Rihanna’s ‘Fairycore’ Hair Is Such An Ethereal Look For Her Big Comeback

This is not a drill: Rihanna is back! The star is not only set to perform the Super Bowl Halftime Show in early 2023, but she’s also releasing her first single in six years — “Lift Me Up”, out on October 28, which will be a part of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack. At last night’s Los Angeles premiere of the Marvel film, the singer and Fenty Beauty founder took the red carpet by storm in a sequin, strapless Rick Owens dress and dramatic opera gloves. Rihanna’s tousled waves and sultry makeup took the already-striking ensemble to the next level, reminding the world of her unyielding ability to serve breathtaking looks — as if anyone had forgotten.

To no one’s surprise, Rihanna’s longtime makeup artist (and Fenty’s global makeup artist) Priscilla Ono was responsible for the star’s shimmery, smoky look. Created using a slew of Fenty Beauty products, Ono matched the glitzy vibe of Rihanna’s gown by giving her a glittery eye look in similar olive tones along, with a baby cat-eye and fluttery lashes. Her lips were lined with a dark, brownish-red shade which contrasted with the light nude lipstick color — and prompted one of Ono’s followers to comment: “She’s dropping lip liners I see it, I feel it.” “The lip liner 👁,” wrote another.

Fans rarely see extra-long hair on Rihanna, but she decided to pull out all the stops for last night’s festivities (no complaints here). Her cascading waves were a joint effort by celebrity hairstylists Naphia White and Yusef Williams, who gave the star perfectly tousled texture and effortlessly chic face-framing pieces that sexily fall over one eye with a deep side-part. The style also featured the best hidden detail: delicate micro-cornrows braided on one side of her head, giving an intricate, ethereal effect to her entire look. Coupled with her glittering ear cuff, Rihanna looks like a glamorous woodland fairy — is “fairycore” here to replace mermaid waves forever?

Seeing as how Rihanna’s return to her entertainment career has only just begun, her glam team is probably chockfull of ideas and inspiration for upcoming looks — some of which might just center around exciting Fenty Beauty launches — from red carpet appearances to the coveted Super Bowl stage. Stay tuned — you’re bound to see a lot more gasp-inducing looks from Rihanna very soon.