What about refreshing your look with some trendy new haircuts? All of these styles are great for hair that is low-maintenance and easy to manage. You can take your pick for a busy working day or for an evening out, and these cuts will look and make you feel great. Most of these cuts are for grown-up women that want to have fun but also want to keep it classy. With these haircuts, You will be ready to have a professional photoshoot!
I kept a photo of a woman that visited my station in 2017. She asked for a trim, and left with a balayage and six inches cut off. She looked like a different person when she walked out. Not because of the drastic change of hair length, but because she looked how she wanted. She probably felt great! That should be the purpose of a hair style! You have to look how you feel. You should do a lot with your hair and stop touching it. Stop being a wall flower and live your life.
I made this collection since people keep asking me, “What should I do with my hair right now?” The answer is always “depends,” but these are the styles I always go back to. These are styles that work for actual people with actual jobs and hair textures. I will also be transparent that some styles are more time-consuming but totally worth it and others that are more low-maintenance. I will be honest about which is which. Let’s get into it.
#1: Ash Blonde Balayage with Feathered Waves That Frame Everything
This is a fantastic example of a beautiful hair coloring technique! This is an ash blonde color melt with a root shadow and some highlights that blend perfectly. She has some gorgeous face framing highlights that hit the light at the cheekbones. The ends have some light layers so that when they are curled with a wand, they fall into beautiful waves. Her hair has a natural texture which makes the finished result even prettier. Because the color is sooo beautiful, I recommend getting a gloss to ash it every few weeks. The face framing highlights will get warm and the low lights behind the cheekbones will take a bit longer but trust me when I say they are the secret to keeping the look from being too flat.
#2: Warm Bronde Layers with That Perfect Effortless Wave
This style makes it look like you’ve made some sort of change without giving off any clues as to what it might be. The mid-chest length haircut has a center part with thick wavy hair. There are face-framing layers that highlight the bronde color (a mix of brown and blonde). The shadow root makes the hair grow-out a little easier, and the brighter slices on the outer sections helps to lift the hair around the face, also emphasizing it, without being too obvious. There’s also a very subtle under slice at the ear level which most people won’t notice, but it helps with bulk removal and creates a nice halo effect when the hair moves. You’ll likely need to style the hair with heat on a weekly basis to create those S-waves, and do a gloss treatment once warm muddy tones are present.
#3 Chestnut Shoulder Cut with Cheekbone Layers and a Sneaky Side Fringe
I love this length because it is at that sweet spot where it’s short enough to feel shaped but long enough to pull back when you need to. The inner layers graze the cheekbones and there is a long side fringe that doesn’t fully commit to being bangs which is perfect for anyone fringe curious. The colour is a rich chestnut with partial babylights and a root-smudge glaze which gives it that lit-from-within look without being too obvious. You’ll want some sort of texturizing product or a touch of heat to hold those waves because the cut alone won’t do it and the glaze will need refreshing from time to time, but the movement you get from those slide cut layers is genuinely worth it.
#4: Center-Parted Ash Bronde with Bright Face-Framing and Seamless Roots
This hair cut is really easy to explain and looks more pricey than it really is. It has layers starting from the chin and a middle part. The face framing babylights really help to open her face. As for her roots, she has a color that is two levels darker than the ends. This is a small detail, but a huge part of helping the hair look expensive instead of grown out. The best type of hair to get this cut is medium with enough density to hold the shape. The S shaped blowout is the type of thing that will give you the volume that air drying won’t. If you don’t want to use a big barrel round brush to blow dry it every few days, this cut is probably not for you. Because of the brightness of the blonde pieces, they will need to be toned which is a bummer, but is the price needed for that brightness right where you want it.
#5: Chin-Length Angled Bob with Caramel Threading
I like to tell people that a good bob haircut is like a good blazer as it makes everything look more polished and refined. This one sits at chin level with an A-line angle and a softer, side-swept fringe that tucks under at the jaw line. It has rounding interior graduation that gives body but without the bulk at the nape. The caramel color running through the mid-lengths gives depth, without needing a full color appointment, which is great if you want to add dimension but don’t want to live in the salon. This look works great on medium density hair that is straight to slightly wavy. It will just needs a quick blow dry or round brush set to keep the ends that way and if your hair is really fine, ask your stylist to cut some soft points inside to keep the hair from feeling heavy. There is a slight reverse point in the back to create a gentle outward flick and it gives the perfect amount of lift without being fussy.
