Recently, I had a client describe their hair goals as wanting to look like they just came back from a beach vacation, but also, I have my life together. You know what? Honestly, that’s pretty on-brand for what a mid-length wavy cut should do for you. I’ve been in love with this look for a while now so I have a chance to try this on some more clients. It’s the perfect amount of hair to give you enough to play around with it to style it how you want, but not so much to where you have to fight with it every morning. And with the waves? They just add so much to the look instantly.
Every mid-length wavy haircut has its own unique charm, and the waves are only a portion of it. Your stylist arranges the layers, angles, and structure to fit YOUR hair. A few years ago, I had a client come in with one of those Pinterest boards filled with wavy cuts. She was really frustrated that her previous stylist just added waves with a curling iron and called it good. But guess what? When we changed the structure of her cut to have the right layers, her hair was doing the wavy thing almost by itself after just one wash. That is how you know the cut is RIGHT! I have put together a gallery of 15 of my favorite mid-length wavy looks, and I use the word favorite very intentionally because each one is so unique, and there is something different to love about every single one.
#1: Soft Layers That Basically Style Themselves
This is the type of hairstyle that after some mousse, you can just walk out the door. The haircut does the hard work. The layers are soft enough so that nothing looks choppy and your hair moves around instead of just hanging there like a curtain. I love how the layers frame the face. It gives off the nice “I woke up like this but I look good” kind of vibe. This type of layering will be your best friend because it gives you the movement that lasts especially if your hair is flat by noon.
#2 That “I Just Have Really Good Hair” Look
Running into people frequently makes you wonder about their hair and think about what it is? This is that hairstyle. It falls just below shoulder length which I believe is the most flattering on everyone, and the waves look loose enough so it doesn’t appear that they were made with a tool (even if they actually were). What I want to point out is how there are not a lot of layers that are visible, but there is a lot of movement! This is what good texturing is all about. If you have medium to thick hair, this is going to look absolutely amazing on you. If your hair is fine, some extra layers may be necessary to get to the same result.
#3 Soft Volume Without the “Blowout Bar” Vibe
What I like most about this hairstyle is the volume. It’s clear there’s a difference between good volume and looking like you’re showing off. I think this hairstyle certainly falls into the first category. The loose waves make it look like the hair has that effortless style. I’m gonna be real though. It’s not easy if you want that kind of texture and your hair is straight. To get this look you’re going to need a good 1.25 inch curling wand to do it. It’s really not that hard once you get used to it!
#4 The Low Key Beach Wave That Works Year Round
Can we address the fact that she looks like she just got back from a week in Tulum? Because she does and I’m here for it. The texture looks so good and so natural and I like that the face framing layers are pretty subtle; they aren’t screaming “LAYERS”, they are just quite improving everything. This is one of those styles that honestly gets BETTER with day two and three hair, which is a huge plus if you’re someone who doesn’t wash their hair every day. I will say that if you have really fine hair, this may be your ideal cut because it creates so much more visual fullness without needing a ton of product to hold it up.
#5 Wavy With Bangs and I Am NOT Mad About It
Bangs and waves are a hit or miss hairstyle. In this example, it’s a hit! The bangs are lovely and they don’t look too wispy or too heavy. They hit a perfect balance where they won’t take over the entire hairstyle, but will be enough to compliment the hairstyle. The warm brown color is gorgeous and paired with the sun-kissed highlights, I gasped. What people don’t know when saying hair bangs and waves is that there will be some round brushing involved to get the bangs pin straight and the rest of the hair will air dry in waves. That is like, what, 2 minutes added to your hair routine?
#6 Curtain Bangs That Actually Do What They’re Supposed To
I have a lot of clients asking for curtain bangs and I can guess this is likely due to past stylists cutting them too short, too thick, or angled them poorly so the bangs sit on the forehead looking confused. These curtain bangs are doing all the right things, parting in the middle and sweeping to the sides like they’ve been doing it their whole life. The wavy texture throughout the rest of the cut is just *chef’s kiss.* The highlights woven through the hair are also very smart as they accentuate the wave pattern and give it all more dimension. If you’ve been hesitant about curtain bangs, show your stylist THIS picture. This is the goal!
