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Courtesy of @sansungnails, @thecolornook, @jadeandpolished, and @heygreatnailsSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this story

It’s 2002, and you’re deciding between your pink-and-green butterfly top and your knit striped sweater for a trip to the mall with your friends. You ultimately go with the former, despite already having the winged insect clipped into your hair and bedazzled onto your low-rise jeans. After all, Britney Spears just proved at the Versace show in Milan that when it comes to butterflies, the sky’s the limit.

Fast forward to today, when we’re going all-in on nostalgic looks, and butterflies are floating across our feeds. According to Spate, a beauty trend-forecasting platform, people are on the hunt for butterfly nail inspo: There are 112,000 monthly searches for the design on Google, and 581,000 Instagram posts a week that feature the design. “It’s such a fresh and easy way to introduce the warmer season onto our nails,” says San Sung Kim, a nail artist and content creator in Los Angeles.

There were early signs on the runways that 2026 would be especially busy for the whimsical design. Valentino’s spring-summer collection from last October featured garden-inspired pieces, including a slip dress beaded with butterflies. In the same month, Bluemarine sent models down the runway in sheer tulle dresses scattered with colorful embroidered versions of the motif.

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Both collections used the butterfly motif to invoke fantasy and whimsy—feelings that Elle Gerstein, a nail artist in New York City, says people are looking for in nail art today. “I think there's a lot of emotion behind trends right now; everyone wants to feel,” says Gerstein, who notes that butterflies signify levity and transformation—a much-needed emergence and escape from the current heaviness in the world. These sentiments are reflected in how we’re wearing butterflies on our nails in 2026.

How we’re wearing butterfly nails in summer 2026

Back when Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera were walking red carpets in blingy butterfly crop tops, butterfly nail designs were graphic and on-the-nose—outlined in black or white polish and painted on a neon base. “It was very cartoon-y,” says Gerstein.

If you wanted a quick-and-easy manicure, then you’d pick up butterfly nail stickers from Claire’s and place them atop jelly nail polish. If you saw a professional for your nail art, you’d likely have the design hand-painted or airbrushed on, says Miss Pop, a nail artist in New York City. If glitter was involved, it was usually chunky.

Butterfly nails in 2026 are “incredibly detailed and intricate,” says Miss Pop. “We’re still drawing from the Y2K era; we just have better supplies.” She points to 3D silicone molds, iridescent cat-eye polishes, and reflective chrome powders.

Miss Pop recommends getting custom 3D butterflies using a silicone mold and a sparkly gel polish (namely the Salon Perfect One-Step Gel). “I put the gel in the butterfly-shaped silicone mold, then I scrape off the excess and cure it,” she explains. “The result is a beautiful, shimmering, colored-gel outline of a butterfly.”

Miss Pop applies that to the nail using a wet topcoat as glue, before curing the butterfly in place, then sealing the whole design with a glossy topcoat (the Zoya Ultra Glossy topcoat is her go-to). “It's a next-level version, but it really is just so chic to have that light and airy, beautiful outline,” she notes.

Miss Pop also likes to use a cat-eye base polish in a light shade, like the new Aprés Prismatic Gel Polishes in pearlescent white, an iridescent shade with silver and light-blue shimmer particles.

Don’t have a full nail art kit on hand? (We hear you.) Try nail art stickers that look hand-painted, like the Daily Charme 3D Embossed Butterfly Nail Stickers, which have a thin gold outline around each sticker for an ornate manicure effect.

You can also reach for a pack of press-ons. Our picks include the Olive & June Butterfly Mixed French Press-Ons, which have a pearly chrome finish, and the OPI Sticking Point Press-On Nails in the design Make My Art Flutter, a set with a butterfly-wing outline over a reflective gold base.

If you’re ready to give your nails the butterfly effect, keep scrolling to discover the most dazzling ways to wear butterfly nails this summer—including angelic, gilded-wing outlines, 3D cat-eye designs, and sparkling rhinestone patterns.

Butterfly nail inspo for summer 2026

Cat-eye butterfly nailsCourtesy of @heygreatnailsCourtesy of @littlekisskoCourtesy of @sansungnailsCourtesy of @heygreatnails

This angelic spin on the butterfly nail trend takes inspiration from Y2K sparkle, but instead of chunky glitter, these looks use the subtle, reflective shimmer from magnetic polish to create an otherworldly effect.

Kim says using cat-eye polish is especially impactful when creating fine-line butterfly designs, since it adds dimension to an otherwise minimal pattern. Kim uses a rose cat-eye polish from the Korean nail brand RozyHip; for a more widely available option, though, we love the DND 9D Cateye Glassball collection, featuring 12 slightly sheer and super glossy magnetic polishes, any of which would make a brilliant backdrop for a delicate butterfly-wing design.

3D butterfly nailsCourtesy of @sansungnailsCourtesy of @sansungnailsCourtesy of @sansungnailsCourtesy of @nailsby.tiff

Dial this dainty motif all the way up with bold and dramatic elements that jump off the nail. Whether it’s sparkling 3D gems or translucent gel accents, adding texture to your butterfly manicure is a great way to bring the trend into 2026. “It creates a super dramatic and gorgeous look,” says Miss Pop, adding that 3D accents add extra dimension to this design that “we couldn’t do before.”