#6: Chocolate Feathered Layers with Flipped Ends
This hairstyle photographs beautifully and gets better with age as it continues to grow out. This is a true testament to the style. This chocolate brown style features a color that sits in the upper chest area as well as long micro face framing layers with soft outward flipt ends that create a nice combination of retro and modern. Crown layers are slide cut to create a slight taper at the nape, which adds volume and lift without looking too thin. This style will definitely move, especially on straight hair that is fine to medium. In order to get the flips to stay in place, it is recommended to blow it out with a round brush or straightener, and a clear gloss may occasionally be needed to keep the brown from turning too warm. Overall, the face framing and movement of the style really gives a less is more vibe.
#7: Mid-Back Feathered Layers with Curtain Money Pieces
Of course we know money pieces are trendy, but there’s also a multitude of other options that clients might not be aware of. Instead of the chunky strips that were all the rage a couple of years ago, you are going to get two bright and thin pieces designed to contour the cheekbones and not be too obvious about it. The rest is long, soft feathery layers that start around the chin and cascade to mid-back which gives that blowout volume and curtain framing. The feathery ends are slide cut and the foils are fine with a root smudge to blend out the foils. The face framing pieces do require extra maintenance in terms of toning and lightening. If you have very fine hair, you might not get that rounder flip, but it looks stunning with medium to thick, straight or soft hair.
#8: Deep Side Sculpted Retro Waves with Mirror Shine
I am really excited for retro waves, so let me explain. Retro waves consist of mid-chest length hair with a deep side part and one direction sculpted waves that look like they came straight out of a 1940s movie poster. That’s my favorite look. To get this look, I use a 1 inch barrel curling iron, do clip-setting, and root-lifting for volume at the roots. The result is beautiful, especially on hair that is thick and straight to wavy. I also use a hidden short internal layer, aka a cheek length inner layer, to help the waves look less stiff. This style can easily take over an hour to complete. If you have fine hair this style will feel heavy when complete. If you have tight curls, you will need to prepare your hair for this look to help it look good. Even if the look is for an ordinary Tuesday, I think the hairstyle is worth it.
#9: Mid-Back Sliced Layers with One Perfect Caramel Face Streak
In this example, a single color process has allowed for more than 20 foils. This model has mid-back layered hair with a soft off-center part, and a single bright face-framing streak that captures all the light. The rest of her hair is low contrast natural color with a complementing woven low-contrast balayage which gives it an effortless and naturally un-done look. The hair density is medium-high and ranged from soft waves to straight. The sliced layers give high contrast movement and face framing without adding bulk. The face frame streak will need regular toning to avoid brassiness, and with that length you’ll need to be diligent about using a heat protectant to prevent the ends from getting crispy. The most expensive part about this look is the restraint of color placement.
#10: Shaggy Ash-Beige Bob with a Wispy Curtain Fringe
I guess it would be frustrating for some to hear that this look has made me recommend this to every client that sits in my chair who wears glasses. Of course tucking the flipped ends behind the frames works great, and the layers that frame the cheeks are very flattering because they shorten a long jawline without you even realizing that’s what they’re doing. It’s a chin-to-collarbone shag with razor-textured ends, a see-through curtain fringe, and this ash-beige toner over a subtle root shadow that gives it that cool, undone French-girl energy. It’s excellent in straight, fine-to-medium hair. Ash tones are high maintenance as low maintenance haircuts. Fine hair (especially hair that’s been cut into a shag) benefits from some light styling mousse or a blast of low heat from the blow-dryer to hold the shape, and the payoff is definitely worth it.
#11: Chestnut Long Layers with Curtain Framing and Feathered Ends
This cut might look effortless and make the individual seem like they have naturally great hair, but its all thanks to the haircut! The cut features a smooth chestnut brown color with curtain layers framing the face, soft feathery ends, and subtle lifting through the crown with internal gradation to provide some volume without the need to tease or use hair product. You’ll love the swing on this style, if you’re willing to put in the work for how it looks in a commercial! You’ll need to do some round brush blow-dryings or flat ironing to shape it for max movement. If you’re an air-drying type of person, this cut probably won’t work for you. The warm depth of mahogany color will look its best with regular gloss glazing and if you have very fine hair, you’ll need extra internal layering added so that the bottom doesn’t go flat and heavy.
