This glamorous haircut includes long, face-framing curtain bangs, launched to fame by '60s icon Brigitte Bardot, and sprinkles some delicate texture and structure around the eyebrows and cheekbones, giving your face a naturally contoured illusion.
And what is old will always be new again, as the cute cut is back, but with an updated take for 2022. The bouncy, flippy “Rachel” haircut is now a bit more full and shaggy this year, and of course, some curtain bangs are a fun twist that make the chop feel a bit more modern.
Remember the famous "Rachel" haircut that everyone and their mother asked their stylist for during the '90s? Well, it's back with a modern twist. And it's now called the "octopus."
20-years on and the Rachel haircut is well and truly back in business. Over the last few years, the likes of Chrissy Teigen and Renée Zellweger have showcased bouncy, layered styles that undeniably paid homage to the Friends-born OG.
The 'Rachel haircut' is back in all its '90s glory. The voluminous shoulder-length style with long layers was popularised in the '90s after Jennifer Anniston's character Rachel Green in hit US TV show Friends.
A butterfly haircut combines short layers with long layers to give your hair dimension, movement and body. The short, wispy layers hit around the chin to frame your face, highlight your features and even contour a round face shape.
Aniston continues to gift us with hair surprises. Not only did she actually hate “the Rachel” haircut that launched a million copycats (she called it “a pain in the butt” to maintain, because of her naturally thick, wavy texture—relatable!) she actually prefers her hair straight.
Stylists are seeing more transitional colors — warm caramel highlights, bright coppers, shadow roots, and “brondes” — but that doesn't mean we're playing it safe. Those with bold proclivities are experimenting with two-tone hair and moodier colors like hazy purples and Barbie-inspired pinks.
Similar to a mullet, the style features more body and volume at the crown of the head (the head of the octopus) and then longer, thinner, shag-like layers from the mid-shaft to ends (the tentacles). Though the octopus haircut is inspired by both the mullet and shag, it is neither.
The jellyfish haircut sports disconnected layers that resemble a short bob with longer layers underneath. If the name is any giveaway, it truly resembles the round body and longer, billowy tentacles of a jellyfish.
But fans of the hairstyle are quickly discovering that the style is not exactly easy to recreate. Even Aniston told Marie Claire that "the 'Rachel' was high-maintenance... I'd curse Chris every time I had to blowdry. It took three brushes—it was like doing surgery!" she said.
Top La hairstylist, Sal Salcedo, reminded us just how phwoar the cut is with an outgrown, shaggier rendition, he called The Rachel 2.0, which featured collarbone-length strands complete with choppy jaw-length and face-framing layers.
Heart Faces
“The 'Rachel' cut” from Friends is perfect for heart-shaped faces,” according to Hannappel. In addition to bangs, hairstyles with a middle part are flattering for the shape.
Loose waves are more younger-looking, while straight hair can be aging. Play around with face-framing layers to give your hair some softness and movement. Layers can also make your hair appear to be more luscious and healthy. Parra recommends asking your stylist for perimeter layers that are cut in a straight line.
An undercut pixie is one of the best age-defying short hairstyles for women over 50. Tousled long pixie hairstyles have this youthful appeal and sassiness females over 50 are looking for. Sweep the bangs to any side for a chic effect.
“The shag— or super layered hair cut— is the trend,” says Saviano. “It works on almost every hair texture and length, and you can even style this look with or without bangs. It gives off a cool, low maintenance vibe, and truly brings out the best of natural hair texture, as the layered cut gives the hair movement.”
The color trends range from bright colors like illuminating yellow and bright red to neutral hues like beige and gray. The must-have nuance will be green in the bright and lush “lawn” variant and in the more sober and refined “olive” shade.
When she cleanses her hair with her choice shampoo—alternating between Living Proof No Frizz Shampoo and Drunk Elephant Cocomino Glossing Shampoo based on the day's needs—she lathers, rinses, and repeats. A "really good" double cleanse ensures a proper cleansing and keeps the scalp cleaner longer, says McMillan.
'The Rachel' is one of Jennifer Aniston's most iconic hair colour looks. “After the initial colour was made with paper-thin highlights, we used the original colour bath to blend the highlights close to the roots and make the elongated hair lighter,” says Michael. Have you seen what people are calling 'The Rachel' now?
Jennifer Aniston
For as long as we can remember, Jennifer Aniston's been dirty blonde, but it turns out, she was born a brunette bombshell. Dark hair or light, we can all agree that the actor looks gorgeous with hair in both hues.