But you might need a nail artist’s skills and finesse to pull off this look, and one technique that can prove less time-consuming is to lean on rhinestones, says Miss Pop. Suggest a butterfly design made purely with gels and appliqués—similar to the one above by Kim.

Framed butterfly nailsCourtesy of @nelza_dunCourtesy of @nail_art_by_mimiCourtesy of @nailswithsophiaCourtesy of @thecolornook and @jadeandpolished

For butterfly nails that look like pieces of vintage heirloom jewelry, consider adding gold outlines to your design. There are so many ways to approach this take on the butterfly motif: You can create, for instance, your butterflies with cat-eye polish, then add gilded edges for extra sparkle.

You can also create your outline in clear gel, apply a matte-gel topcoat, and cure the design in place. Then, using a nail sponge, apply a chrome powder over your nail art, like the Beetles Gel Polish Chrome Nail Powder, which leaves a beautiful reflective finish. “The matte topcoat helps isolate the chrome you’ll rub into the frame design,” Kathleen Tapanes, a nail artist in New York City, previously told Allure.

Jelly butterfly nailsCourtesy of @lana.lovesnailsCourtesy of @myuarnail

Product essentials for butterfly nails:

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Maniology

Mystic Woods: Leafy Feathers/Butterfly Wings Nail Stencil

$9

Mainology

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Daily Charme

Twinkle Twinkle Shaped Rhinestone Mix Pastel Iridescent Collection (4-Pack)

$48

Daily Charme

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Lost Angels

Y2K’d Me Press-ons

$20

Lost Angels

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Salon Perfect

One-Step Gel

$7

Salon Perfect

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Beetles

Gel Polish Chrome Nail Powder

$10 $8 (20% off)

Amazon

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Tadopro

6-Piece Silicone Nail Molds

$9

Amazon

$49 at Luna NectarSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this story

TL;DR:

• What it is: A bakuchiol-based serum
• What it does: Targets fine lines, firms skin, and smooths texture
• Who it’s for: Anyone with sensitive skin looking for retinol-like results

Not every face can tolerate the power of retinol, but most can appreciate its more sensitive, skin-friendly alternatives, like bakuchiol.

"Bakuchiol is an ingredient derived from the psoralea corylifolia plant, the ‘babchi’ plant,” cosmetic chemist Perry Romanowski previously told Allure. The ingredient “functions similar to a retinol, increasing cell turnover thereby stimulating collagen production and diminishing signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, skin laxity, and overall photodamage,” board-certified dermatologist Sejal Shah, MD, previously told Allure. “It’s also been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, as well as antibacterial properties.”

All this to say, it’s a powerhouse ingredient that doesn’t get enough credit. But in the Luna Nectar Futurize Botanical Retinol Alternative Boosting Serum, it’s the star of the show. So much so, even its name alludes to the standout ingredient. The elixir is also made with hydrating squalane and rosehip seed oils to add extra nourishment to skin while the fine line-fighting is going on.

Here’s how to use it: At night, after cleansing, pat three drops onto skin (forehead to neck), followed by moisturizer. And in case you need me to remind you, don’t forget to wear sunscreen the next morning!

The Luna Nectar Futurize Botanical Retinol Alternative Boosting Serum was in the June Allure Beauty Box.

GET THE BOX

Luna Nectar Futurize Botanical Retinol Alternative Boosting Serum

$49 at Luna Nectar$49 at Luna Nectar

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The New York Knicks may have lost to the San Antonio Spurs at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, but there were still plenty of highlights at the highly anticipated matchup—most notably a surprise appearance from New York's very own Cardi B, who took the court at Madison Square Garden to perform her songs “Bodak Yellow” and “Bodega Baddie” in inches upon inches of extra-long, sweeping dark hair.

If you thought Cardi was just there to cheer on the Knicks with her son Wave, well, you'd be wrong! She was there to watch, but she was also there to work! Cardi paired her super-fitted catsuit with nearly ankle-length hair parted precisely in the middle, styled as always by her longtime hairstylist Tokyo Stylez, who described the hairstyle as looking like “silk.” It was the perfect pick for a quick but very impactful performance (just over three minutes) and flowed dramatically behind Cardi as she strutted from her seat through a throng of dancers to the center of the floor. And when we say her hair was long, we mean it—it didn't end at her hip, her butt, or her knees, but hit right between her calf and ankle for extra drama.

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The rest of Cardi's beauty details were just as notable, including her equally long, bright white stiletto-shaped nails and matching white pedicure by nail artist Jenny Bui. Makeup artist Erika La' Pearl applied classic Cardi B glam: precise brows, long lashes, and a subtly shiny lip.

