The Trending Mouse Haircut Is Much Hotter Than It Sounds

Mousy is not often wielded as a compliment, but when it comes to the trending mouse haircut, it’s high praise. The leaders of the mouse haircut revolution—Taylor Swift, Dakota Johnson and Daisy Edgar Jones—are prime examples of how the coy, laidback look can be deeply flattering. The long cut is paired with a fringe similar to that of Birkin bangs but perhaps with a bit more hair involved. If you love rocking your natural hair texture and you’re looking for a cut “where you can wake up, spritz texture spray, and go,” the mouse haircut is for you, says celebrity hairstylist Jae Manuel Cardenas.

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What is the mouse haircut?

“The mouse haircut is a long, lived-in style with minimal layers and soft bangs—think Taylor Swift or the ultimate cool girl, Jane Birkin,” says Cardenas. It’s similar to the fringes of the ‘70s that fall over the brows, he notes. “It’s a stylish cut that’s all about embracing your natural hair texture. It’s a long or medium-length blunt cut with minimum layering bangs.” Additionally, Chicago hairstylist Raven Hurtado notes that the face-framing layers tend to flare out with this look.

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What to ask for in the salon

Cardenas says this cut is meant to look natural and effortless. You want to “keep your hair long with minimal layers and soft bangs that hit the top of your eyebrows,” he notes. At the salon, “ask for long layers with a full fringe that’ll sweep away at the end of the eyes,” says Hurtado.

How to style the mouse haircut

The mouse haircut is meant to look laid back and lived in, so you don’t have to do much to style it. “Since this is a soft haircut, loose curls and natural texture, soft waves will look best,” says Hurtado. Although, she notes you can also blow it out for a more bouncy look.

Cardenas suggests simply adding serum or mousse to damp hair and letting it air dry to show off your natural texture. If you want a more tousled look, you can always spritz a bit of texture spray through it once it’s dry, he adds.

“Bangs are a bit more delicate to style and sometimes take some practice and experimenting. I like using a bit of mousse and rough drying them on low speed in different directions and then shaping it with fingers,” says New York hairstylist Olya Iudina.

Who does the mouse haircut work for?

Hurtado says the mouse cut is great for low-maintenance hair stylers. Iudina agrees, noting that it works perfectly for those with wavy textures, medium-high density hair, and strands that are not color or keratin-treated. The look is best for wearing your natural hair texture or enhancing your waves through the shape of the cut, says Hurtado.

However, “almost everyone can wear the mouse haircut if you talk with your stylist about your goals,” says Cardenas. “It’s the ultimate ‘just rolled out of bed, but I look put together’ cut, so you should ask your stylist to cut minimal layers that will work with your natural hair texture.”