How To Style A Pixie Cut For Every Occasion

A pixie cut is a short hairdo you can style to suit every situation. "It's a classic cut that can be styled edgy or soft, and it fits nearly anyone," professional hairstylist Da Raborn tells Michael Anthony Salon. " ... with modifications to the very short cut, you can have a pixie that is just right for your face shape," she adds. Raborn suggests a pixie cut with long bangs for people who have a high hairline or broad forehead. And for face shapes that tend toward the rounder side, Raborn explains that keeping the hair longer at the crown of the head will give the appearance of lengthier locks. She advises a variety of possible styling strategies: You can sweep your strands to one side, part your pixie cut down the center, or comb all your hair neatly to the back of your head. 

Basic tools you'll need for styling a pixie cut are a comb, brush, and hair dryer. Hair dryer nozzle attachments can also be useful for shaping some styles. There are countless useful styling products to use including gel, mousse, pomade, sculpting clay, molding paste, regular hairspray, texturizing hairspray, and other specialty hairsprays. You'll want to have a few of these on hand because each one has benefits and limitations. If you have a relatively long pixie cut, a short-barrel curling iron and a flat iron will also be useful.

If headed to school, you'll need to style a practical, no-fuss look that will stay in place all day without a lot of primping to keep it looking good. To get the carefree but studious style, start by shampooing and towel drying your hair. Comb it forward while it's still wet. Massage a bit of your favorite styling product, perhaps anti-frizz serum, gel, or mousse, into your damp hair. Blow dry by holding the hair dryer behind your head and aiming it forward. Finish by layering a firm holding hairspray onto your locks to ensure the style stays in place. 

Shopping and errands don't require much styling effort on your part. You'll want to wash your hair and comb the tangles out of it, but you don't need to do much more than that before you're ready to tackle your to-do list. If you want to invest a little more effort in looking well-groomed, you could work a bit of mousse, light pomade, or other styling product into your still-damp hair and then finish by blow drying. Curling or flattening with the appropriate iron are additional optional steps to consider.

When you're planning to spend time on the go with friends, you could take your 'do in a variety of directions. For a neat and tidy, easygoing style, start by towel-drying your freshly-washed hair and then combing it into a straight side part. Finish by massaging in enough hair oil, gel, mousse, or other stiffening hair product to hold the look in place. There's no need to blow dry this look; you can allow it to air dry.

There are multiple ways you can achieve a carefree, beachy style. Get the look by straightening your hair with a flat iron, side parting it, and giving it a few spritzes of hairspray to hold it in place. If you'd prefer to create beach-friendly waves, spray your hair with salt texturizing spray and comb it through for even distribution. Both of those options work fine for lounging poolside, but if you're planning on actually swimming, wear a swimming cap to protect your hair from the chlorine or salt water.

A pixie haircut is a celebrity favorite for marathons and sporting events. Former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson once cut her famous long blond locks into a short pixie cut before running in the NYC Marathon. Anderson later told Ellen DeGeneres (via ABC News), "I just thought my hair had had a life and I wanted to kind of put that behind me and start fresh. And I thought it would be good for the marathon. It was!" Joining the ranks of celeb-pixie cuts is Halle Berry, who left her long pixie haircut tousled and natural for a 5K walkathon event in 2013.

Over the years, Rihanna has sported multiple variations on the pixie cut. One thing her pixie hairstyles have in common: They tend to be long in front and look equally elegant if swept forward or to the side. This is a fantastic look to replicate when you're heading out for an evening of dancing or hitting the bars. To get Rihanna's look, start by straightening your completely dry hair with a flat iron or try a hair straightening balm. Follow up with your choice of shine serum, shea butter, or a heat-protective, flat iron-friendly hairspray.

For a casual date, choose a nonchalant, not-too-styled hairstyle — think tousled and carefree. When styling a look like this for your own outings, heed celebrity hairstylist Pepper Pastor's advice, via Beauty Launchpad: "Play up your natural texture for an effortless romantic look," she says. "The soft texture makes this my go-to look for short-haired clients looking for a sexy date night look."

When you're dressing up to go somewhere special, stars like singer Katy Perry can offer you plenty of short pixie haircut inspo. Perry's 'do resembles a slicked-back, tamed, ultra-short faux hawk. To achieve a wet-looking, highly-styled look, start by applying oil to clean hair. Comb the oil through the hair to distribute it evenly, then apply some maximum hold hair gel. To finish, use a fine-toothed comb to shape the hair up into a faux hawk configuration, and apply hairspray to stiffen and hold each strand in place.

