Teyana Taylor's Pixie Cut Is Still Perfect

a black woman with short, dark hair poses on the oscars red carpet — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sometimes I think it's too bad that there's no award category for Best Red Carpet Glam. If there was, I'm convinced Teyana Taylor would have that one in the bag already.

The actress and singer is nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 2026 Oscars tonight for her role as Perfidia Beverly Hills in Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another. It's her first time ever being nominated for an Academy Award, and given the significance of the night (and her track record for becoming a headline just by merely touching a red carpet), I already knew she'd show up in stunning glam that I'll likely be thinking about for the rest of the night.

Taylor made her entrance in a Chanel naked gown that was embellished with crystals and feathers and featured a sheer bodice. As to be expected, she wore her signature eye makeup look, which is a dramatic, black cat eye along with a '90s-style supermodel lip. Her hair for the night was styled by her longtime hairstylist, Nikki Nelms, who added tiny, feathery curls to her pixie cut and made her look like a literal angel on Earth.

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teyana taylor poses on the red carpet at the oscars — Teyana Taylor arrives at the 98th Academy Awards.

Cropped cuts follow closely behind the bob as what hair experts are predicting will be the most requested hairstyles this spring. "The edgy pixie is back with more contrast—shorter sides, length on top, and a strong shape that feels confident and modern,” hairstylist and The Salon Project founder, Joel Warren, previously told MC. The pixie cut is modern and trendy, yes, but the good news is that maintaining one isn't actually that difficult. If you're considering shedding some length and showing a photo of Taylor's whimsical pixie cut to your hairstylist at your next appointment, read ahead for some styling tips.

ghd

Thin Wand 0.5" Curling Wand

A mini curling iron is incredibly useful when curling and styling very short haircuts.

SheaMoisture

Silk Press in a Bottle

Prep your hair with a styling cream that also provides heat protection.

Dyson

Chitosan Pre-Styling Hair Cream for Flexible Hold

Lock in heat-styled hair and ensure your curls keep their shape with this soft styling cream.

Lottabody

Wrap Me Foaming Curl Mousse With Coconut and Shea Oil

You can also use a foaming mousse to sculpt the hair and create waves without using heat.

Kenra Professional

Perfect Medium Hold Hairspray 13

Finish off with a hairspray that'll add some extra hold.

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Danielle Jackson is the senior beauty writer at Marie Claire. She has nearly a decade of experience covering beauty, lifestyle, and entertainment and was previously the senior beauty editor at Women's Health, where she thoughtfully covered topics related to skincare, haircare, aesthetics, and wellness. Before that, she spent three years as an assistant beauty editor at PS, and in the years since, her work has appeared in titles like Vogue, InStyle, Glamour, and more. Danielle graduated from the University of Georgia with a BA in English, and has lived in Brooklyn for almost ten years. When she's not writing, you can find her reading romance novels and talking about sunscreen. You can find her on Instagram @danielleknecole.