If you're looking for something that frames your face but doesn’t require hours to tame, try a shorter cut with layering. This style is particularly becoming with a sideways sweep of the bangs to blend into your layers. It's great for showing off those shoulders too!
Dust off your overalls and pull out your bandanas because you never should have put them away! With a few artful wisps escaping in front and back, a brightly patterned bandana can keep stray hair out of the way while still showing off the back of your glorious hair. Use longer scarves and wrap everything up on top for a more Bohemian look.
A classic haircut, the bob gives a sleek, tucked in look for shorter hair. The bob can be especially flattering on an oval face (which is not to say other shapes won’t benefit from the style, too). It also requires relatively little maintenance—just a slight blow dry with a round brush.
It’s the bob, but not. Chin length haircuts don’t have to be the classic bob—they can be whatever you want them to be. Wavy or curly hair can be particularly becoming at chin length as a fly away ‘do that suits any age. Many women can make this work with or without bangs. Maintenance depends on just how much life of its own your hair has.
(Image via Pinterest)
Short, curly hair can do all kinds of things! Bigger curls can frame your face in a softer light. You can even try a pixie cut with some extra vavoom. Just because you have curls doesn’t mean you can’t pull off short hair, and vice versa.
When you’re looking for curls but aren’t quite willing to go all the way with them, a soft curl can be a great compromise. These curls can be achieved in straight hair with a perm or small curling iron, or with a little work for wavy-haired women. However you come by them, they’re youthful and fun, without being too fun.
More than one Hollywood hairdo uses an outward flip to maintain that glorious girlhood. You can outflip a bob cut or work with layers to make a whole series of flips. Work with your hairstylist to figure out which flip style will work best for you.
Ponytails might be the classic style of little girls, but you can still pull it off. Try a low ponytail, pulled over the side for classier occasions. A high ponytail can show off your cheekbones and keep pesky stray hairs out of the way. Ponytails are perfect at any height for any age.
Pixie cuts can come in a variety of styles and lengths, but they’re all short with a relatively choppy look. Almost any shaped face can pull off a pixie cut, but they’re particularly stunning when they draw attention to a pair of gorgeous eyes in a heart-shaped face. Pixie cuts also pull attention away from long jawlines and soften wide foreheads. If you’re scared of a boyish-looking Pixie, soften the style by blow-drying the bangs to the side with a round brush. If you’re wanting something more modern, use products (pomades or waxes) to texturize the cut.
It takes a serious head of hair to be able to wear it long and straight, but it can be done. With a little shine serum and some gentle care, you can wear your hair straight and proud. And it will carry that glory anywhere from your shoulders to your hips.
Not Princess Leia style buns, but just one side bun. Rather than pulling everything firmly to the top, work your hair into a gentle twist at the nape and off to the side. A few messy tendrils can really pull this style together.
Layers, again? Definitely. Choppy layers give your mane a more obvious cut. You can make this style work as a pixie cut, at shoulder length, or all the way to the waist. Talk to your stylist about the best product to keep that choppy look.
You are definitely never too old for your first swoopy bangs. Larger foreheads can be softened by the extra sweep of hair, arranged to cover up a lot of your brow when there’s just too much of it. Shorter bangs give you the permanent curtain; having the front of your haircut long enough to hide with the rest of your hair but short enough to sweep off by itself gives you the option of pulling those bangs out for a special occasion.
While you can work a side-sweeping bang into almost any haircut, it takes a very particular type of daring to opt for bangs straight across. Depending on the ‘do you pair it with, you can achieve a fresh off the beach bohemian look, or an off to the library sexy nerd approach. Especially great for high foreheads.
If you had a glorious afro in your youth, there is absolutely no reason not to dust it off and pull it back out a few decades later. Tightly curled hair can do amazing things, and while the word “afro” might not trip off your tongue like it used to, a crown of curls is completely appropriate after 45.
For an updo that keep everything in its place and out of your way, try a classic ballet bun. Start with a high ponytail, then wrap the tail around itself, using bobby pins to hold it. It’s a great style to show off your face and smile, while looking totally graceful.
(Image via Pinterest)
Another great option for a short haircut is having your stylist stack the back. This gives you the appearance of length around your face, without the mass of heat and weight on your neck. If you like the look of a high poof around back, the layers in back make it easier to get the extra volume.
Headbands are great for any length, and with a little sparkle and shine, they work for any occasion. Make sure your band is the right size for your head to avoid being painfully poked behind the ears.
Long, thick hair can look amazing, but it can also be heavy, hot, and take forever to shampoo. Cutting some layers into long hair can lighten the load while maintaining the length you worked so hard for. There’s a ton of different ways to layer your hair, so do some research before you commit.
Farrah Fawcett had the hair during her golden age, and while it is still a gorgeous haircut nearly fifty years later, going full-on Fawcett is sure to show your age. You can, however, opt for a modernized version of Farrah’s long, gently curling layers.
For a way-back throwback, finger waves can be a great vintage style. They’re also perfect for any age. Finger waves were a favorite style of flappers in the 1920s, and while tricky, they look gorgeous. Start with wet hair, and expect to use lots of product to maintain your look.
Women with curly hair often feel a little restricted in their hairstyles, particularly when a hair-straightening iron only works for about three hours. So let those curls go crazy —tease them out, lift them up, and let your hair be big and beautiful.
Somewhere between a pixie and a bob lies the mod—a throwback ‘do that isn’t for everyone. For hair that doesn’t seem to want to do anything, adopting that sleek to the head, short hairstyle can help you return to your youth. A mod hairstyle can also accentuate your smile.
Not just for school marms and farm wives, the chignon is just a fancy word for coiling your hair up on the back of your head. Knot it up at the base of your neck, throw in a few fancy twists, and find yourself elegantly transported back to your youth.
Long, full-bodied hair can make some serious waves with big curls. Rather than using an actual aluminum can to wrap your locks around, look for larger curling irons or curlers. Natural, tighter curls can sometimes be convinced into fuller bodied, larger whorls.
While shaving one side of your head might be a little much, asymmetrical haircuts can be extremely stunning on any age group. You can go from pixie length on one side to chin length on the other, or work with longer layers if you’re more comfortable with a little hair to hide behind.
Not every women can make the long-haired bed head look work. If you’re carrying your hippy-dippy style into later adulthood with you, the long, lazy look can give a lady a serious air of “don’t care.” Some women actually need a little bit of work to achieve the “I just woke up like this” look, while some hair just knows what you want.
French braids can be so much more than just a braid. For a classy updo, start (or have someone else start) a braid behind your ear, and work in a circle around your head, rather than going straight back from the forehead to create a crown. The longer your hair, the more crown you can make.
(Image via Pinterest)
For another shift on an old favorite, abandon your attempts to keep your french braid pulled neatly and tightly into place. Work from the top of one side down to the bottom of the other side of your head, letting hair escape as it wants to. Let the tail of your braid hang over your shoulder for a finishing touch.
For something that looks fancy but is totally easy, just start sticking bobby pins in. The goal is to create a sort of bun simulacrum. It can take a little work to actually get the look your going for, but just keep twisting and sticking.
(Image via Pinterest)
