"Liberating." When Katy Perry chopped off her long locks for a brave pixie cut, she said that short hair gave her freedom. Katy Perry's pixie 'do basically gave this singer another reason to be a symbol of feminine empowerment, but she's not the only one.
Rihanna. Halle Berry. Miley Cyrus. Kaley Cuoco. Whether it's The Big Bang Theory's shining star or "Shine bright like a diamond" Rihanna, celebs are taking the plunge and hacking off their hair. Scarlett Johansson took her signature, soft-blonde hair and went bold. Natalie Portman went one step further and shaved the whole thing off.
Admittedly, it's tempting. From a practical viewpoint, the pixie cut handles itself. No blow-drying, no straightening, no extensions, no brushing out the tangles. It also saves on shampoo. But there's a risk. It's called not having anything to hide behind.
"Oh my gosh, your bone structure is amazing!" That might be what people hear the stylist saying– to the customer next to them. Then again, too many girls out there lack the self-confidence to realize: "You know what? I actually have a face that could pull this off."
This list is looking at both sides of the coin. Yes, every celeb on here will have braved the pixie cut. Unfortunately, not every girl pulled it off. From the international music icons to the small-screen crushes, here are the celeb pixie cuts to take note of.
Read on to learn which 13 stars braved the plunge and chose well, and the seven who should probably have stayed away from the scissors.
20 (Slayed) Katy Perry: Started A New Trend Overnight, Felt '360-Degrees Liberated'
Katy Perry managed to become a hair icon overnight the minute she went pixie. Flowing, dark locks accompanying those bubblegum outfits were the old Katy, but this girl knows how to "Roar."
“Everything is more fun with short hair! I can just get up and go. I feel so liberated with this hair now. In general, I feel 360-degrees liberated—all around."
As People reports, Katy found nothing but freedom with the pixie (that she absolutely aced). While Katy did admit to W Magazine, "Sometimes your hair falls out when you go too blonde. So, this is the way I handled it," it's pretty clear she handled it like a boss.
19 (Basic) ScarJo: Soft Waves Seem To Frame Her Face Better
Scarlett Johansson's career seems to have two very distinct eras. There was the old, "Woody Allen muse" era that brought us Match Point and Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Along came Marvel.
As Black Widow, we're used to seeing ScarJo with darker-than-usual hair, but it's still long. Scarlett went pixie, though. "I think I just got tired of wearing a ponytail all the time," she told Refinery29.
"Everybody kept saying: Don't cut your hair! You might hate it! But, then I thought, Why am I letting other people tell me what to do?" Agreed, but we still prefer this girl with a softer, longer look.
18 (Basic) Kaley Cuoco: Even Sheldon 'Couldn't Take It, I'm Out'
When Kaley Cuoco revamped her beachy, blonde waves in 2014, it made international headlines. The Big Bang Theory star's light-haired locks were part of her look as Penny, although the change didn't seem to please Sheldon
"You changed your hair. Your hair is different. I can't take it." Sheldon didn't hold back.
As Glamour reports, Kaley's choice to go pixie had nothing to do with the show. She was catering to a movie role. Despite her offer to wear extensions and maintain the "Penny look," the producers actually went for it. Kaley's hair received mixed reviews (and we prefer her with longer hair).
17 (Slayed) Emilia Clarke: Khaleesi Blew Us Away
Game of Thrones brought us Emilia Clarke in one, silver-haired package. Flowing locks were the backbone of Emilia's Khaleesi role, although that IG account has been showing us some variation. As Allure reports, Emilia's hair changes have come with amusing captions:
"I done did it. Mother of dragons, meet Emilia. Emilia, meet mother of dragons. If you squint just so you might never know."
With bone structure that's beyond perfect, Emilia has the kind of face that can pull off any hair. She's gone mid-length. She's gone dark. The new face of Dolce & Gabbana debuted this look in 2018 (and we're still getting over it).
16 (Slayed) Ruby Rose: Short Is The 'New Black'
Orange Is The New Black is a show with a statement name. That's nothing compared to the cast, though. With her edgy tattoos and androgynous vibes, Ruby Rose is the actress whose OITNB role is just one side of her.
With an IG account that's likely stalked by hairstylists around the globe, Ruby has been pulling off #PixieGoals for quite some time. Somehow though, every revamp this girl does feels fresh.
It's simple. It's unfussy. Still, it's anything but basic. Easily ranking as one of the best pixies ever, Ruby finds herself on the side of this list that says: "Yes, please, more."
15 (Slayed) Cardi B: Got Called "Mom Hair," Kind Of Had A Point
When Cardi B debuted her (likely wig) pixie in 2018, Byrdie called it "mom hair." Cardi is an interesting one. The plunging necklines and barely-there stage outfits have a distinct Nicki Minaj feel, but there's equally a super-classy side to Cardi.
