Kacey Musgraves Brought the Kiss Curl Agenda to the Academy of Country Music Awards
This retro look is so back.
If you needed more evidence that the kiss curl is officially back in style, just take a look at Kacey Musgraves's most recent awards show glam.
The Middle of Nowhere singer joined dozens of her fellow country stars in attending the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas over the weekend. Before taking the stage during the ceremony to perform a song from her new album, Musgraves hit the red carpet wearing a strapless black gown with white floral embellishments and black pumps. Her glam for the night felt like a nod to Old Hollywood. Adding a pop of color to her nearly all-black ensemble, she wore a creamy, classic red lip color and lined her lips with a deeper burgundy or brown pencil. Her long, dark hair was also lightly curled and styled with a side part and a small section of her curtain bangs brushed up into a kiss curl just above her brows.
Kacey Musgraves wears a dramatic kiss curl at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards.
The return of the kiss curl and other Old Hollywood era hairstyles on the red carpet circuit has been delightful to witness over the last year. The dramatic swooping hairstyle in particular was all over the red carpet at last spring's Met Gala, and even a year later, it continues to pop up as a style of choice at formal events and premieres. Abbott Elementary creator Quinta Brunson wore a short pixie cut with dramatic curls while attending a Disney event back in April, and before that, Zendaya showed up at the Los Angeles premiere of The Drama with her new bixie cut blown out and styled with a side part and two sleek curls on either side of her face.
To copy Kacey Musgraves's retro look at home, read ahead to shop everything you'll need.
Get glamorous curls with a traditional curling iron.
A lightweight oil will give your hair a glossy finish.
To avoid damage from extreme temperatures, curl your hair with hot rollers.
Add some texture and volume to your hair with a hairspray.
Use a fine-toothed comb to sweep your curl into place.
