 Altruistic ringlets. Season 2, episode 19. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#25 "Scared shitless" bangs. Season 2, episode 8. Photo: © 2012 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#24 The "Farrah Fawcett goes to Washington" flip. Season 1, episode 7. Photo: © 2012 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All ri... #24 The "Farrah Fawcett goes to Washington" flip. Season 1, episode 7. Photo: © 2012 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#23 The "everyone needs extensions" curls. Season 1, episode 2. Photo: © 2011 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights re... #23 The "everyone needs extensions" curls. Season 1, episode 2. Photo: © 2011 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#22 A power suit meets power curls. Season 1, episode 5.
#21 Did someone say barrel curls? Season 6, episode 11.
#20 Natural curls with some pearls. Season 6, episode 10. Photo: © 2017 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#19 The beauty-queen blowout. Season 5, episode 7. Photo: © 2015 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#18 Fighting hair. Season 4, episode 5. Photo: © 2014 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#17 Black-tie hair. Season 5, episode 1. Photo: © 2015 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#16 Curled ends preparing to tell someone off. Season 4, episode 17. Photo: © 2015 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserve... #16 Curled ends preparing to tell someone off. Season 4, episode 17. Photo: © 2015 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#15 Voluminous yet pensive. Season 3, episode 3. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#14 "Pleased to meet you" sleek. Season 2, episode 14.
#13 Powered by SoftSheen Carson, probably. Season 2, episode 22. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#12 Hair that sears. Season 2, episode 20. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#11 The hair that's never complete without a dose of side-eye. Season 2, episode 17. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rig... #11 The hair that's never complete without a dose of side-eye. Season 2, episode 17. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#10 "Old Hollywood meets the Grand Old Party" waves. Season 2, episode 15. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. Al... #10 "Old Hollywood meets the Grand Old Party" waves. Season 2, episode 15. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#9 "Kiss me, stupid" hair. Season 2, episode 13. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#8 "Viva la curling rod" hair. Season 2, episode 8. Photo: © 2012 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#7 The side-swoop that never un-swoops. Season 1, episode 3. Photo: © 2011 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#6 The ominous side 'do. Season 5, episode 8. Photo: © 2015 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#5 Concerned curls. Season 5, episode 4. Photo: ©2015 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
#4 Patient curls. Season 5, episode 3. Photo: © 2015 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#3 Simple, shorter, and perfect. Season 3, episode 6. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#2 The '90s under-curl. Season 2, episode 18. Photo: © 2013 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
#1 "Out of office" curls. Season 4, episode 1.
1 / 44

Tags:

  • cut homepage lede
  • beauty
  • olivia pope
  • kerry washington
  • scandal
  • hairy situations
  • More

More Galleries

May 26, 2023
Cannes Film Festival 2023: Red Carpet  There’s more than movies to be shown. Here are all of the looks at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. 
keeping up with the royals May 6, 2023
All the Looks From King Charles III’s Coronation  Robes, crowns, and Katy Perry. 
By Brooke LaMantia
met gala 2023 May 2, 2023
Met Gala 2023: All the Looks  See all the dresses, some on-theme and some, well, not so much — honoring Karl Lagerfeld at the Met Gala. 
By Brooke LaMantia
oscars 2023 Mar. 12, 2023
Oscars Red Carpet 2023: Every Look  Rihanna! Florence Pugh! Michelle Yeoh! They’re all here. 
celebrity Feb. 19, 2023
All the Best Looks From the 2023 BAFTAs Red Carpet  Florence Pugh, Barry Keoghan, and Angela Bassett brought color to the red carpet. 
grammys 2023 Feb. 5, 2023
Every Look From the 2023 Grammys Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Adele, Doja Cat, Jack Harlow, Mary J. Blige, Sam Smith, and more.
By Brooke LaMantia
golden globes 2023 Jan. 10, 2023
All the Looks From the 2023 Golden Globes  Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jenna Ortega, Jessica Chastain, Julia Garner, Jeremy Allen White, Angela Bassett, and more. 
parties! Sept. 23, 2022
Katie Holmes, Chloë Sevigny, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Chanel, Mejuri, and more celebrate. 
parties! Sept. 16, 2022
Doja Cat, Lil Nas X, and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week  Fendi, Frame, and Coach all celebrated NYFW. 
emmys 2022 Sept. 12, 2022
Emmys 2022: All the Red Carpet Looks  Updating: What Hollywood is wearing to the 2022 Primetime Emmy Awards. 
By Olivia Luppino
nyfw spring 2023 Sept. 9, 2022
Gigi Hadid, Chlöe Bailey, and More of the Bestest Party Pics of the Week  Saks Fifth Avenue, Longchamp, and more celebrate the beginning of NYFW. 
rip Sept. 9, 2022
The Queen Sure Did Love to Color-Coordinate  Monochrome for decades. 
red carpet Sept. 6, 2022
The Venice Film Festival Is a Major Fashion Event  Valentino and Gucci and Armani, oh my. 
red carpet June 5, 2022
All the Best Looks at the 2022 MTV Movie and TV Awards  Sydney Sweeney, Vanessa Hudgens, Jay Ellis, and more! 
parties! May 20, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Harry Styles > everyone! 
parties! May 13, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Bury me in Dove Cameron’s Saint Sintra skirt. 
parties! May 6, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  Cue the Met Gala after-party FOMO. 
met gala 2022 May 2, 2022
Met Gala 2022: All the Looks [Photos]  Billie Eilish, Kim Kardashian, Michelle Yeoh, Hailey Bieber, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Blake Lively, and more. 
parties! Apr. 29, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  This one goes to Olivia Rodrigo and her sweater vest. 
parties! Apr. 22, 2022
The Bestest Party Looks of the Week  “Fuck those Zoom tops.” 
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • About The Cut
  • About New York Magazine
  • Newsletters
  • Help
  • Contact
  • Press
  • Media Kit
  • We’re Hiring
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Accessibility
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2023 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.