#12: Textured Mullet-Shag with Micro Bangs
We might not all think of getting a mullet-shag as the first option, but how can you not think this is amazing? It includes all the best aspects like defined layers, crisp dimension, and cute layers framing the face. Sheer micro bangs are great to frame the forehead and not cover it too much. The cut has a combination of point cutting and razor cutting. The movement you can get from the slightly disconnected nape is airy and lived in, but you cannot get that with scissors. This works best for hair that is straight to soft waved and a medium density. The ends will need some styling to be flipped, but the built in contour this cut brings to your face is hard to beat.
#13: Rich Chocolate Layers with Big Curtain Face Framing
Let us appreciate the color chocolate brown. This color has a certain richness to it that when paired with subtle low lights and extreme volume, creates an incredible look (blonde pieces not necessary). This is a mid back layered cut with soft face framing curtains that start at the level of the cheekbones, long feathery layers, and rounded barrel blown ends that have been styled to form large S-waves. The texture is medium-fine but the thickness is high which is what you want for hair to hold that much volume without collapsing by noon. To achieve this look, expect to do a couple of round-brush blowouts and some rollers, along with internal vertical slicing to remove some of the bottom weight if your hair is really thick, but the depth and movement are stunning.
#14: Razor-Clean Jaw-Length Bob with Micro Curtain Pieces
Having a blunt bob hairstyle instantly conveys a sense of determination and confidence, as if this individual walked in knowing exactly what they wanted and executed it successfully. This bob hairstyle is jaw-length and framed by longer micro curtain bangs that reach the cheekbone area. It is especially suited for straight medium dense hair. This style better emphasizes the lips and jaw as opposed to longer hair. When worn sleek, styling takes minimal time. One drawback to this hairstyle is that due to rapid regrowth, it can look unkempt quickly. Also, if the hair is very fine or curly, it may not hold the desired shape of the bob and styling will be required more frequently. For those with very fine or curly hair, it is recommended to get a zero degree blunt cut with slight internal graduation to avoid excess weight while keeping the desired shape. Additionally to lessen the need for salon visits, ask for a subtle root smudge as well.
#15: Full Corkscrew Curls with Curly Micro Bangs
I especially enjoy getting to work on hair with 3B/3C curls. There are so many possiblities for styles! This gorgeous style allows for the natural curl pattern and texture to shine. The hair is cut to mid chest length and short curly micro bangs are cut dry so that each individual ringlet falls exactly where it is supposed to. The hair has a styling technique that is called “praying hands”. In this technique, curl cream is applied followed by a gel which creates a cast that is then scrunched out when the hair is dry. The definition of each curl is incredible! Because of this the plan for the hair length is about 25 to 35 percent shrinkage so hair that looks mid chest when wet will actually be collar bone length when the curls are dry. Expect longer wash and dry cycles because the perimeter of the hair will need to be left to dry completely for several hours. The perimeter of the hair should get internal layers to keep the mass at the ends from becoming too heavy, but the end result is a glorious unstyled halo of ringlets that are stunning and heat free.
#16: Long Chocolate Cascading Layers with a Center Part
Watching haircut videos teaches me techniques I want to learn. I prefer cuts that look easy to do but are actually very difficult. I like mid length hair which has straight silky ends that make a lot of hair look heavy, and is center parted. I like the long layer style with curtain bangs and some pieces that are longer and frame the face. The stylist’s use of slide and point cutting to create rounded parts and reverse swoops is so great. Micro balayage adds depth to these styles which is additional bonus. When hair is as heavy as this looks, it is definitely advised to have pull with good style, and I think a round brush blow out will do the job. Great work with those layers as well as your big barrel curling iron!
#17: Platinum Long Layers with Rooted Cool Tones
Cool platinum is a unique hair color, especially when done properly. To achieve such a color takes a lot of maintenance, and that is definitely worth it. Here we see a mid-chest length, center-part, root melt with face-framing layers that are blended long and soft into the platinum. It has soft waves from a round brush blowout, and S-waves were created using a 1.25-1.5 inch iron. The internal graduation provides just the right amount of body without the bulk, which is important because fine to medium hair can make the color look flat. It cannot be stressed enough that professional lightening and toning is needed to achieve this look, and if a stylist rushes the process, there is a very real chance of banding. The movement and framing colors that catch the light are especially bright and stunning.
