At the 2024 Oscars, all eyes were once again on Zendaya—partially to see her take the stage as a presenter, and partially to absorb her entry to the best red carpet fashion and beauty looks of the evening. To no surprise, Zendaya wore one of the standout combinations of the night: a Barbieheimer Armani Privé gown, paired with a 1960s-esque lob that ends in a bouncy, retro curl. For her short, wavy hair, we can thank celebrity hairstylist Tai Simon.
The look is a massive departure from Zendaya's Dune: Part Two press tour, where she embraced sci-fi, slicked-back hair and silver makeup. "On Hollywood’s biggest night, it was only right to go with classic glamour waves and flair," Simon tells Marie Claire. "With her gown being absolutely sublime, it was best to keep her hair demure yet whimsically free-flowing.”
To create the look, Simon relied on affordable, high-performance haircare brand Joice. (Translation: Zendaya's Old Hollywood hair is attainable with products from your favorite beauty supply store.) What's more, you can also achieve Zendaya's style at home, because Simon detailed exactly how he crafted the flirty, feminine look.
"Starting with clean damp hair, I mixed and emulsified Joico’s Dream Blowout and Defy Damage Protective Shield to create a protective barrier before shaping & styling the hair with T3 Hot rollers," the hairstylist says. He stresses that heat protection is a crucial first step, and that you'll thank yourself in the long run for taking the time to do it.
Then, he says, he released the rollers and subsequently "sparingly sprayed Joico’s Power Spray while pin-curling each curl to hold until completion. Once her hair was finished, I did a one-time finger run-through with Joico’s K-Pak Color Therapy Luster Lock Glossing Oil to maintain shine." The finishing step? "One distant spray of Joico Flip Turn Volumizing Finishing Spray to seal this look."
For an especially dramatic flair, opt for a diagonal, dramatic side part like Zendaya did. The move will have you feeling like a Hollywood star instantly.
