Bookmark Adele’s Old Hollywood Updo For Your Next Black-Tie Wedding

On November 14, Adele was in the living rooms of what felt like virtually every single person alive. In a sweeping evening of (almost) live music and intimate conversation, Adele: One Night Only granted fans a sneak peek of what’s to come off the singer’s soon-to-be-released album and the chance to listen in on an in-depth discussion with Oprah about its subject matter. And really, the only thing as enchanting as Adele’s performance is the hair and makeup she wore for it. Adele’s glamorous French twist updo, coupled with her signature soft glam makeup style, only added to the event’s vintage-tinged appeal. Even in her deeply personal interview with Oprah, Adele’s hair and makeup were calibrated to help reflect the nature of the conversation — Adele quite literally lets her hair down, amplifying the candid feeling of the television special.

The glam was pure, classic Adele, who’s always steeped both her music and aesthetic in homages to a bygone era. While her makeup usually stays pretty consistent these days (sculpted contour, warm apricot cheeks, thick lashes, and winged eyeliner, with a matte lip), her blonde, highlighted hair gets more room to play. In the performance, it’s loosely pulled back into a tall, voluminous French twist bun, secured at the base of her head.

Of course, because Adele’s songs require so much emoting (there wasn’t dry eye anywhere in the house), the sculpted updo wasn’t fashioned too tight to allow for plenty of dramatic tendrils to dance around her face as she vocalized her hits. The Old Hollywood style was a beauty 180 from her sleek side part in the special's interview portion, too.

In the interview, Adele’s makeup is consistent as she opts for her go-to suite of bold brows and matte finishes, but her bouncy blowout is both relaxed and undeniably polished.

Anthony H. Nguyen, a top makeup artist also beloved by Adele’s A-list peers (Lizzo, Lil Nas X, and Dua Lipa, for instance), is behind the evening’s fresh-faced yet sultry performance and interview makeup looks. Hollywood-favorite hairstylist Sami Knight designed and created Adele’s polished hairstyles for the television events, and together, the two are responsible for the glam in Adele’s most talked-about moments of the 30 era — the “Easy On Me” music video and a breathtakingly intimate Rolling Stone spread to name just two examples.

As far as musical events go, Adele: One Night Only unsurprisingly numbered among the weekend’s best. And her glam might be among the year’s greatest looks — but considering Adele’s penchant for commanding headlines and upending records, it won’t be the last.

This article has been updated from its original version to correctly identify Adele’s hairstylist and makeup artist.