#18: Ash-Beige Curtain Layers with a Slim Brightener at the Part
I appreciate the calmness of this style. It’s a perfect execution of a mid-chest ash-beige cut. It has a curtain face-frame and ends that slide beautifully on fine-to-medium straight hair. There’s a narrow vertical brightener camouflaged among the curtain pieces that frame the eyes and give a soft uplift to the face, which isn’t obvious as highlights. The foilyage babylights offer a beautifully soft dimension. If your hair texture is tighter, it will take more work because you’ll need to use heat on the ends to achieve the look, plus regular toning and gloss to keep the ash reflects cool. However, if you have straight to wavy hair, this is a beautifully low maintenance look.
#19: Sun-Kissed Blonde Balayage with Curtain Lights on Long Hair
A person will ask you, “Who does your hair?” , which is the best compliment you can receive. They have hair beyond the bust, with a center part, is naturally wavy and thick, and has a soft mid shaft face framing layer which curtains. The warm blonde has a balayage and root melt, and some cool lowlight ribbons which gives a great 3D effect. The grow-out contrast from the balayage is low, which means you don’t have to visit the salon every 6 weeks. This hair is heavy to air dry, so get ready for the weight. The movement and color shifts from light to light.
#20: Silky Dark Layers with a Wispy Blended Fringe
This haircut might be my favorite! With long layers that reach my mid back and face-framing layers, plus a center fringe that’s wispy and slightly shorter, it’s a great cut. The wispy fringe is perfect for softening my forehead and is a great style for those who want to avoid a full fringe. This style works best on thick straight to soft wavy hair since it adds movement, especially with point-cut ends and layers from about chin length to mid-chest. There are also some short layers at the crown that give a good lift so the top doesn’t fall flat, and the color looks nice! It’s a single dark shade that is super glossy, making it look like a mirror in photos. I know bangs need to be smoothed down every day, so that’s just the reality of having bangs. Also, Internal thinning is needed if your hair is very thick, so it doesn’t have that heavy blanket feeling. I love how this cut looks after a blowout, it is gorgeous!
#21: Chocolate Layered Bob with Curtain Fringe and Cool Babylights
This hairstyle has soft curtain bangs and a shoulder-length layered bob. I would recommend this style to about seventy percent of you! It is super flattering for oval-shaped faces. The delicate cool-toned babylights brighten the face beautifully and very naturally. The short internal layering and slight graduation at the nape enable the ends to fold under without the need for any styling. This cut is low-maintenance for straight hair that is fine to medium in density. All it really needs is a blow dry. I do think this cut will not hold the same shape with really coarse or tightly wound curls. Additionally, the fine babylights may require a mid-strength glaze to keep the look subtle due to their design. For many, this cut looks like you are effortlessly put together every day.
#22: Feathered Layers with Soft Caramel Face-Skirting Highlights
An understated aspect of the hair that the average person overlooks are the low sunk highlights that have been painted under the top layers. They give a warmth that balances with all the colors and contrasts more effectively. The caramel balayage that is at the top does the job of face framing. It is mid-chest length and has long curtain layers with feathered flipped ends. This is best suited for straight to slightly wavy medium to thick hair. The blowout volume that comes with is very satisfying and oval or heart shape faces are the best for this style since they are framed perfectly. You’ll need that round brushing technique to achieve the flip and an occasional gloss to keep the caramel color ends from looking muddy. This look is one that requires a lot of relative maintenance but delivers a lot of impact.
#23: Shoulder-Length Curtain Layers with Feathered Ends and Babylights
I added some point-cut texture on the ends here, as well as a super soft money piece placement to keep the brightness low-maintenance. The whole thing works in a really easy, approachable way. It’s shoulder length with curtain layers that lift the cheeks, feathered ends, and soft babylights that give a subtle brightness over natural freckling without fighting it. On straight to slightly wavy medium-thick hair, the movement is natural and the restyling is easy. You do need a round-brush blowout or light flat-iron flip to hold the curve since the ends won’t bend on their own and a toner refresh with gloss every 8-12 weeks keeps the babylights from going warm. But overall, this is the kind of haircut that makes your morning routines shorter, not longer.
#24: Voluminous Curly Layers with Side Cornrows and Ashy Taupe Babylights
Looking closer at this side, I adore how the cornrowed braids create a frame around the cheekbone, and how they put together such a lovely asymmetric design, this is so hard to find! This goes excellent with the long, multilayered cuts with ashy taupe babylights tucked in to give a little more dimension to the hair, 3A/3B curls for days! Point cutting the long layers keeps the curl-clumping natural and ensures that the movement stays alive! On dark coils, the cool highlights will also require a bit of maintenance with toning so that’s something to think about. Plus, length can weigh coils down over time, so selective slide and thinning will be needed. For the best result, I recommend using a curl cream to diffuse it dry at a low heat as this will provide definition while keeping the frizz to a minimum. Overall, this is a stunning combination of technique, color, and natural texture. I have loved this!