A natural look works well for informal dining, whether you're headed through the drive-through at your local fast-food joint or sitting down for dinner at a casual restaurant. You don't need to go overboard with styling; simply wash your hair, blow it dry, side part it, and you're ready to go.

Actor Halle Berry's long, curly, side-parted pixie hairstyle is perfect for formal events. Berry's stylist, Sara Seward, told People how she styled this 'do: She first dampened Berry's hair and prepped it with mousse. Then, Seward shaped Berry's loose ringlets with a combination of nourishing oil and hair gel. She dried Berry's hair with a hair dryer and then followed up with applications of split-end serum, oil, and hairspray. Now you can replicate a similar look for yourself!

A pixie cut, whether ultra short or slightly longer, is an ideal bridal haircut. On your wedding day, you can style your hair with or without a veil or other hair accessories. A natural, side-parted pixie hairstyle is a lovely wedding-day style to consider. Another option is to accent your hair with a jeweled headband or tiara.

If you're getting together with friends or colleagues for an informal holiday party, style your hair to look chic but not too fussy. A side-parted pixie hairstyle with bangs is a classic look that's just right for this type of event. Replicate this style with a blow dryer, comb, and your choice of sculpting products. After showering, soak up excess moisture from your hair with a towel. Comb out the tangles, and create a side part. Apply a conservative amount of gel, mousse, or other hair product. Blow dry your hair, simultaneously shaping and fluffing it with the comb.

Your ideal career hairstyle depends on what you do for work. Assuming you work in a relatively conservative industry, let House Representative Deborah Ross provide styling inspiration for a viable workday hairdo. Ross' hair looks tidy, natural, and sophisticated; she's wearing it in a simple side part. Her pixie cut has a well-defined shape but isn't overly styled. If you work in a role at a legal, financial, or political organization, it's prudent to choose a businesslike hairstyle similar to this. If you work in a more creative field, you can feel free to choose a more creative hairstyle.

Actor Ginnifer Goodwin presents an enticing example of how to style your pixie cut for a concert. Whether you prefer punk rock, classic rock, or some other musical genre, this messy, tousled look is perfect for a concert. The key to this look: Use volumizing products that will empower you to create blended, overlapping layers of texture in your hair. You could try pomade, wax, volumizing mousse, or texturizing sea salt spray. Use a spray bottle to dampen your hair with water, and then apply your choice of products. Elevate your hair with a brush, directing each piece in a different, random direction as you blow dry.

A trip to the library could be businesslike, or it could be playful and fun. Style accordingly. If you're taking kids to story hour, you might opt for a livelier style than you would if you're headed to a scholarly event. Either way, you can safely start by washing your hair, banishing the tangles, and applying your choice of styling products. From there, decide whether you want to keep it serious or go a bit more frivolous. To achieve a casual but put-together look, finish by massaging in a bit of gel or texturizing spray to create appealing textured waves.

If you'd like to try styling your pixie cut with a fun, festival-friendly hair color, consider giving your hair a temporary color boost with hair wax. Allowing you to experiment with vibrant hues for a playful and trendy look, hair wax offers you a hassle-free way to try out a new color without making a long-term commitment.

Whether you're heading to a convention for work or for fun, you can style a businesslike but relaxed look for your pixie cut. To achieve a tousled, easygoing style, wash, condition, and detangle your hair. Apply a frizz-fighting leave-in conditioner. Side part with a comb. Blow dry and then straighten with a flat iron. Scrunch hair with your fingers and rough it up a bit to keep it from looking too perfectly coiffed.

A curly pixie cut is a fantastic hairstyle to rock if you have a heart-shaped face. For red carpet glam, look no further than actor Julia Garner, styled by her hairstylist Bobby Eliot for the 2022 Emmys. This look will serve you well for all manner of dressy occasions — including weddings. The stylist started by combing several products into Garner's hair. Eliot told Variety, "I then individually coiled and ribboned the hair with the comb to enhance the natural curl pattern." Next, dry with a diffuser. Afterward, Eliot said, "I went through and enhanced curls and created a texture alternating irons. This gave the hair a lived-in undone texture."