Angel Reese Debuts New Pixie Cut Inspired By Her Mother – Essence

It’s a sunny Tuesday in New York and Angel Reese is hanging out of the roof of a black Benz. She’s just arrived to Victoria’s Secret on Fifth Ave. to celebrate her new Season of Strapless campaign—fresh off the heels of being traded to Atlanta Dream. And, what better way to mark big changes than with a dramatic new pixie cut?

We’ve all dug out lipsticks from our mother’s vanity, played pretend in her wigs, and took notes from her beauty rituals. But, rarely can we actually steal her pixie cut—and be able to pull it off. When asked who inspired her look, “My mom, actually. My mom is my hero. She’s done so much for me,” Reese tells ESSENCE this morning. “[When] I showed her she was like, ‘Oh my God, girl, you look good.’ I feel like the biggest compliment is always from your mom.”

Her mother, Angel Web Reese, who she’s named after, is a former college basketball standout at UMBC and a professional player in Luxembourg who was inducted into the UMBC Athletics Hall of Fame. And, she has an incredible pixie cut, of course. Like mother like daughter, “I feel like Betty Boo,” Reese says about her little black kiss curls.

Trading in her usual long black hair, she says this cut marks a new beauty and style era. “I go through different phases of what I like and what I don’t like. Different color ways, different hair styles I like,” she says. “I’ve been through different eras. I’ve been through lash eras. I’ve been through long nail eras. I’ve been through long hair eras. So it’s in and out for me. I’m willing to switch it up all the time.”

To achieve the look, she tapped a stylist who, like her, isn’t afraid to try something new. It was only the second time her hairstylist, Arrogant Tae, has even cut a pixie. And, with how good it looks, you wouldn’t be able to tell. “Y’all know I been tryna get into doing pixie wigs [and] short cuts, so this morning my reeseyyy wanted to try [a] pixie wig,” he said in an Instagram post about her style. “I was so nervous but it came out so cute.”

With pixie cuts trending this season, Angel Reese proved why it’s the perfect transitional and versatile cut. With that, we can’t wait to see what looks she’ll continue to pull in her new season.