#25: Espresso Brown Layers with Caramel Micro-Balayage
In this style, the coloring technique is just as important, or even more than the cut. We have the base color as a beautiful espresso color that goes to mid-back length. It has soft internal layers as well as face framing layers that come down to the cheekbone. The caramel micro-balayage is concentrated at the mid-lengths, and the ribbons that come from the internal layers are only visible when the hair swings. The straighter to soft wavy hair has very high density, so we want to make sure we avoid a lot of bulk and that triangular silhouette. Therefore we use what is called diagonal slicing at the ends, and then some channel cutting in the interior to keep everything really sculpted and light. The micro-balayage needs to be really carefully applied. If you are wanting lighter money pieces, an espresso base won’t lift very quickly, so keep that in mind. The internal layers of the hair enhance the beauty of the style when you do round-brush blowouts or use a large-barrel curling iron, and the warmth and fullness you have while still keeping movement is what makes this worth the time spent in the chair.
#26: Rooted Ash Balayage with Long Blonde Waves
What I believe makes this option most attractive is the subtle inner layer feathering at the ends, which offers greater separation without overly texturizing to combat the clumpy wave formation. It also boasts a mid-back length with wave and curtain bang face framing, soft S-waves, and a cool-rooted ash-to-beige balayage that looks high-end and super detailed. On medium thick hair, the longer layers really help soften the face and hold the waves as the days go on. The lightened ends will need some bond repair during the service like Olaplex, and a gloss toner will be needed as well as purple shampoo to keep the brass at bay. The waves look like they were created with a 1 to 1.25 inch iron, which gives that loose bend and undulation look that stays effortless and styled.
#27: Long Curtain-Framed Feathered Cut with Babylight Balayage
The crown area of this cut has an internal short layering technique that isn’t visible in the photo and does a lot of work. It gives salon style lift at the roots without any back combing or product build up. The rest of the hair is a long curtain framed feathered cut with a soft root shadow and babylight balayage which is best suited for oval or long faces and fine to medium texture hair with good density. The airy ends move really well and the face framing is doing exactly what it should. To get the full effect of this cut it will need a round brush blow dry or soft S wave to remove any dryness that will flatten the layering. Glossing will also keep it cool and maintain that ash reflect to stop it from becoming warm and brassy over time. But for anyone with the right texture, this is a really elegant everyday look.
#28: Ash Blonde Mid-Length with Creamy Face Pieces
This is a clavicle length center-parted lob with S shaped thermal waves and point-cut ends. There is a soft root smudge that melts into cool ash mid tones and creamy face-framing pieces that brighten everything. On fine to medium density hair, it gives you airy movement without a lot of layering, which is great since over layering at this length can fast track the ends to a scraggly look. The lifted blonde will need frequent toning, and both the shape and cool tone will require heat styling so this look does have maintenance to keep it looking polished. The face-framing pieces catch light beautifully and the length is versatile enough for updos along with down looks.
#29: Warm Copper Feathered Layers with Curtain Framing
Everyone looks good in copper! I love the idea of copper as a hair color choice. I’ve designed this hair to be mid-chest length with a center part, a curtain of face-framing layers, and ends that are feathered and reverse tapered so that they flick out. The warm copper color with a subtle underlight ribbon creates an exquisite depth and shifts in various lights. The long-layered cuts along with the slicing creates beautiful movement. This will be done on the bottom ends of your hair so that they are blown out with a round brush to ensure they flip up and out, and it is suggested that you keep your copper hair color fresh and glossy because it fades much quicker than other colors.
#30: Deep Side Part Glossy Old Hollywood Waves
The thick long hair do with waves and sides parted deep looks great. It has long past the chest hair which is made into thick and shiny s-waved. The waves have been set using either a 1.5 inch marcel or a large barrel iron and finished with a glaze. To create the desired fall and shine, tape-in extensions are used. The weight of the hair does help smooth out any frizz and frames the jaw in a very flattering way. This look is probably going to require a lot of fine haired girls to use extensions in order to achieve this desired density. The heat styling will take a very long time to complete and clarifying products will be needed regularly to avoid any glaze buildup. This is a great option if you have an event coming up or just want to have a night out where you feel like an absolute movie star.
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