The secret to styling a short bixie cut like Zendaya
PSA: It's not a wash and dry type of hairstyle
When it comes to fashion, we’re used to styles (both beloved and unwelcome) being recycled every decade or so, and the same can be said for hair trends.
After wading through the deluge of awful perms, bowl cuts and Billy Ray Cyrus mullets of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, an era of dishevelled short shags emerged. The likes of Meg Ryan, Winona Ryder and Courtney Cox all rocked the no-fuss look back in the day, and now it’s making a comeback in a big way.
What is the bixie cut?
Coined the ‘bixie’ by Aloxxi Artist Sam LaBella, the bob and pixie cut hybrid hairstyle is now having it’s modern day in the sun. “This look gives me the ‘Meg Ryan’ circa ‘90s vibes,” LaBella explained to The Zoe Report. “Tapered at the nape and razor textured in the front makes this super playful and ultra sexy.”
Image credit: Getty
Celebrities that have tried the bixie cut
The playful cut has already been trialled by trendsetters like Kaia Gerber, Doja Cat, and Florence Pugh who set a stellar example of how to make the short look versatile enough for the every day back in 2021.
@kaiagerber
@dojacat
@florencepugh
And now, five years later, the bixie cut is enjoying an encore thanks to trend forecasters like Zendaya.
However, we're also older and wiser now, which means we're no longer naive about the kind of work required to maintain a shorter style like this — trust us, it's not just a wash and dry kind of haircut.
Thankfully, Zendaya's hairstylist Ursula Stephen shared her secrets for achieving a sleek finish that elevates the layered look.
How to style your bixie hair cut like Zendaya
Start with clean, wet hair and apply a styling cream — Stephen frequently uses Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream ($59 from Sephora) and Curl Defining Cream ($59 from Sephora) — to eliminate frizz and hydrate the hair.
If she's embracing Zendaya's natural curls she'll dry her hair with the new ghd Speed ($595 from Adore Beauty) and a diffuser attachment: "ghd’s ultra-fast hair dryer featuring new ghd halo™ dual-airflow technology for power with control, cool-scalp, cool-touch and no heat damage".
However, if she's smoothing out her strands — like she did for the recent Academy Awards — then she'll blow dry Zendaya's hair using the ghd Ceramic Vented Round Brush ($58 from Adore Beauty) and the ghd Speed ($595 from Adore Beauty).
"To add some volume, add Velcro rollers to the top," she advises. "Once the hair cools, comb in place, tuck behind the ears, and use holding spray to finalise the look."
Sounds simple enough, right?
We’re definitely tempted to try this lighter look ourselves (please, someone, hide the scissors).
Feeling the same? Here are some expert tips to help you style short hair at home.
Main image credit: @ursulastephen
Briar Clark got her start in the media industry in 2017, as an intern for Marie Claire and InStyle. Since then, her keen interest in fashion and beauty has landed her gigs as a Digital Content Producer and Beauty Editor with titles like Girlfriend, Refinery29, BEAUTYcrew and beautyheaven. She loves the way seemingly innocuous topics like skin care and style have the ability to put a smile on people’s faces or make them think about themselves a little differently. A big believer in self love and experimentation, Briar has made a point of becoming the Australian beauty industry’s unofficial guinea pig for unusual treatments and daring hair trends. When she’s not testing out the latest beauty launches, Briar is big on broadening her horizons, mostly in the form of food but she’s also partial to travelling to new destinations both near and far (and of course, allocating an extra bag to bring their best beauty offerings home with her).
