Would you ever try this look? Tweet us @BritandCo!
Would you ever try this look? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Sam Wasson/FilmMagic, Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Would you ever try this look? Tweet us @BritandCo!
Would you ever try this look? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Sam Wasson/FilmMagic, Mike Marsland/WireImage)
If you’ve ever sorta, kinda toyed with idea of short hair but couldn’t bear to make the cut, then you’ve got to get on these faux short-hair hacks stat. We’re sharing the best tips and techniques for styling long hair short and pulling it off. Whether it’s a faux hawk or a bob you’re after, these styles are sure to fit your fancy.
1. Faux Asymmetrical Bob: Allison Williams rocked this at the Golden Globes , but you could make it work for a new fall look when you wouldn't mind a few compliments. (via Brit + Co)
2. Asymmetrical Pixie: Yep, you can actually get a faux pixie. For those of you who have always been slightly curious, but never made the hack, here is your chance to sport the uber chic cut. All it takes is a little twisting magic. (via Naturally Curly)
3. Braided Faux Hawk: We hope you’re ready to rock this bold and beautiful style. It takes a bit of practice and some mad braiding skillz, but we know you’ve totally got this. (via Modern Salon)
4. Curly Bob: You know how they always say, “try before you buy?” We suggest you heed this advice when it comes to your hair too. To get your new look, watch Jen’s YouTube tutorial on how to hack your very own curly faux bob. (via From Head to Toe)
5. Head Scarf Updo: For days when you just want your hair out of your way, wrap up those locks, pin ’em in place and tie a pretty scarf around ’em. (via Keiko Lynn)
6. Faux Wedge Cut: If you have the itch to cut your hair, stop right there and try the look first. Pick a funky style like the wedge cut, and follow Brosia’s awesome tutorial to create the ultimate short hair fake out. (via Ambrosia Malbrough)
7. Faux Lob: All it takes is six easy steps to go from long to lob. Just follow the tutorial and enjoy your new hairstyle. (via Elle)
8. Faux Bob With Bangs: Your friends will totally be amazed when you show off your bangin' new look. They'll be even more stunned to learn that you didn't actually cut your hair. (via Brit + Co.)
9. Milkmaid Braid: Milk your long hair for all it's worth and showcase this romantic braided 'do. (via Briton Alo)
10. Pin Curls: Love those glamorous styles from a bygone era? So do we, and the neat thing is that even long-haired gals can flaunt this style. You won't even have to use curlers. Just grab a spray bottle filled with water and a handful of two-prong hair pins, and start pinning. (via A Beautiful Mess)
Which faux short hair hack are you going to try? Share with us @BritandCo!
This article has been updated from a previous post.
It's been 17 years since Gossip Girl first premiered on The CW, thus opening our eyes to the scandalous lives of Manhattan's elite and introducing us to a new generation of stars like Blake Lively and Leighton Meester.
In the six seasons the show was on air, it captivated fans and critics alike, serving up week after week of delicious drama and continuously upping the ante for TV show fashion. ("So many designers were lining up to be a part of it — they wanted their stuff on Blake or Leighton," costume designer Eric Daman told Vanity Fair.) Click through to find out what the Gossip Girl cast has been up to since the show's success, and where they are today.
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Michael Kors
Of all the Gossip Girl cast alumni, Blake Lively is arguably the most well-known. Not only has she gone on to major roles in movies — including The Age of Adaline, The Shallows, All I See Is You, and most recently, It Ends with Us— but she's also married to fellow actor Ryan Reynolds (married in 2012).
Blake shares four beautiful daughters, James, Inez, Betty, and the youngest (born in 2023) whose name has not been announced publicly with Ryan. True to her Gossip Girl character, she's quite the fashionista! In her spare time, she likes to hang out with her BFFs, who just so happen to include Taylor Swiftandthe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants ladies.
Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Leighton Meester has a career that would make even her cunningly ambitious Queen B character proud. Since Gossip Girl's end in 2012, she's acted in films including Life Partners, The Judge, The Weekend Away, and most recently, EXmas. She even recorded and released songs such as "Good Girls Go Bad" with Cobra Starship and the solo effort "Somebody to Love," and even starred on Broadway in Of Mice and Men back in 2014.
Leighton is married to actor Adam Brody (The O.C., Jennifer's Body, Gilmore Girls) as of 2014. She has two kids – one daughter and one son.
She has been heavily involved in philanthropy while taking on acting projects, primarily volunteering and campaigning with Feeding America and the Los Angeles Food Bank.
Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
Long gone are the days when Taylor Momsen played Dan Humphrey's sweet (and a bit messed up) little sis, Jenny. The actress left the Gossip Girl cast in 2010 in order to pursue her dreams of a music career, and all these years later, she's still doing just that as the frontwoman of the uber-successful rock group, The Pretty Reckless. With four records under their belt, the four-member band has supported bands like Evanescence, Soundgarden, and Guns N' Roses, and has toured in numerous cities and music festivals.
Momsen has typically kept her dating life on the down-low. She is currently single and appears to be putting all of her energy into her band.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Everyone’s favorite Gossip Girl — er, guy — Penn Badgley, followed in his on-screen sister's footsteps after the show ended, pursuing his musical interests with rock band MOTHXR. The band's most current project, Centerfold, was released back in 2016.
Badgley has since acted in several movies and TV shows including Easy A, The Paper Store, and Here Today, but his most notable work has been on the ongoing book-based Netflix series, You. He plays Joe Goldberg, a charming bookkeeper with eerily odd characteristics, especially when it comes to love.
Badgley currently has a podcast titled Podcrushed, which explores the awkwardness of adolescence and revisits guests' best (and worst) middle school memories. He cohosts with Nava Kavelin and Sophie Ansari. One episode even features ex-Gossip Girl co-star, Leighton Meester!
Badgley is married to singer and doula Domino Kirke as of 2017. Kirke already had a child from a previous relationship. Badgley and Kirke had their first son together in 2020.
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images for Diesel
Ed Westwick tapped into his angsty side post-Gossip Girl, starring as Tybalt in a 2013 adaptation of Romeo & Juliet. Since then, he has fought crime as Kent Grainger on Wicked City, played a crime lord on Snatch, and sold double-glazed windows on White Gold. Is there any role he can't play? Most recently, Westwick stars in the movie DarkGame.
With a background in music, Westwick also currently sings in the bandFor You. Their most recent release is the song "Tailspin," and they're set to release a new single "Here Comes Trouble" in March 2024.
Westwick had been dating model and actress Amy Jacksonsince 2021, with the pair getting happily engaged during a ski trip in January 2024.
Leon Bennett/Getty Images for MBJx DAVID YURMAN
Following his stint as a wealthy Upper East Sider on Gossip Girl, Texas native Chace Crawford tried his hand at playing a greedy oil worker on ABC's short-lived TV series, Blood & Oil. He's had several film roles since – you can catch him in movies like Undrafted, Eloise, Nighthawks, even voice-actingin Belle. Most recently, Crawford stars as The Deep on The Boys.
Crawford has previously dated Carrie Underwood, Rachelle Goulding, and Rebecca Rittenhouse, though he is currently single as a Pringle.
Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Jessica Szohr, who played Dan Humphrey's BFF slash on-again, off-again girlfriend (needless to say, we were confused too), has been a lot busier than her character was after season four, when she was all but written off the show.
In the years since Gossip Girl, the actress scored several roles on TV shows such as Complications, Kingdom, Twin Peaks and The Orville. She even starred in Taylor Swift's music video for "22" back in 2013!
Jessica also welcomed a daughter with her longtime boyfriend in early 2021.
Jessica currently hosts a podcast called "XOXO" that dives deep into the Gossip Girl cast, crew, and behind-the-scenes moments. Some notable episodes have featured Zuzanna Szadkowski (Dorota), Aaron Tveit (Tripp van der Bilt), Kelly Rutherford (Lily van der Woodsen), and Michelle Trachtenburg (Georgina Sparks).
