The butterfly haircut is a timeless and versatile hairstyle that has been popular for decades. The voluminous hairstyle was a reference to the Farrah Fawcett cut, but over time it was given its own name.
The butterfly haircut, which features short layers around the crown to create the appearance of shorter hair and added volume, was coined by hairstylist Sunnie Brook.
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And thanks to TikTok, the butterfly cut continues to gain more love this year. #Butterflycut has over 593.4M views as of the writing of this article. Celebrities like Kelly Rowland, Jennifer Lopez, Hailee Steinfeld, and Kaia Gerber have had a version of the butterfly hairstyle.
At first glance, you’d think the layered style might be too high-maintenance, but I’m here to tell you that it’s quite the opposite. It is easy to style and can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.
You can wear it straight and sleek for a polished look, or add some waves and texture for a more casual and relaxed vibe. It is also a great option if you have a hard time trying to style your hair with a busy morning schedule, as it requires minimal upkeep and can be quickly styled.
You can wear it straight and sleek for a polished look, or add some waves and texture for a more casual and relaxed vibe.
Whether you have straight, wavy, or curly hair, this cut can work for you. But how about your face shape?
If you’re thinking of getting this cut but a little hesitant if it would flatter you, I’m sharing everything you need to know.
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Is the butterfly haircut flattering for oval and square-shaped faces?
One of the best things about the butterfly haircut is its adaptability to different hair types and face shapes. However, it flatters people with over and square-shaped faces the best.
For those with a square face shape, the butterfly haircut can soften the angles of the face and create a more feminine look. Layers that are tapered towards the bottom of the hair can help to frame the face and create a more rounded appearance. If you want a softer look, consider adding a side-swept fringe or bangs.
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If you have an oval face shape, you’re in luck – any hairstyle will work on you. A butterfly haircut enhances your natural features. Layers that are shorter at the crown and longer towards the ends can help to create volume and movement. To create a more dramatic effect, consider adding highlights or lowlights to your hair.
A stylist may also use a razor to add texture and movement to the layers, creating a soft and natural look.
Will the butterfly haircut flatter heart-shaped faces?
It depends. Not all cuts look the same, and everyone would have their own version of the butterfly cut. Some layered cuts will look good more than others.
For those with a heart-shaped face, layers that are shorter at the top and longer at the bottom can help to create the illusion of a wider jawline, while also enhancing your cheekbones.
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The butterfly cut suits all hair types, including wavy, curly, and straight hair with medium to thick density. Most hairstylists would recommend the cut for curls and thicker hair since the style is all about volume.
The cut is not ideal for thin hair, as it can make hair look even thinner and sparse due to the layering. It’s also not recommended for short hair like bobs because the layering technique is best seen in shoulder-length hair.
If layers are your go-to method of adding movement and body to your look, you should consider the butterfly cut, one of 2023's biggest haircut trends. Coined by hair stylist Sunnie Brook, the butterfly haircut has short layers around the top of the head to give the illusion of shorter hair and create volume.
Which may be why Google searches for the “butterfly cut” are up 70 percent globally right now. Like the butterfly itself, the style features shorter, face-framing layers around the face (like the butterfly's top wings) and then longer layers beneath, like the lower wings.
The butterfly cut is a very layered, feathery haircut thats longest layers fall just below the shoulder. Shorter layers are cut around the crown of your head to create the illusion of having shorter strands. “The shortest top layer falls about two to three inches below your chin,” Brook says.
The short, wispy layers hit around the chin to frame your face, highlight your features, and even contour a round face shape. The longer layers, on the other hand, fall below the shoulders to maintain the appearance of a long hairstyle. From the back, the look can resemble a butterfly's wings—hence the name.
What makes this style different from every other layered cut is that the butterfly cut has two distinct sections: long layers that fall below the shoulders for length, and short layers that hit two to three inches below the chin to frame the face and add volume.
The butterfly haircut is typically more flattering on oval and round faces due to its layers accentuating cheekbones and softening angles. But that doesn't mean there isn't a way to make it work on any face shape.
The butterfly style derives its name from the resemblance of the spread goal pads and hands to a butterfly's wings. The butterfly style is contrasted with stand-up style, where most shots on a goal are stopped with the goaltender on his feet.
The butterfly haircut works with all hair types, though natural, curly and wavy textures tend to work best due to the defined, layered nature of the style. However, when it comes to thin hair, you might want to steer away from this cut. Adding lots of layers to already thin hair can make it appear even thinner.
The butterfly haircut was first introduced in 1920s, then arose to popularity in the 1960s and mid-2010s. It became highly popular in 2023 via TikTok and other social media platforms.
While the key to achieving a butterfly haircut on any length is usually lots of face-framing layers, the secret with shorter lengths is thinned-out ends: You want to keep things light and feathery. Thinning the ends of the layers to help remove weight creates that butterfly effect on shorter strands, explains Potempa.
The butterfly haircut is similar to the popular wolf cut in that they both use long and short layers. The difference is that the wolf cut is styled in a heavy and blunt fashion, whereas the butterfly cut has much more flow and movement. The wolf cut also has more of a 70's vibe, whereas the butterfly cut is very 90's.
Here's a quick guide: Round Face: The layered texture of the butterfly cut adds angle and lengthens the round face, creating a slimming effect. Oval-shaped faces: Almost all styles suit oval-shaped faces, and the butterfly cut is no exception. Enhances the natural balance of the face.
“The shortest layer usually falls right below the cheekbone, which ends up giving a youthful, uplifting effect by opening the space below the eye and corner of the mouth.” Plus, the face-framing layers around the top of the head make tresses appear thicker.
If your hair type supports this kind of structured, layered hairstyles, you should definitely give it a go. The butterfly haircut works best with thick hair as it will need lots of volume to maintain plump and body in your mane even after such an elaborate layering work.
“The butterfly haircut incorporates strategic layering and feathering techniques that add texture and body to the hair, making it appear thicker and more volumized. By removing excess weight and adding layers, the haircut creates movement and dimension, giving the impression of thicker hair.”
The butterfly haircut is one of the biggest hair trends of the past few years, and it's not hard to see why. A combination of the '70s shag and the '90s-era “Rachel” with the added va-va-voom of contemporary bombshell blowouts, it's nearly impossible to find a reason not to like the look.
From the Rachel 2.0 to butterfly layers, contour cutting and Hailey Bieber-inspired bobs—there are a few themes among 2023's trends: Layers, fringe and framing. The radar is still showing the influence of the '60s, '70s, plus a major influx in '90s cuts with extreme layering at every length.
The butterfly haircut is similar to the popular wolf cut in that they both use long and short layers. The difference is that the wolf cut is styled in a heavy and blunt fashion, whereas the butterfly cut has much more flow and movement. The wolf cut also has more of a 70's vibe, whereas the butterfly cut is very 90's.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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