Only Rihanna Could Single-Handedly Bring The ‘Bump-It’ Pouf Back To Life

When you’re a beauty tastemaker on Rihanna’s level, a visit back into the archives is always cause for celebration. Even forward-facing visionaries need to look to the past sometimes — and while the ‘00s were definitely full of questionable beauty trends, plenty of them are as exciting in 2022 as they were in their heyday. Just look at Rihanna’s hair pouf, spotted at beau A$AP Rocky’s birthday party. Back in the day, larger than life poufs adorned everyone from Snooki to Beyoncé — and an early-career Rih definitely got in on the fun in the early- and mid-aughts.

Really, the poufs could fall into two distinct categories: those that concentrate the volume in the front, and those that maximize it at the crown. On Monday evening, Rihanna opted for the latter, stepping out with a short, curled-under cut complete with tons of volume at the crown and some equally-’00s side-bangs. The effect isn’t at all throwback-ish, though — thanks to a few brilliant touches and her incomparable poise, Rihanna’s take on the Bump-It puff feels distinctly modern and trendy. Don’t be surprised if the infomercial classic starts making the rounds on every stylish star once again — Rihana’s impact really is just that major.

The Bump-It sighting comes amid a flurry of public appearances from the power couple, all of which feature at least one noteworthy beauty moment. Just last week, Rihanna’s lip gloss and liner combo proved itself the be the ultimate party look, while her side-bangs — spotted a few times since the birth of her first child — have been teasing her aughts obsession for ages now. This latest look, though, might be the most overtly “retro” in a while. While it’s unclear if Rihanna is actually wearing a Bump-It-style tool to keep the hair tall and rounded or if her stylist simply teased the layers beneath, but the effect is all the same. It’s the relaxed way to do a full-on bouffant, and it flows even better with her side-bangs and curled-under ends framing her face.

To get the look at home, there’s no actual Bump-It required. Part your hair into layers at the crown and using a teasing brush, gently back-comb all but the top layer and spritz some hairspray to keep it up. Brush the top layer over the teased tangles and secure with another blast of hairspray. For a more hair health-friendly version, cut a hair donut in half (you know, those round, sponge-like things used to make ballerina buns) and secure it under a top layer with bobby pins. Brush that outermost layer over it and lock it all in with a bit of hairspray. The higher the hair, the closer to Rihanna.

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