"Balenciaga Mama" are the lyrics. It was only fitting that Cardi try out a little class when it came to her hair. As for being called "mom hair," well, when you've got a baby, that's kind of applicable.
Cardi made major headlines in 2018 for giving birth to a baby that she named Kulture. "Anything else would've been basic," Cardi told SNL about the name. We loved this look.
14 (Basic) Zendaya: Switched Back To Long Locks, Chose Well
"Zendaya on How to Love Yourself and Your Hair." When The Cut decided to run an entire article on Zendaya, the magazine made a beeline for this girl's hair and self-acceptance. Zendaya is the super-chilled, super-beautiful model and actress who is now fronting Tommy Hilfiger.
"I like to wear my hair natural because I like to stay away from heat products. I use wigs and clip-ins and then I can go to town with anything I want."
Known for her curly long hair, Zendaya definitely made waves with this short look. How much we dug it? Well, it didn't make her any less beautiful (but it didn't really add much).
13 (Slayed) Cara Delevingne: Model Bone Structure Comes In Handy
As a power model, Cara Delevingne can pull off just about anything. With less of a social media following than Kendall Jenner or Gigi Hadid, Cara nevertheless maintains a huge following– over 41 million of us tune into this girl's IG.
Cara has gone as far as shaving off all her hair for a buzz cut. "You don’t need hair to be beautiful and to feel like a woman," USA Today quotes this model-turned-actress saying.
Cara pulled it off buzz-short. Slightly longer, but still short, this pixie look became her trademark in 2017. We fell in love with everything about it (but we're not sure we could pull it off).
12 (Slayed) Miley Cyrus: 'Never Felt More Me In My Whole Life'
“Never felt more me in my whole life." When Miley debuted a very brave pixie cut back in 2012, she took to social media to announce the feelings behind it. As Idolator reports, Miley added: “Feeling so happy in my skin."
Now rocking longer locks as the new Mrs. Liam Hemsworth, Miley's grunge-pop looks of fishnets and platinum-blonde pixies are behind her. A more classic look is what we see nowadays, but the pixie success will never be forgotten.
“If you don’t have something nice to say don’t say anything at all,” Miley's tweet continued. "My hair is attached to my head[,] no one else’s."
Awesome quotes, awesome hair.
11 (Slayed) Rihanna: Can Pull Off Anything
Rihanna is on the up. As Harper's Bazaar reports that Fenty Beauty may well out-sell both KKW Beauty and Kylie Cosmetics, the woman behind the brand is becoming more powerful by the day. Rihanna might have music as her foundation, but she's now #FoundationGoals.
Fenty Beauty might have us zooming in on RiRi's highlighted cheekbones, but it's worth remembering that those cheekbones are forming one of the most stunning faces around.
Pixie? Dreads? Bobs? Extensions? It's like there isn't a look this girl can't pull off. Rihanna's bold and brave pink pixie might not be the most recent, but we're sticking it on the list as one of her best looks.
10 (Basic) Halsey: The Bowl Finish Was A Bit Harsh
This time two years ago, nobody had really heard of Halsey. Less in-your-face than Lady Gaga, but still very much a statement girl, this artist tops charts for her originality and being relevant. Kind of where the bowl haircut throws you some question marks.
"I just wanted to do something different, and I was still finding myself then. I had bright, bright, bright blue hair."
As per Halsey's Allure interview, it's now been made more than clear that this celeb isn't afraid to go all-out. With an interesting, unusual, and unconventional beauty to her, we prefer this girl's longer looks.
9 (Slayed) Emma Watson: Guys Went Nuts
A part of us will never get why guys are so obsessed with Emma Watson. She doesn't have an IG that's 10% clothes (hi, Kendall Jenner). She doesn't stumble out of clubs in itsy-bitsy dresses. Maybe being classy really is as attractive as they say?
The Harry Potter actress spent most of her early years playing a nerdy kid. With a degree from Brown University (and a ton of brains), Emma's head comes with as many pros on the inside as it does the outside.
When Emma braved the pixie cut, guys did, indeed, go nuts. Emma was the fresh, feminine icon that every guy was stalking, but we can kind of see why. She's just stunning.
8 (Slayed) Anne Hathaway: Girls Went Nuts
We were used to seeing Anne Hathaway with soft-falling, feminine hair that framed her face perfectly. The actress made major headlines with her pixie cut, although Anne herself wasn't too keen, as The Mirror reports:
“I called my husband [fellow actor Adam Shulman] and was on the phone with him. I looked in the mirror and I said: I look like my [affeminite] brother. I’m just Man Hathaway!"
