Ok so I know I talk about the butterfly haircut like… a lot. But honestly? After 12 years behind the chair I still get so excited every time a client comes in with these inspo pics. The butterfly cut is basically a layered cut where the layers flip out at the ends, giving this gorgeous wing-like shape that frames your face and adds so much movement.
It’s had a massive comeback and I am HERE for it. Whether your hair is jet black, copper red, or somewhere in between — there is a version of this cut for you. I put together 28 of my favorite looks to help you figure out what you want. Save these, send them to your stylist, you’re welcome.
Icy Platinum Blonde with Wispy Layered Ends
Platinum blonde and butterfly layers is such a vibe — the lightness of the color makes the layers look almost feathery and super airy. This version has really wispy, fine-looking ends that make the whole style feel light and effortless rather than heavy. Great option if you want the cut to look more delicate and understated.
Bold Copper Red Butterfly Cut with Long Feathery Layers
This copper-red is so rich and vivid — paired with extra long, feathery butterfly layers it’s genuinely one of the most striking looks in this whole roundup. The layers are more spread out and elongated, which gives the silhouette a really dramatic, flowy feel rather than stacked and bouncy. If you’re going red, go ALL in like this and get the layers to match the energy.
Cool Ash Brown Butterfly Cut with Subtle Highlight Dimension
This is an ash brown butterfly cut with very fine, subtle highlights woven through that add just a tiny bit of lightness without being obvious about it. The layers are long and feathery and fall super naturally, almost like the hair just grows that way. It’s one of those cuts that photographs beautifully because all the layers catch the light differently — so much dimension from a relatively natural look.
Dark Chocolate Brown Butterfly Cut with Polished Smooth Layers
This is a super polished, almost glossy version of the butterfly cut — the layers are smooth and sleek rather than fluffy, which gives it more of a sophisticated, put-together feel. The dark chocolate brown color with a hint of reddish warmth adds richness and the side-swept layers frame the face in the most flattering way. If you want the butterfly cut but need it to look more corporate-friendly, this is your answer.
Sandy Blonde Butterfly Cut with Long Feathered Layers
This is a really cool profile view that shows off how the butterfly cut actually works from the side — you can really see how the layers are angled and how they feather outward from the mid-lengths down. The sandy blonde color with slightly darker roots gives it a really natural, grown-in look that feels very modern. It’s giving effortless and I love that for it.
Deep Burgundy Wine Butterfly Cut with Fluffy Layers
The color alone is a whole statement and then you add these big, fluffy butterfly layers on top of it and it’s just a lot of YES. The burgundy-wine color has this depth to it that makes the layers look incredibly dimensional as they fan out. This is the look for someone who wants to go bold with both color and cut at the same time — no half measures here.
Ash Brown Butterfly Cut with Bold Blonde Face-Framing Pieces
This is one of my favorites in the whole post — a medium ash brown base with super bold, chunky blonde highlights concentrated right at the front around the face. The contrast is striking and the butterfly layers let those highlights really show off and fan out beautifully. It’s a great way to get a dramatic color moment without committing to going fully blonde.
Sandy Blonde Balayage Butterfly Cut with Curtain Bangs and Waves
This one is honestly so pretty — a dirty blonde to sandy balayage with soft curtain bangs and wavy butterfly layers that curl outward at the ends. The combination of the bangs, the balayage, and the waves makes this feel very full and romantic. It’s the kind of cut that looks like you put in a lot of effort but is actually really forgiving to maintain day to day.
Copper to Golden Blonde Balayage with Voluminous Butterfly Curls
The color on this one is so warm and beautiful — it starts as a rich copper at the roots and melts into a lighter golden blonde toward the ends, which is just perfection for a butterfly cut because the layers show off that gradient so well. The layers have a loose curl or wave through them which amplifies all that volume. This is a seriously stunning combination of color and cut.
Warm Brown to Caramel Ombre Butterfly Cut with Sleek Layers
A classic warm brown to caramel ombre with long, sleek butterfly layers that show off the color transition really cleanly. There are no bangs here which makes the face-framing layers do all the work of drawing attention to the face — and they do it really well. If you’ve been on the fence about ombre, seeing it on a butterfly cut like this might just be the push you needed.
Sleek Black Butterfly Cut with Blunt Bangs
This one is so clean and polished — jet black hair with blunt cut bangs and razor-sharp layers that flip out softly at the ends. The contrast between the straight bangs and the flowy layers is what makes it look so intentional and chic. If you have naturally straight, dark hair and want something that looks effortlessly put together, this is honestly it.
Rich Brunette Butterfly Cut with Voluminous Flipped Layers
This is what I call a “full glam” butterfly cut — warm chestnut brown hair with big, bouncy layers that flip out dramatically at the ends. The layers start around the collarbone and build downward, creating that iconic wing shape the cut is named after. Clients with medium-thick hair are going to get so much out of this particular version.
Cool Blonde Butterfly Cut with Structured Flipped Layers
This is a slightly more structured take on the platinum blonde butterfly — the layers are more defined and the ends have a clear, intentional flip to them. There’s soft curtain bangs swept to the side which honestly ties the whole look together. It gives me major 70s vibes but in the best, most modern way possible.
