Looking for a transition from a casual student cut to a style that suits a professional presentation? A butterfly cut and copper colours are the way to go, according to research undertaken at Rush’s Moorgate salon – bright coppers, vibrant blondes, and heavy-layered butterfly cuts make up over 70% of styling requests for 16 – 24-year-olds. This generation are now of the age to be entering new and exciting corporate roles and internships in London’s financial district, so it’s no surprise that they are looking for a new style to suit their transition from students into young professionals.
Why the Butterfly Cut is the Ultimate Office-to-Bar Hybrid
There is so much versatility with heavy layers, no matter the day of the week. Picture this; heavy volume with a 90’s bombshell roller set look for weekend styling, matched with a controlled sleek tucked back chic look for the weekdays spent in the office.
Styling this office-to-bar look is heavily reliant on the structure of the layers, shorter face-framing layers mimic a sleek, shoulder length lob, while the longer length is kept in the back.
A great feature of this cut is the “Faux-Cut” trick by securing the back layers in a neat clip or low bun you can rock a professional looking “faux bob” at your desk and then when 5:30pm rolls around you just need to pull out the clip for some instant glamour.
3 Quick Desk-to-Meeting Styles to Keep Butterfly Layers Under Control
Quick and easy “updo” styles are exactly what professionals need when there’s a last-minute board meeting, try these hairstyles to keep those butterfly layers looking controlled and professional.
The “Executive Claw Clip” (Level: Easy). Start by sweeping the long back layers into a tight French twist letting only the shortest face-framing layers to fall forward. You can tuck those remaining front layers behind the ears for a clean and distraction free face frame.
The “Sleek Low Pony with Face-Framing Tendrils” (Level: Medium). Using a boar bristle brush and a drop of hair oil slick back the crown and secure with a hair tie, leaving just two neat, symmetrical layers out to soften the profile.
The “Tucked & Pinned Half-Up” (Level: Super Quick). Start by sectioning your hair, taking the shorter layer from under the top layers, pulling them back into a half-up half-down, and securing flat against your temple with matte bobby pins under the longer top layers.
Step-by-Step: How to Style a Butterfly Cut for the Boardroom
When you’re working long office hours you want to get the most out of your morning routine, here is a step-by-step styling routine for your butterfly cut that takes less than 15 minutes so you can get the most out of your morning routine.
Step 1 Prep: Start by using a smoothing blow-dry cream such as the L’Oréal Professional Tecni.ART Blowdry Cream for ultimate frizz control to battle that dry office air conditioning.
Step 2 The Blowout: Using a large ceramic radical brush, bevel the ends of your hair inward toward the collarbone for a polished rounded finish rather than flicking the out wildly.
Step 3 Setting the style: Finish with a dime-sized drop of lightweight hair oil to seal the cuticles, ensuring that “expensive city shine” that looks pristine under harsh corporate LED lights.
If you’re looking for a quick ultra-sleek, distraction-free meeting look, Jeremy Roca Ripoll, Creative Consultant at RUSH Moorgate says: “Section the front face framing butterfly layers from your parting and twist them outward and tightly around the side of your face, follow this by pinning them behind your ears, using two bobby pins in an “X” shape for maximum durability. Make sure to use bobby pins that match your hair colour to ensure they seamlessly blend in and remain hidden for a sleek meeting approved hairstyle.”
The Professional’s Guide to Corporate Copper
Our research shows, 16 – 24-year-olds love copper shades but, faded brassy copper can look unpolished within a professional setting so why not keep the colour classy, one golden rule to follow in copper maintenance is utilising colour depositing conditioners and scheduling in rapid glossing services between your full colour appointments.
Our stylists collectively agree that the number one tip on styling heavy layers is when blow-drying to concentrate the heat in a downward direction using a ceramic round brush and pulling tightly downwards through the mid-lengths to ends before finishing with a smoothing serum. This ensures the layers look neat and contained rather than messy.
How to Preserve Your Bright Blonde Under Office Lighting
When conducting our research on the young professional group we found this generation at our Moorgate salon love a “bright blonde” however we see the ‘office light’ trap a recurring theme for these blondes. This is when harsh, blue-spectrum corporate fluorescent and LED lighting can make blonde hair look artificially yellow or green.
Some key defences against this include using a silver/violet toning shampoo weekly (but not daily!) to help keep blonde tones looking creamy and cool. As well as keeping your hair hydrated, office air conditioning sucks the life and moisture out of bleached blonde hair. It is highly recommended that a weekly deep conditioning mask is used to prevent any dry spit ends from ruining the crisp lines of a fresh haircut.
Ready to Take Your Style to the Next Level? Book Your Appointment at Rush
If you are taking the next steps with professionalism and have been thinking about getting one of these looks, we’ve walked through today then consider this your sign to book an in-salon appointment for your butterfly hair styling and guidance.
FAQ's
How high-maintenance is a butterfly cut?
Maintenance is fairly easy, it is recommended that you schedule regular trims every 6-8 weeks to keep the layers looking fresh and intentional.
Can you pull a butterfly cut back into a ponytail for work?
Yes, you absolutely can! However, the shorter face-framing pieces may fall forward naturally.
How do you keep copper hair dye from fading?
Utilising colour depositing conditioners and scheduling in rapid glossing services between your full colour appointments will prevent your copper hair from fading.
