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When I was in high school, a fancy updo wasn’t complete without pulling out those two front pieces. Short, long, it didn’t matter. They were necessary to complete the look. This was 2003 so Y2K hairstyles were all the rage. Flash forward 5-10 years and we put those pieces away because they felt, well, passé. Now, it’s like it’s the early aughts all over again. Just look at the hair on the 2022 Critics’ Choice Awards red carpet.
Celebs such as Ted Lasso‘s Juno Temple, Encanto‘s Stephanie Beatriz, West Side Story‘s Rachel Zegler, and Dopesick‘s Kaitlyn Dever pulled those two front pieces out. If anything, those who didn’t look almost naked without them. That’s how you know the trend is back with a vengeance. It’s all ages, too. Some folks are trying the trend again because they were there the first time (like me) and others are too young to remember dances in the early 2000s.
It’s not just the “slut strands,” as I’ve seen them called on TikTok. (And I’m using “slut” in the most non-derogatory way, of course.) It’s also the slightly spiky updo with a middle part. It all feels fresh and new again. Below, take inspo from the 2022 Critics’ Choice Awards red carpet.
Stephanie Beatriz
The Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Encanto star looked gorgeous thanks to hairstylist Fitch Lunar and makeup artist Katie Mellinger.
Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP.
Juno Temple
The Ted Lasso actor loves experimenting on the red carpet. We’ve never seen her with a hairstylist like this one, with a sky-high bun and those two front pieces.
Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP.
Kaitlyn Dever
Hairstylist Chad Wood created this chic, throwback updo using hair care products from Sol de Janeiro, including the Brazilian Glossy Nourishing Anti-Frizz Hair Oil ($34 at Sephora). As for the gorgeous makeup, artist Jenna Kristina used Byredo products, including the new Eyeshadow Palette 18 Colours Flora Kalahari ($96 at Byredo).
Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP.
Rachel Zegler
If the West Side Story actor looks this gorgeous at the Critics,’ we can’t wait to see what she turns out for the Oscars.
