Pure Wow October 15, 2024

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Beauty

The Bixie Cut Is Trending This Fall—Here’s Everything You Need to Know, According to Hairstylists

 

Transporting us back to the ‘90s

While the wixie (aka pixie-shag) and whisper pixie are very popular short hairdos right now, there’s another hybrid haircut that’s slowly emerging as *the* fall hair trend. Let me introduce you to the bixie, a combination of a pixie and bob that should be on everyone’s radar. So if you’re looking to jump on this latest trend, I chatted with four hairstylists to learn more about it—plus, ways to maintain it and 15 haircut ideas to show at your next appointment. 

Meet the Experts

  • Jenna Spino is a veteran stylist at Maxine Salon in Chicago with over 14 years of experience. Her specialties include long, layered cuts, bobs, keratin treatments and polished men’s looks. Her favorite style to create is a bouncy, bombshell blowout. 
  • Chris Appleton is a celebrity hairstylist based in Los Angeles. He is also a creative director for Color Wow and a brand ambassador for Shark Beauty. His previous clients include Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez and Dua Lipa.
  • Jennifer Korab is a celebrity hairstylist and owner of Renaissance Salon in New Jersey. She has over a decade of experience working in commercial, runway and editorial spaces. She is certified in all coloring techniques, haircutting and hand-tied extensions.
  • Danielle Keasling is a celebrity hairstylist and brand ambassador for Ulta Beauty. She has 15 years of experience in the beauty industry, working with various brands like Matrix, Biolage and Great Lengths. Her previous clients include Lily Gladstone, Madison Lecroy and Jamie Chung.

 

What Is a Bixie Haircut?

A bixie haircut is a combination of a pixie and a bob. As Keasling explains, “It combines the elements of a short bob with the texture and layers of a pixie cut. It typically features shorter layers at the nape of the neck and longer, more textured layers towards the crown and fringe. Overall, the cut is shorter than a typical bob but has the texture and piece-y nature of a pixie, thus creating its name, bixie.” 

Why Is the Bixie Haircut So Popular Right Now?

Believe it or not, the trendy haircut has been around for a while, but Gen Z has rediscovered it on TikTok. Inspired by the ‘90s, celebs like Winona Ryder, Meg Ryan, Halle Berry and Drew Barrymore have sported their own renditions of a bixie haircut—and now it’s become a hit at the salon. 

From a stylist’s perspective, it opens the doors for more creativity. “A bixie offers a versatile and low-maintenance haircut for clients looking to update their look,” shares Korab. “It provides the structure and volume of a bob with the ease and movement of a pixie, making it suitable for different hair textures and lengths. The cut also allows for creative layering and texturizing, giving stylists the opportunity to tailor it to each client's face shape and style preferences. Additionally, its modern appeal and adaptability make it a great choice for clients who want a fresh, trendy look without committing to extreme length changes.”

How to Ask Your Stylist for a Bixie Haircut

Come prepared with photos of your desired cut so your stylist can get a feel for what you want and how it can work with your hair type or face shape. Spino also shares, “When asking for a bixie haircut, figure out where you want the length to be, as it can vary. And a few good words to describe the cut are heavily layered, textured and shattered.” 

Does a Bixie Haircut Work on All Hair Types?

The bixie haircut can be customizable to work with any hair type. As Appleton explains, “Straight and textured hair both look great with a bixie cut, but they will manifest a little bit differently. When cutting wavy or curly hair for a bixie, you can have some fun with layers because of the large amount of texture within these hair types. On the other hand, you have to be a bit more precise with cutting layers for a bixie on straight hair, since you want to make a [conscious] effort at making the layers flow effortlessly.” 

According to Korab, a stylist may also adjust the look to complement your face shape. “A bixie haircut can enhance oval faces, elongate round faces with added top volume and longer layers, balance heart-shaped faces by adding width around the chin and soften square faces with its textured ends. Its adaptability makes it a great choice for many different looks,” she shares.

Now that you’re all caught up, do you need some haircut ideas to show your stylist? I compiled 15 styles you can try out now.

Bixie Haircut Ideas

1. Short Bixie

Spino suggests this super short bob, which offers tons of texture and movement. “This bixie definitely gives off cool-girl vibes,” she says. In order to achieve the look, she recommends using a blow dryer brush and doing an upward motion for volume before finishing it off with a texture spray. 

2. Tousled Bixie

Appleton is the stylist behind the Kardashians’ hair and this one is no exception. Kylie Jenner is known for her long locks, but traded those in for this tousled bixie instead. Forget about parting your hair—just let the texture speak for itself. The stylist suggests using a hair dryer and a texturizing spray to really show off the layers. 

3. Glamorous Bixie

Florence Pugh is a prime example that a bixie haircut can be customizable. She rocks a chin-length bob with a face-framing piece that’s kept short and flipped.

4. Mermaid Bixie

Korab suggests this bixie style for those with wavy hair. She says it accentuates a looser pattern, while tucking one side gives a nice touch for a low-maintenance cut.

5. Sleek Bixie

For a more polished look, Korab recommends using a flat iron and a smoothing serum to straighten your layers. Add a deep part like Jourdan Dunn above and you have yourself a model-ready finish.

6. Curly Bixie

Looking for a curly haircut? Gabrielle Union is a great reference to show your stylist. The short length brings out her swirls—and don’t forget to lay your baby hairs down. 

7. Modern Bixie

According to Keasling, this a great “modernized and fresh take” on the bixie style. While the ‘90s focused on the short layers at the crown, the new version leans into more length throughout as shown by celebrity hairstylist Briana Cisneros above. 

8. Piecey Bixie

If you want more definition, apply a texturizing paste (or pomade) for a piecey bixie. Rowan Blanchard’s layers are prominent near her crown and hairline for an edgier style for Paris Fashion Week. 

9. Middle Part

A side part is cool, but a middle part can switch up your style in seconds and offer a flare finish like Adelaide Chabannes. 

10. Side-Swept Bixie

Halsey changes her hair often, but this style is my absolute favorite. The deep side part allows for her fringe to get more attention. Korab recommends using a flat iron on the swept bang and a styling gel to sleek the other side down. 

11. Sleek Wavy Bixie

This sleek look brings shape to the front, but keeps the back brushed down towards the nape of the neck. The key here is applying styling cream or gel to tame any flyaways. 

12. Choppy Bixie

The more tousled, the better, as evidenced by Taylor Hill. The choppy cut adds body throughout without having to do too much styling to the look. 

13. Voluminous Bixie

Korab suggests a volumizing mousse at the roots before using a blow dryer and a round brush combo for a bouncy ‘do. 

14. Slicked-Back Bixie

I’ve recently spotted slicked-back styles all over Paris, so it’s no surprise that it’s a popular option for the bixie haircut. It’s honestly the easiest look to try at home with a texturizing cream, a brush and some patience. 

15. Ombré Bixie

OK, you got the haircut, but how about adding some color to your new ‘do? This ombré honey brown hair sported by Ciara adds brightness and depth that’s perfect for the red carpet. 

How to Style a Bixie Haircut

According to the experts, a bixie haircut doesn’t require much styling. After washing your hair, apply a texturizing spray (or cream) for definition and softness. You can choose to diffuse or air dry to get an effortless, tousled look. And if you want more bounce, Spino recommends using a round brush and a blow dryer for a voluminous bixie. 


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