Hair opinions? Unhappy

The cut is fine, it's your styling or hair type. You should experiment with some different products to help with hold. I highly recommend trying 'Colour Wow' and 'Living Proof' for styling.

i made a similar request to my very good hair dresser and she diplomatically explained that i have about 4 strands of hair at the front whereas the pic has thick hair, extensions, professional styling and photoshop

This.

Your hair is your hair. You can like something, that doesn't mean your hair will do it. You need to find a style your hair will accept and do.

This. My hair is baby fine and no way in a gazillion years would it sit like the models.

The sides don't look to blend and shape your face (from what I can see).

I have fine hair too but can have a full looking fringe.

First, large ceramic barrel brush. Hair over the top of the brush - brush is under the fringe and closest to your forehead. Smooth out then dry pretty much vertically and let cool on brush.

Once cool, see how it falls. I find I usually have to back comb. You back comb with a fine tooth comb. Hold the fringe up vertically and back comb the side that's away from the mirror. Let it fall down and fluff it around a bit. If still too flat back comb a bit more. Then a lot of super hold hairspray/ lacquer.

Too much back combing and it will be thin and icky, so just start lightly.

ETA back combing - back comb the top (like above), gives flicky; back comb underneath gives fringe that curls forward and under.

Yeah, yours is much longer and less hair in the actual fringe section. There's a lot of styling involved in flicky fringes, you need products and be competent with blow drying and a round brush. Lots and lots of heat at the root leave to cool then remove the brush.

You definitely need product for that:
Try washing it with Lush Big shampoo and a very light conditioner

Use texturising spray when damp then volume styling powder and volume hair spray when dry

I would backcomb it a little too. It would give volume/ texture and help hold the style. Lee Stafford does a good back comb. It’s available in boots.
If you do this on a regular basis though, it may cause some damage.

I think pp is right in saying that in the photo of what you wanted, she likely has naturally curly hair.

The thing about those hair styles is it looks effortless and that’s part of the appeal, but it’s not just the cut, loads of styling goes into that (probably by a professional).

Another tip for boosting fine hair is to use a crimper near the roots, but not on the top, underneath so it’s hidden. You can look it up on wiki how. Babyliss do a good crimper that doesn’t break the bank. They need to be used on dry hair before product. Word of warning though, they can also damage your hair.

American for fringe

It may not look like in the other picture but fwiw I think your hair looks really lovely!

Try this OP - it works for me and takes seconds (well it works until I walk outside in the slightest of breezes 🙄

https://youtube.com/shorts/E2bsKswro9g?si=I4bznJdy6KSSsuKZ

Your fringe is twice as long as the models.
It looks like yours finishes at your chin whereas hers finishes at her cheekbones although it’s really hard to tell from your photos!

Cut looks ok but it was never going to look anything like how you wanted because the photos show a woman who has a lot more hair than you.

The stylist should have told you that it was not ever going to look like that and suggested other styles that would make your hair look more full.

I think your hair looks good, cute. Your hair is not as thick as the model, you can’t expect miracles, work with what you have. Honestly I think it’s pretty but if you hate it then I think go for a more blunt cut next time.

your hair is thin whereas the model has thick hair
your hair is straight whereas the model has hair with more movement
your bangs are chin length whereas model has much shorter bangs
your bangs are shallow whereas model has very deep cut bangs

“I have an orange tree but despite showing the gardener my inspiration pic of an apple all I have been left with is this orange”

Agree with @Theheckwhat cut looks fine. You need product. A good mousse and work it in at the roots. Then use a big round brush. Once dry and in the style you want you then need to cool the hair down by blowing with cold air to set the style. Then you can use a root powder for volume and fine spray to help keep style. It will never look as full as in the picture because you have less and more fine hair but you can get the style more or less.

Get some velcro rollers. Put them in when it's almost dry, blast with heat then leave for an hour or so before taking them out.

Agree with others re fine hair limitations. I have a short fringe which works for me. I'd find a long one like in the pic annoying. But yeah, she's got loads more hair so it's never gonna look that way. As an aside, £135 is good for cut, colour, blow dry and a treatment so don't be feeling ripped off. That's a lot of salon time and activity. But still, it's never the same again after we've washed it and it's gone flat again, alas.

Ah! Apologies OP I didn’t realise you were American.
I agree with trying some mousse. I find John Frieda very good.

Just as a grass is always greener point of view..... I think it looks great. My hair is so thick it always looks like a massive cycle helmet if I have it cut anything shorter than halfway down my back and I hate having long hair. So I have it short and helmet-like. I would love it to hang like yours.

OP, I have similar hair to yours and currently have a similar cut. You need product! A good quality mousse makes all the difference. I have a Dyson but you can achieve the flick fringe with a round brush and hair dryer. You need to roughly dry until it’s just damp then add a palm full of mousse to you fringe only. You want it to feel sticky. Blow dry over a round brush up and away from your forehead, the brush should be above your forehead and not infront of.
I also find a really small amount of volumising powder at the root once dry really helps separate the hair and makes it look thicker.
Another tip, once styled, don’t just spray hairspray over it, it needs some movement. Instead, spray hairspray onto your finger tips and pinch the hair together at the root in the parting, pulling hair from both the left and right together into the middle. This helps keep a nice sort of sweeping curtain shape rather than the fringe just falling flat to either side of the face.
The main take away is you need products! And don’t be afraid to use lots of mousse. Got2b is a good cheaper brand but I don’t think any mousse I’ve tried beats the bed head brand.

It looks nice to me and like you got what you asked for, now its time to practise styling.

I'd pop into the salon and ask for advice on what products they used and if you're lucky you may get a hairdresser offering to show you quickly (I think that would normally be a paid for service but as it would normally be covered at the original appointment, you may get lucky if the aren't too busy)

I would get it cut shorter and get a thick fringe cut. Mousse helps too or beach spray.

When I had a fringe like this it separated and looked a bit like yours, I resorted to wearing it to the one side so it was thicker.

You could try a thickening product at the front, I like powders best as find the sprays can be sticky sometimes and make the hair separate more.

American term for a fringe.