Marie Claire
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Nice Talk
  • Style at Large
  • More
    • Politics
    • Career & Money
    • Health & Fitness
    • Power Play
    • Travel
    • Promo Codes
    • Food & Cocktails
    • About Us
    • Subscribe
    • Sex & Love
  • Newsletter SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Marie Claire
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    Want to add more newsletters?

    Marie Claire Daily

    Delivered daily

    Marie Claire Daily

    Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Sent weekly on Saturday

    Marie Claire Self Checkout

    Exclusive access to expert shopping and styling advice from Nikki Ogunnaike, Marie Claire's editor-in-chief.

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Once a week

    Maire Claire Face Forward

    Insider tips and recommendations for skin, hair, makeup, nails and more from Hannah Baxter, Marie Claire's beauty director.

    Livingetc

    Once a week

    Livingetc

    Your shortcut to the now and the next in contemporary home decoration, from designing a fashion-forward kitchen to decoding color schemes, and the latest interiors trends.

    Homes & Gardens

    Delivered Daily

    Homes & Gardens

    The ultimate interior design resource from the world's leading experts - discover inspiring decorating ideas, color scheming know-how, garden inspiration and shopping expertise.


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Cummerbund Belts
    • October Books
    • Janine Nabers
    • 2026 Beauty Awards
    • COS New Arrivals
    • VSFW
    1. Beauty

    I'll Be Copying Rihanna’s Easy, Half-Up Hairstyle All Summer Long

    A laid-back take on the French twist.

    Ariel Wilson's avatar
    By Ariel Wilson
    Published 22 May 2025 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Rihanna wearing a white shirty, diamond chocker, and an updo hairstyle.
    (Image credit: Getty Images)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Rihanna is many things to me. Caribbean excellence. Genius beauty brand founder. Fashionista extraordinaire. Today, however, she’s my easy summer hairstyle inspiration. On May 21, the entrepreneur was photographed shopping in France, where she’s been attending the annual Cannes Film Festival.

    The singer wore cat-eye sunglasses and a black sweater while visiting a local boutique. My favorite part of her look? The laid-back, half-up, half-down hairstyle, which is perfect for a European getaway. Rihanna’s hair was first separated into two sections thanks to a horizontal part, with the top portion being sectioned off into a ponytail. That portion was then wrapped into a loose bun, with a few curls sprinkled throughout. The bottom portion of her hair was left out, and her edges were slicked down, creating an elevated version of a simple everyday hairstyle.

    Rihanna wearing a half up half down hairstyle, cat eye sunglasses, and a black sweater.

    Rihanna is seen shopping in Messika boutique during day nine of the 78th Cannes Film Festival.

    (Image credit: Getty Images)

    Updos and middle parts have been ruling the red carpets in Cannes (in fact, Rihanna wore a French twist variation just yesterday), so it’s a breath of fresh air to see an A-list celebrity in a look that’s so easily achievable at home. That being said, half-up, half-down hairstyles can also easily be dressed up for more formal events like graduations, weddings, or even galas. They’re also incredibly simple to recreate.

    So keep reading to see the products I recommend to get Rihanna’s exact hairstyle.

    The Controlling Type Hair-Thickening Edge Control Gel

    Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
    The Controlling Type Hair-Thickening Edge Control Gel
    $18
    $18 AT SEPHORA

    Given that she's also the founder of Fenty Beauty's hair-care sister brand, I have a strong feeling that those perfect edges are courtesy of this edge control gel.

    Amazon Basics Bobby Pins, Black Hair Pins for All Hair Types, 48 Count

    Amazon Basics
    Bobby Pins, Black Hair Pins for All Hair Types, 48 Count
    $4
    $4 ON AMAZON

    Those cute little pieces sticking out from the bun are likely courtesy of a few well-placed bobby pins keeping them in place.

    Musk Therapy Hair Perfume

    Initio Parfums Privés
    Musk Therapy Hair Perfume
    $95
    $95 AT BLUE MERCURY

    Rihanna's well-known for smelling incredible so I can only assume that she wears hair perfume. This one from Initio comes in one of my all-time favorite clean-smelling scents, Musk Therapy.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
    Explore More
    Rihanna
    Ariel Wilson
    Ariel Wilson
    Social Links Navigation
    Beauty Writer

    Ariel Wilson is the Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. Previously the associate beauty editor at PS, she also has bylines in InStyle, Forbes Vetted, Women's Health, and more.

    Shaped by her experience in research, social sciences, and the non-profit sector, Ariel enjoys looking at beauty from a sociocultural lens, looking to avenues like politics, culture, and the arts, to inform her views on the space. That being said, as a true beauty-product obsessive, testing the latest items to hit the market, keeping up with trends, and meeting industry icons, will always be her favorite part of working in the beauty space.

    When she's not working, Ariel can be found hanging out with her husband and loving on their two cat daughters: Cow and Chicken.

    Read more
    Rihanna wore the peekaboo bra trend with a pinstripe suit and a bedazzled Dior bag at Céline Dion's concert in Paris
    Celebrity Style Rihanna Pairs the Peekaboo Bra Trend With a Dior Bag for Céline Dion's Show
    By Meguire Hennes
    a collage of three stylish women with updos at paris fashion week
    Beauty Paris Fashion Week Proves This Controversial Lip Color Is Due for a Comeback Discover the best hair and makeup street style looks.
    By Hannah Baxter
     
     
    collage of nyfw beauty trends on a green background
    Beauty Per NYFW, We're Ditching Our Hair Parts and Going All Out With Eyeliner Consider this the official beauty trend report.
    By Samantha Holender
    Hailey Bieber brought the jeans-and-leather-jacket uniform to Paris Fashion Week in Magda Butrym
    Celebrity Style Hailey Bieber's Latest Look Is French-Girl Dressing with an American Twist
    By Meguire Hennes
     
     
    Latest in Beauty
    woman in red cashmere sweater on a cashmere background next to a cashmere perfume
    Fragrance Why Do We All Want to Smell Like a $600 Sweater?
    A woman with pale skin and a red lip wearing an updo. She is next to three beauty products and tools.
    Beauty Thank You, Amazon, for Enabling My Beauty Shopping Addiction With Your Sale Section
     
     
    a watery green background with a woman with gray hair and two bottles of shampoo for gray hair
    Hair I've Had Gray Hair Since My 20s—This Is the Only Shampoo I'll Use
    le labo papyrus 20 candle on a library background
    Fragrance I’ve Never Had So Many People Ask How My Apartment Smells So Good
     
     
    Latest in News
    Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson wearing black dresses on a red carpet
    Royals Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson are No Longer a "Tripod"
    Jennifer Lawrence wore a velvet scarf, a white coat, jeans, and furry flip-flops to a concert in NYC
    Celebrity Style Freaky Furry Flip-Flops Shouldn't Work With Jennifer Lawrence's Layered Fall Look—But They Do
     
     
    Prince Harry meeting fans with his arm around Meghan
    Royals Harry and Meghan's Latest Event Feels "At Odds" With Security Fears, Says Editor
    Hailey Bieber attended the WYouth launch party in a metallic Chanel jacket and jeans
    Celebrity Style Hailey Bieber's Chanel Jacket and Jeans Prove Chainmail Is the New Leather
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Marie Claire
    RSS
    • About us
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Advertise Online
    • Newsletter
    • Terms and conditions
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • Careers
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.