One of 2026’s hottest hair trends—the kiss curl—was back again tonight at the Grammy Awards. First spotted at this year’s Golden Globes, tonight “Messy” singer Lola Young, nearly-nude Chappell Roan, and Love Island breakout star Leah Kateb all joined the party. (Young even went double with her dedication to the trend, showing off two separate curls across her forehead.)
“A kiss curl is named after the way a mother kisses her children on the forehead,” Paris-New York hairstylist David Mallett tells me. I’m seated in a chair at his WSA beauty outpost while he shapes a piece of my chin-length bob into a circle on my forehead. As if by magic, a pair of shears appear in his hand and—snip!—I now have side bangs and the start of a kiss curl of my very own.
The trend began in the 1920s with singer Josephine Baker (the most popular Black female star of the 1920s) and 1930s Betty Boop, both of whom Mallett declares the queens of the kiss curl. In the 100 years since, the look has come in and out of fashion, as well as been a favorite of Met Gala attendees like Dua Lipa, A$AP Rocky, and Kylie Jenner.
As seen on the Golden Globes red carpet, there can be variations in the curl. Ayo Edebiri’s, shaped by hairstylist Jacob Aaron, was oversized but not fully closed. Odessa A’zion’s, on the other hand, has become a part of her signature look—all of which she maintains herself (and no, it’s not a wig!). Ginnifer Goodwin also wore a pixie-sized version of the trend for the night by Clayton Hawkins, a perfect accompaniment to her short hair.
“It is extremely easy to do at home,” Mallett says, walking me through the curl-shaping as he affixes it to my forehead. “Simply spray gel onto the hair, smooth it out with your fingers, then twist it into a circular motion and secure it with a pin. Dry the hair using a diffuser, and do not remove the pin until the hair is completely dry—this ensures the curl stays perfectly in place.”
It’s a fun, DIY-friendly way to vintage-ify your hair without having to go full wet-set. “It always beautifully frames the face,” Mallett adds. Bisous!
