Expert consulted: If the bob and the pixie had a chic, low-maintenance baby (humans could never), it would be the bixie...and it's officially the haircut of the summer. It's the birthing renaissance, hairstyle edition! You heard it here first, folks.
But why is it the cut of summer 2025? Well, the flirty fusion of a style, the bixie is low-maintenance, high-impact, and is the epitome of an "I woke up like this" haircut. Plus, the shorter length helps beat the heat while still offering enough shape for versatile styling. Whether worn tousled and beachy or sleek and polished, the bixie is super customizable.
Don't just take my word for it, though. To really understand what defines the cut, as well as who it's best suited to and how to style it, we tapped the brilliant brain of Tom Smith, hairstylist, trend forecaster, and Cosmopolitan contributing expert, who, below, breaks down the buzz.
What is a bixie haircut?
The more time passes, the more convoluted hairstyle names get; from Italian bobs and French bobs to shags and even wolf cuts (confusing, much?!). The bixie, however, is simpler than you would think, combining the best of the bob and pixie.
"The bixie is a grown-out pixie shape that is not quite a bob but has enough length to frame the face," Tom says. "A fusion of a pixie cut and a bob, the shape offers the texture and head-hugging nature of a short pixie cut, while the extra length allows the shape to frame the face similar to a bob without the characteristic squareness of a traditional bob shape."
So, just think of it as a pixie cut, circa two months post-snip!
Best face shapes and hair types for the bixie:
The bixie is a soft cut with rounded edges, so it can work really well on those with more angular, square face shapes. That said, as Tom explains, there is more versatility because of its length; "There's more to play with rather than a traditional pixie."
"It can also be a great option for those with thicker hair who struggle with bob shapes looking too ‘mushroomy’, as this shape evenly distributes the thickness of the hair," Tom says.
Overall, there are perks to the bixie for all hair types. "Fine and flat hair can be given more body with this shape, wavy and curly hair will get much more lift and volume, while textured hair will sit more angular in this shape, flatter on the sides, lower at the nape, and fully on the top," says Tom. Tick, tick, ticks across the board!
How to style the bixie:
Good news! Tom shares that a well-cut bixie should fall into shape easily with minimal styling. *Snoozes alarm for an extra 10 minutes in bed*
"For definition and texture, you can enhance your bixie with soft pomades or wax sprays," says Tom. And those with straight hair types looking for a bit of grit can add soft bends and waves into strands with a straightener or a curling wand.
Bixie style ideas
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from viral celebrity hair and makeup news to the latest trend predictions, she’s an expert in recognising the season’s next big beauty look (before it ends up all over your social media feeds). You’ll usually find her putting TikTok’s recent beauty hacks to the Hype Test, challenging the gender-makeup binary and social stereotypes, or fangirling over the time Kourtney Kardashian viewed her Instagram Story (yes, it’s true). Find her also on LinkedIn.