Jemal Countess/Getty Images
Since her stint as the "bad girl" Georgina Sparks, Michelle Trachtenberg landed roles on shows like Criminal Minds, NCIS: Los Angeles, Sleepy Hollow, and Sister Cities among other numerous series and movies. She even reprised her role as Georgina for the 2021 remake of Gossip Girl on HBO Max!
She managed to keep her personal life largely out of the tabloids, including her dating life. The last update on her relationship status was in 2023, and that she was dating her talent agent, Jay Cohen. She reportedly previously dated Shawn Ashmore, Joshua Radin, and Jason Segel.
Unfortunately, Michelle passed away on February 26, 2025.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images
Besides being a New York Fashion Week icon (we'd expect nothing less of Lily van der Woodsen's alter ego!), Kelly Rutherford has popped up in several TV shows over the years, including Quantico, Jane the Virgin, and Dynasty.
She also frequently travels to France and Monaco, where, after years of custody battles with her second ex-husband, Daniel Giersch, she has extensive visitation rights to see her two children, who reside there with their father.
"Yes, it was a challenging time. It was a heartbreaking time," she told People. "But I focus on the good most of the time, I really do," she says. "I'm very thankful of where we are. I have a great relationship with my kids."
When she's not with her kids or working on a project, Kelly is dropping iconic 'fit pics on her Instagram account.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Matthew Settle, who played rockstar dad Rufus Humphrey, continued acting after the Gossip Girl cast dissolved. He hasn't been on any other TV shows other than one episode of Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders in 2016. He mostly stuck to movies, acting in titles like Ouija, Marshall the Miracle Dog, and Valentine: The Dark Avenger.
Settle is also a dad of two children, having welcomed his first with actress and model Naama Nativ in 2009. He had divorced her in 2011 and went on to have a second baby with girlfriend Maria Alfonsin in 2015.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
Though Blair's loyal maid and, ultimately, best friend, wasn't technically a main character, there's no denying that it would have been a different show without her unwavering presence! Zuzanna Szadowski has dabbled in film and television since then, appearing in shows such as Girls,The Good Wife, and Modern Love.
In 2010, she partnered with Sam Weisman to open The Sam Weisman Studio, an acting school (now closed).
Oh, and did we mention she just so happens to be one of Leighton Meester's real-life BFFs?
Which Gossip Girl cast member is your fave? Tweet us @BritandCo!
This post has been updated with additional reporting by Meredith Holser.
Jennifer Lopez is a diva through and through. While stars like Kendra Wilkinson, Iggy Azalea, and Kelly Clarkson were showing off new, shorter ‘dos over the weekend, the Second Act star was holding it down for long-haired ladies everywhere with what might have been the most extra hair extensions of all time.
The triple-threat debuted an uber-lengthy addition to her golden tresses that came down to her knee while appearing at the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Vegas.
“50” okkkrrrr,” her hairstylist, Chris Appleton (the same man behind Kim Kardashian West’s blonde-to-black tresses) revealed of the Rapunzel-esque look.
For those of you doing the math, that’s slightly more than four FEET of faux hair.
It certainly made for a striking visual when the mother of two hit the stage to perform her new single, “El Anillo” in a sheer beaded bodysuit, bejeweled thong sandals and arm cuffs, and a golden headdress, her hair sweeping the stage behind her.
Just days before, her locks, while undoubtedly still long, came down just to her décolletage.
There’s no word on how long she’ll be rocking the extra-long mane, but we can’t imagine it will stick around for any sort extended period: Imagine having to wash all those extra strands!
What did you think of J.Lo’s extra extensions? Share with us @BritandCo.