"Man Hathaway." Awesome. While Anne may have had her doubts regarding her brave pixie crop, girls went nuts. Princesses she may play, but Anne Hathaway can 100% pull off the modern-day one.
7 (Basic) Kate Gosselin: Sometimes, A Pixie Just Doesn't Work
There's always a headline with Kate Gosselin. Kate Plus 8 might have been overshadowed by Teen Mom, but millions of us still tuned in to watch this hard-talking mom raise her eight kids. Then again, The Daily Mail reported that Kate's nanny quit after being asked to clean the pool and deal with her "meltdowns."
Hair-wise? Er, no? Kate actually looked pretty awesome with her bleach-blonde long hair. Glam squads aren't really this woman's deal. Practicality comes first.
We can't help it. It's a little all over the place. This short look kept some layers, but we wish they'd have been in more flattering places.
6 (Slayed) Halle Berry: We Kind Of Miss It
Halle Berry coming out of the ocean in 007 James Bond? That'll be a top-ten "guy" moment for every male out there. While our boyfriends were eyeing up this actress's swimwear in Die Another Day, we were digging the hair.
Halle Berry has a short, spunky name. Only fitting that she should rock a short, spunky hairdo. Now in her early 50s (but not looking a day over 35), Halle has longer hair.
Yes, we miss it. Halle's pixie cut was easy-going, stylish, surprisingly feminine, and totally perfect for a woman with that level of bone structure. Jinx needs to return.
5 (Basic) Vanessa Hudgens: We Miss It Less
Everyone is digging Vanessa Hudgens right now. Basically, if you're done with OTT Kardashian glam but still want a celeb who is beautiful and stylish, Vanessa Hudgens is your girl crush answer. That said, this girl's actual answers don't always add up.
"I had short hair only once in my life. When I was 7, I cut it myself, which I think every girl does - once. I gave myself a bob and bangs. It was really sad. I looked like I had worms on my head."
Vanessa told Yahoo this despite seeming to rock a short cut in her adult life. Long, chocolate-brown locks are how we love this girl the most, so perhaps Vanessa was just avoiding the topic altogether.
4 (Slayed) Katie Holmes: Just, Wow
'90s stars have mostly fallen off the radar. While we are returning to the 2000s with a reboot of The Hills (and the fashion to match), the proper '90s era has a way to go. Katie Holmes is the Dawson's Creek sweetheart who is arguably more famous for her high-profile marriage to Tom Cruise
A sweetheart sums up Katie's personality and her looks. Still, make no mistake. A foxy pixie is something this girl can rock. When she does? No one can believe their eyes.
Katie's look here was classy, feminine, and utterly gorgeous. Also, we can't help but notice how shiny and healthy that hair is. Basically, we need her shampoo.
3 (Slayed) Kris Jenner: Makes Anything Stylish
Kris Jenner is a force to be reckoned with. The OG "momager" (who appears to have trademarked the term) is the backbone of the KarJenner empire, and everything in this woman's life is organized. Probably why Kris opts for a fierce pixie.
At the age of 63, Kris is also one of the most youthful celebs in her age bracket. Retirement isn't this woman's jam. In 2018, Kris bravely donned a blonde wig on KUWTK. Kim's The Devil Wears Prada comment was spot on.
Blonde pixies on Kris? Perhaps not. As brunette short cuts go, this one ranks pretty high. Ultimately, though, Kris could probably pull off anything.
2 (Slayed) Gwyneth Paltrow: The Good Old Days
Just, wow. It's like we'd forgotten what Gwyneth Paltrow looked like back in the day. Now in her 40s (and still as beautiful), Gwyneth's headlines are mostly gobbled up by her controversial GOOP lifestyle brand. Back in the day though, it was all about Brad Pitt and the hair.
If you remember the movie Sliding Doors, you'll have a full frame of reference for Gwyneth's short hair. If not? Well, we do provide pictures for a reason.
While Gwyneth's relationship with Brad Pitt didn't work out, we 100% think her pixie hair did. It's long locks for Gwyneth now, but we kind of want this look back.
1 (Slayed) Ellen DeGeneres: It Just Wouldn't Be Ellen Without It
One thing that would make the world wrong: No Ellen DeGeneres. The Ellen Show might earn this talkshow host $77 million a year, according to Forbes, but we'll consider it worth it.
She's hilarious. She can dance. With those big blue eyes and that infectious smile, Ellen is also a real beauty. Her trademark choppy blonde pixie is part of the "Ellen identity." Come to think of it, we can't picture Ellen with long hair.
If anyone's going to round off our list in a good way, it's this woman. The day Ellen loses her pixie cut will be the day we officially take to social media to complain that "life is over."
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