Hair

51 pixie cut hairstyles that give instant cheekbones

Where the scissors at?

27 January 2025

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For a new chop, you can't get much fresher than a pixie cut. There's something about lopping away all those extra layers that feels unapologetically, unashamedly, deliciously liberating. It comes with some major benefits too. It's cute, it's lightweight, and the cheekbone-baring shape provides some serious bone structure.

But, even though it's rebellious, there's multiple ways to play a pixie – from dainty and delicate, to edgy and alternative. And with TikTok exploding with inspiration, more of us have admitted to feeling a little more daring and experimental when it comes to our haircuts.

It's no surprise then, that our interest in pixie cuts has been rising recently – with Google trends showing a spike over the past two years. And, in case we needed any encouragement, some of our fave celebs have stepped in to show us how it's done. Recently, Emma Stone debuted a soft, tufty pixie at the Golden Globes (after speculation from fans that she'd made the chop for an upcoming role). Likewise, Brie Larson sliced her midi-length blonde hair into a spiky pixie ready to play Greek mythological character Elektra (another avenger of sorts) on the London West End. And Rihanna has been showcasing her natural texture wearing her short golden blonde, cropped curls to events.

And, over the past few years, Jourdan Dunn, Florence Pugh, Jodie Turner-Smith, Iris Law and Dixie D'Amelio have all rocked the cut, while Emily Ratajkowski and Bridgerton's Charithra Chandran have flirted with the shape temporarily, thanks to wigs and hair pieces.

How to wear the pixie cut?

Expect to see the cut to getting a lot more creative. "The pixie crop is getting a lot more diverse," says top celeb hair stylist and Redken's UK ambassador, Larry King. "We're seeing a lot more length at the back to make it softer. Or more length round the front and sides." It's a little less jagged, and we've seen it served up both shaggy and sleek," he said.

"A lot of people have been wearing their hair in its natural state," Larry continues. "And this look is all about working with your natural texture, so if you do have curly hair, you’re really using layers to enhance the curl. If you’ve got coily hair, then again, it’s about creating a really beautiful shape. Across the board, taking it shorter will really help to celebrate texture," he says.

Meanwhile, LA's coolest hair stylist, Sal Salcedo, gave us the heads up on the cool-girl way to wear it if you want to go a little more radical. "Pixies with a mullet air are big," he says. "A hybrid of both." The look keeps the cropped shape at the front while growing out the back. We've seen plenty of celebs rocking a mixie cut (mullet-pixie) and bixie cut (pixie-bob) as they grow out shorter shapes or transition from long hair to shorter. Those in-between bob/pixie cuts have been everywhere.

Whatever way you want to spin it, the pixie cut is perfect if you want something more low-maintenance, too, since the blow-dry is reduced drastically – and this modern, relaxed take on the trend leans into air drying really well.