Teyana Taylor Gave Her Pixie Cut the Mullet Treatment
A lesson on how to get past the awkward grow-out phase.
Teyana Taylor has inadvertently done some great PR for the pixie cut over the last year, as she's found a way to style the cropped cut in more ways than I ever thought was possible. During awards season, she frequently wore her short hair with fluffy curls, but earlier this week, she decided to give it a grungier upgrade with a mullet.
Taylor performed at the American Music Awards on Monday night, but before hitting the stage, she walked the red carpet in a strapless purple gown from Balenciaga that featured a ruched bodice, a low-cut back, and a thigh-high slit on one side. She wore her go-to siren eye makeup look and added purple eyeliner to her waterline to match the dress.
As for her hair, the singer's signature hairstyle has been a pixie cut for as long as I can remember, but she decided to go in a slightly different direction for the night, keeping her cut short but styling it in a glossy mullet with light waves. Her hair was styled to look slightly wet and her roots were lifted to give her hair an extra bit of volume, and the bottom layer of the mullet was given the tiniest flipped-out curl.
Teyana Taylor wears a glossy mullet to the 2026 American Music Awards.
Wet hair was all over the red carpet at Monday night's ceremony. Karol G showed up wearing glossy waves while singer Tinashe styled her hair in a straight wet style with bangs. Bebe Rexha also joined the wet hair club with a blonde hydro bob.
Similarly, mullet hairstyles have been having a moment of their own this year, particularly on short hair. Earlier this spring, for example, Emma Chamberlain made an appearance on The Tonight Show wearing a baby mullet. It seems like a perfect transition hairstyle to wear when your pixie cut is in the awkward grown-out phase. “The edgy pixie is back with more contrast—shorter sides, length on top, and a strong shape that feels confident and modern,” hairstylist Joel Warren previously told MC.
Short mullets and edgy cuts are suitable for most face shapes, but they're also a lot easier to style than you'd probably expect. Read ahead to get the look.
Use a smoothing cream to hydrate the hair and give yourself a frizz-free finish.
Add curls or a light flip to the ends of your hair with a curling iron that has a slim barrel.
Add a few spritzes of an oil mist for some extra shine.
Style your baby hairs with a gel that won't dry out your hair.
A mini edge brush with soft bristles will help you style your fragile baby hairs without being too rough on them.
