Amber Heard Magic Mike UK Premiere Braid

Nose, Ear, Mouth, Lip, Hairstyle, Eye, Chin, Forehead, Eyebrow, Eyelash,

(Image credit: gitty)

published 1 July 2015

Out of all the gifts Magic Mike XXL has bestowed upon us—Channing Tatum's Pinterest habit, Matt Bomer serenading Andie MacDowell like an angel sent from CrossFit heaven—Amber Heard's on-theme XXL braid at Tuesday's UK premiere has to be the greatest. I will not apologize for that statement.

Worn with a graphic slash of black shadow and a high-collared gown that somehow still managed to expose sideboob, The Fishtail to End All Fishtails made the most of Mrs. Johnny Depp's abundant waves, which we last saw tossed to one side à la Jerry Hall. Here is the breathtaking back view:

Back, Liver, Brown hair, Coquelicot, Knot, Red hair, Strap,

I don't know what (exact) sorcery was involved, but Heard's hair wizard seems to have gathered the front into a loose bouffant, herringbone-plaited the lengths, then pinned them up to make a crown. See how Hair Merlin left the mussed-up texture and sticky-outty bits? I'm betting he even used his hands/the Elder Wand to add more flyaways when he was done.

And this, friends, is where we're heading in the world of evening hair, red carpet or otherwise: purposefully messy to contrast the capital-F fashion, yet romantic enough for a Keira Knightley vehicle—or a movie about male strippers.

Chelsea Peng is a writer and editor who was formerly the assistant editor at MarieClaire.com. She's also worked for The Strategist and Refinery29, and is a graduate of Northwestern University. On her tombstone, she would like a GIF of herself that's better than the one that already exists on the Internet and a free fro-yo machine. Besides frozen dairy products, she's into pirates, carbs, Balzac, and snacking so hard she has to go lie down.