Natural Ash Brown Butterfly Cut with Cascading Layers
This is probably one of the most wearable versions of the butterfly cut — a natural, cool-toned ash brown with long cascading layers that fall really softly. No bold highlights, no dramatic color, just the cut doing all the work and honestly it’s stunning. If you’re someone who doesn’t want to commit to color, this shows you that the butterfly cut absolutely holds its own without it.
Jet Black Long Butterfly Cut with Side-Swept Layers
Another black butterfly cut but this one is longer and more dramatic — the layers start lower and sweep to the side giving a really sleek, editorial feel. The blunt bangs here are super straight and cut close to the brow which adds an edginess to it. I love this for straight hair types that want maximum impact without any color commitment.
Auburn Copper Butterfly Cut with Bouncy Curled-Out Layers
Ok this color combined with this cut is absolutely giving everything. It’s a warm auburn-copper brown with layers that have been curled outward, amplifying that butterfly wing shape times ten. The warmth of the color makes the layers look extra dimensional and lush — this is the kind of hair that makes you walk into a room and people just turn and look.
Golden Blonde Airy Butterfly Cut with Curtain Bangs
This is giving soft, breezy, California girl and I mean that as the highest compliment. Golden blonde with curtain bangs that blend right into the layers creates this seamless, wispy look all the way through. The layers are light and feathered so the whole style moves really beautifully — it’s the kind of hair that looks good air dried AND blown out.
Dark Chocolate Brown with Classic Voluminous Butterfly Layers
This is the butterfly cut in its most classic, full-volume form — dark chocolate brown with deeply stacked layers that flip outward and create an almost perfect wing shape on each side. The volume here is incredible and very much intentional. This look is for someone who wants max impact and isn’t afraid to commit to the blowout that comes with it.
Warm Mousy Brown Butterfly Cut with Soft Side-Swept Layers
This is such a pretty, understated version — a warm medium brown with layers that sweep softly to one side and have a gentle flip at the ends. It’s not as dramatic as some of the other looks but that’s kind of the point, it’s very wearable for everyday life. The side part and the soft layers give it this romantic, laid-back quality that I think a lot of people are going to relate to.
Strawberry Blonde Butterfly Cut with Wavy Romantic Layers
Strawberry blonde is honestly such an underrated hair color and this cut takes it to the next level. The layers here have a slight wave or curl to them which makes them look extra full and lush — it reads very old Hollywood glam in the best way. The side-swept fringe frames the face really beautifully and softens the whole vibe.
Deep Terracotta Red with Sleek Dramatic Butterfly Layers
This terracotta-copper red is seriously gorgeous and the sleek, straight layers make the color look even more intense and saturated. The layers are long and dramatic, with the face-framing pieces sweeping forward and the back sections fanning out like proper wings. The color and the cut are very much in conversation with each other here and I love it.
Rose Gold Butterfly Cut with a Swoopy Statement Bang
This one is just fun and I make no apologies. The dusty rose-gold color is so pretty and soft and then you’ve got this big, swoopy side bang that adds a whole extra personality to the cut. The layers underneath are fluffy and full and the ends flip out just the right amount — if you’re someone who likes to have a little fun with your hair, this is the look.
Rich Espresso Brown Butterfly Cut with Bouncy Curled Layers
This espresso brown with subtle warm undertones is just stunning — the deep color paired with layers that have been curled outward creates so much dimension and richness. The layers are stacked in a way that gives a lot of body at the bottom which is really flattering, especially on finer hair types that want to look fuller. It’s a classic butterfly cut executed really well.
Dark Brown Butterfly Cut with Face-Framing Caramel Highlights
The combination of a dark base with just a few strategically placed caramel face-framing pieces is such a smart way to brighten up a butterfly cut without going full highlights. The layers here are long and sweeping and they really show off the color contrast beautifully. It looks like you spent a lot of money and time on it even though the actual color work is pretty minimal — always a win.
Warm Honey Blonde Butterfly Cut with Tousled Wavy Layers
This one is giving cozy autumn weekend and I am fully here for it. Honey blonde with soft, tousled waves running through the butterfly layers makes everything look a little undone in that really intentional, pretty way. This is a really great option for people with naturally wavy hair who want to work with their texture rather than fight it.
Honey Golden Blonde Butterfly Cut with Side-Swept Bangs and Soft Waves
This is such a classic and pretty version of the cut — honey golden blonde with gently side-swept bangs and soft wavy layers that flip outward. It has a very natural, effortless quality to it that makes it look like this person just woke up like this, which is obviously the highest compliment a hairstyle can get. Really lovely for anyone looking for something that feels timeless rather than trendy.
Sandy Blonde Balayage Butterfly Cut with Dark Roots and Sleek Layers
This one leans into the grown-out root trend in the best way — a darker root that fades into a sandy, sun-kissed blonde through the lengths, with long sleek butterfly layers that fan out toward the bottom. The layers are straight and smooth here, not wavy, which gives it a more modern and polished feel. This is also a really low-maintenance color to grow out which as a stylist I always appreciate telling people.
Jet Black Butterfly Cut with Straight Blunt Bangs and Sharp Layers
We’re ending on a strong note — jet black hair with perfectly straight blunt bangs cut right at brow level and super sharp, angled butterfly layers below. It’s bold, it’s graphic, it’s a little bit dramatic and honestly I think that’s the perfect way to close out this list. If you have naturally dark hair and want a cut that just hits different, this is the one to screenshot and bring to your stylist.