(Photos via Sam Wasson/FilmMagic + David Becker/Getty)
He’s back! Dumbledore is back! Okay, maybe that’s not exactly the same as Daniel Radcliffe’s iconic line from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (he is warning the wizarding world about Voldemort, after all), but the sentiment still rings true because John Lithgow just confirmed he’ll be starring as the Hogwarts headmaster in Max’s new Harry Potter TV show.
While promoting his new movie The Rule of Jenny Penn, John Lithgow told ScreenRant that he's going to be playing the role of Albus Dumbledore in the Harry Potter TV show.
"It came as a total surprise to me. I just got the phone call up at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid," the actor said. "But I'm very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That's why it's been such a hard decision. I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes."
Now HBO hasn't officially announced the news yet, and added that while they "appreciate that such a high-profile series will draw a lot of rumor and speculation," they'll "only confirm details as we finalize deals."
One detail we do know? The show should start filming this summer at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden, so we might see some very familiar sets!
Ben Barnes and Andrew Garfield are two very popular fancasts (as Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, respectively) — and they’ve both actually talked about the roles! Andrew told BBC that he "will consider any role offered, how's that?" when asked about a potential role in the reboot, while Ben told Us Weekly in February 2025 that “You wouldn’t believe the amount of Harry Potter books I’ve signed or Gryffindor scarves I’ve been given as gifts,” adding “the amount of fan fiction that I’ve been drafted into very enthusiastically is incredible.”
“It’s been going on for 20 years that people have been very kindly saying that they would’ve liked me to have played a young version of the Sirius Black character in Harry Potter, but now it’s been going on so long that I’m now the age of the actual character in the books,” he joked.
Stay tuned for the latest updates on the Harry Potter TV show cast.
Jewelry is truly the cherry on top of a good outfit — so you definitely don't wanna top everything off with an outdated trend you pulled from the bottom of your jewelry box. And while some jewelry will always be timeless, there are plenty of pieces that are way past their prime. Whether too gaudy, too much of a flash trend, or some combination of the two, these are the six outdated jewelry trends you should totally retire in 2025.
Target
Once upon a time beaded jewelry was a popular status symbol among the "it girls" in middle or high school. It was a nostalgic trend that's come been recycled over the years, but it's finally time to put it rest. Why?
It's time to wear jewelry that doesn't feel so juvenile.
Anthropologie
Sometimes we fondly remember the days we used to wear chunky charm bracelets that featured our initials, hearts, stars, seashells, and more. You usually could hear us before you saw us because our favorite accessories made a lot of clinking noises. Maybe we're traumatized by how loud our bracelets each time we moved our arm during tests, but we're finally over wearing excess charms. That's not to say this style is 100% "outdated" though!
We're all in favor of this trend, but we'd rather see you choose 1-3 meaningful charms instead of squeezing 10+ on a chain link.
Pandora
Jewelry trends are supposed to be fun and cute, but this one is giving us "Mob wife" energy...you know, the trend from 2023? We know it's been a popular style that some people gravitate towards, but we prefer to see you wearing bracelets that indicate you're in your "soft girl era."
Alexis Bittar
The quickest way to age yourself is by making makeup mistakeswhile wearing the heaviest chunky gold earrings you own. Unless your goal is to walk around like you're auditioning to be an extra in a spoof of an '80s or '90s comedy, don't ever pair the two together.
As a matter of fact, give your ears a break from the heaviness of this trend.
gorjana
Thin rings seem like they're perfect for the set of Severance, but how practical are they in real life? We're afraid you'll spend your hard earned money on a cute ring set only to lose one or two of them while doing your daily activities.
Then again, we're a little biased because chunkier rings are taking center stage for their ability to infuse personality in your everyday casual outfits.
Ettika
Shell necklaces remind us of that one tongue twister that we just couldn't ever get right: "She sells seashells by the seashore."
For obvious reasons, this jewelry trend gets a hard NO from us — it's gaudy and doesn't really complement many personal styles. Even if you swear it does, we'd rather see you wear a pair of shell earrings instead of a statement necklace like this.
Subscribe to our newsletter to see which fashion trends we'd actually love to see you wear.
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