#7 Rich Brunette Waves With Just Enough Highlight
I really love warm brown hair, and I especially love it when the highlights are done well. I love when highlights catch the light in just the right places, and that is what is happening here. The cut has soft layers that work with the natural wave pattern instead of against it. You would be surprised how many haircuts go against the natural texture instead of complimenting it. This hairstyle could be done easily with some sea salt spray, a little scrunch, and you’re done! Out of all the looks in this roundup, this one is the most realistic.
#8 Auburn Waves With Bangs? YES PLEASE
I just love this color! The warm rich auburn is perfect! It’s natural and not orange and costume-like. It’s awesome! It looks so good with your soft bangs and loose bouncy waves. Here’s the thing about auburn: it’s one of the fastest colors to fade. If you go this route, you definitely need some color-safe shampoo and ideally something color depositing to keep it rich. The maintenance of the color is balanced out by the effort of the cut. The bangs are long so they can be pushed aside on days you don’t want to deal with them, which is always a nice bonus with bangs.
#9 Volume That Looks Like It Happened By Accident
Effortlessly, each hair cut looks nice and classy. The hair has a lot of volume, which can be a dead giveaway, but because of how the stylist has cut the hair, it has waves without being outdated. The facelayers are great and do a wonderful job at framing while allowing the style to fan out at the ends. The colors also provide depth to the waves and make sure every one of them stands out. If you have a medium or fine hair density and you style your hair into waves, and they tend to fall down quickly, this type of cut will make your waves last much longer, because it won’t be weighed down.
#10 Defined Curls on a Mid Length Cut? Don’t Mind If I Do
I love how this style is right on the edge of wavy and curly! The light brown color is warm and pretty, but the bounce is what keeps me looking, there’s so much life! This is the best cut to ask for if your natural texture is more curly than wavy. The layers are designed to really promote that curl pattern instead of trying to tame it. I recommend putting curl cream in damp hair and then don’t touch it!
#11 The “No I Didn’t Even Try” Wave
I call this a “civilian wave” and that’s a huge compliment. It honestly looks like this is just how her hair is, rather than it looking like a stylist made it. The layers are super subtle, and you don’t really notice them until you see the movement of the hair. Then you understand that someone did a good job with those shears. The hair length is just below the shoulder, which is the ideal spot for wavy cuts. It is long enough to tie up, but short enough for the waves to not get straggly and lose their shape. The cut is beautiful and perfectly understated.
#12 Face Framing Bangs That Actually Frame Your Face
The bangs are doing what they ought to be doing, which is a lot more uncommon than most people would think. You won’t have to deal with an awkward grow out line later because they blend into the layers so well. If you’ve ever grown out bad bangs, you know how important that is. That shine on your warm color is incredible. The waves add texture just the right amount sinfully looking too messy. If your hair is super thick, then just a heads up that you might want to ask your stylist to thin out the bangs a little because this look works best when the bangs have a lot of movement so they aren’t sitting heavy on your forehead.
#13 Waves With Subtle Layers That Have Range
I like this style for people with medium/thick hair, looks wavy but doesn’t feel like a lot. You know? Sometimes thick hair plus waves and layers can feel overwhelming, but the layering is intentional, and so modern. The overall shape and defintion of the waves is stunning. A balayage would be gorgeous because the waves would catch the lighter pieces and create a layered look. But even with a single, solid color, it has dimension.
#14 Natural Volume That Goes and Goes
I really like the volume. You can tell it’s coming from the cut and not a blowout. It has that soft, lived-in quality that looks better than freshly styled roundness. That’s a good sign of a well done wavy cut. The texture looks really ‘I ran my fingers through it and this is what happened ‘ which is the goal. To try and get a look like this at home, you may want to diffuse your hair upside down for that root lift without the crease from hair clips. This cut makes it look like you have great hair genes when really you don’t.
#15 The Busy Girl’s Dream Cut With Bangs
My last one for the day, but I think this is a great cut, as it will help someone look put together without having to spend 45 minutes to do their hair. The soft bangs are a great touch, and they really elevate what might be considered just a basic mid-length cut. The way the layers are cut adds movement to the hair so it looks styled, relaxed waves is also a great texture and is so much easier to maintain, and I’m certain the layers are cut to fall to facilitate that natural flow. For people wanting an easy cut, people with kids who don’t have time to fight with a straightener every morning, this is the cut for you! Get it, love it, thank me later!
Enter your email and get this picture and description straight to your inbox, and you'll also get new hair ideas ❤️
🔒 We don't spam or sell emails. See our Privacy Policy.