“Bodak Yellow” came out in 2017, skyrocketing Cardi to worldwide fame, and since then she's solidified her place as one of the biggest rap and beauty icons in the industry. She launched her hair-care brand, Grow-Good, this year—a project that was more than three years in the making—and continues to have so much fun with her beauty routine, whether that's with a denim-blue bob or a rainbow updo. The Knicks play the Spurs again on June 10, so we'll be keeping a very close eye on the celeb-studded front row for another Cardi cameo.

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There's a new member of the MAC Viva Glam family: Chappell Roan! The musician has officially joined a truly legendary lineup of stars who have fronted campaigns for MAC's philanthropic lipsticks, an effort that has raised over $545 million since 1994.

The Chappell Roan Viva Glam collection includes three lip colors: UnNatural Red Head, a dark cherry; Roan of Arc, a mid-toned plum lipstick-balm; and Damnsel, a sheer red-plum gloss with gold shimmer. The packaging features very Roan-esque crest with a sword and heart design, referencing some of the themes the Grammy winner has explored in her performances. (Roan has been a MAC Cosmetics ambassador since late 2025.)

Roan joined forces with her go-to makeup artist Andrew Dahling on the campaign, and Dahling described it as an “incredibly collaborative process” centered on a “multidimensional French Revolution story” featuring a few characters. “The archetypes really helped decide where to go. I’ve learned it’s helpful to invent a character and play from her," Dahling explained. "I thought about what Chappell Roan would look like during the French Revolution, or in a hyperbolic 1940s film as a romantic aristocratic empress. The key to connecting her visual identity was the use of color and glitters, a sort of modern, surreal Chappell Roan take on this era of makeup and its references.”

Roan was super hands-on in the process, designing her specific shades and packaging. “I wanted to do more of a bold color because that is my vibe,” the singer tells Allure. “I wanted the packaging to live in the world of Medieval, Art Nouveau. And I wanted to make a lipstick that matched my hair!”

Makeup is integral to the persona of “Chappell Roan” the pop star and a key part of the world the singer and her team create for every performance. “It is all intertwined, but I am really only wearing makeup when I am performing. When I wear makeup, it is 100 percent Chappell Roan,” she says. “However, the performing side of Chappell only makes up one third of my character. It’s the showmanship sliver that you see, but the rest is quite bare.”

The campaign was shot by photographers Inez & Vinoodh and directed by MAC Global Creative Director Nicola Formichetti. Given that lip products are Viva Glam's main focus, they play an important role in the imagery; Roan wears a combo of UnNatural Red Head and Lip Pencil in Vino in the photos, paired with a dramatic eye in shades of plum, gold, ruby, and turquoise, feathery lashes, pencil-thin brows, and tumbling red curls styled by Lacy Redway. “This campaign is meant to be inclusive and represent a different type of glamour,” Roan explains. “I hope the weird art kids and people who are down to be different, dramatic, and bold all see themselves reflected here but all are welcome.”

MAC CosmeticsMAC CosmeticsMAC Cosmetics

In addition to raising funds for charities that support sexual, gender, racial, and environmental equality, MAC is donating $300,000 to Roan's nonprofit, the Midwest Princess Project, and its LGBTQ+ partner organizations. With her campaign, Roan joins stars like RuPaul (the first Viva Glam campaign star!), Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Rosalía, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, and Missy Elliott, all of whom have posed in support of the initiative.

“I think [Viva Glam] represented people who weren’t afraid to associate themselves with something gay and something feminine, which are two things that are shamed in our society,” Roan shares. “Honestly, it's a lot to take in that I am a part of that legacy, and I feel a lot of responsibility to uphold what people expect but also to honor the people before me.”

Roan's Viva Glam collection launches June 11.

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If you're familiar with the sunscreen world—and you should be, considering we should all be wearing SPF every single day—you know that America is way behind in sunscreen innovation. This is in part because in the US, sunscreen is regulated as a drug rather than a cosmetic, which means it has to undergo robust testing via the Food & Drug Administration before hitting shelves. However, the FDA has finally approved a new active sunscreen ingredient (also called a filter), which is the first major sunscreen-related approval since 1999—yes, 1999!

On June 9, the administration added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted active ingredients for over-the-counter sunscreens. According to the FDA, bemotrizinol (or BEMT) “provides protection against both ultraviolet A and B rays and has low levels of absorption through the skin into the body.” Now that the approvals have been finalized, BEMT is considered to be Generally Recognized As Safe and Effective (GRASE) by the FDA and recommended for use on adults and children ages six months and older.

“The agency has historically moved too slowly in this area, leaving Americans with fewer options than consumers abroad. We’re continuing to modernize the regulation of sunscreen and other over-the-counter drug products,” FDA commissioner Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H., said in a December 2025 statement when the organization began the formal process toward approving BEMT. “Americans deserve timely access to the best safe, effective, and consumer-friendly, over-the-counter products available.”

Cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos previously wrote in Allure that chemists in the US have a “pretty limited toolbox” for sunscreen formulation: just 16 active sunscreen ingredients, only eight of which are commonly used. For comparison, in Japan, formulators can choose from more than 30 approved filters. According to Dobos, who attended the 2025 Sunscreen Symposium, BEMT is manufactured by DSM-Firmenich, which has been trying to get the ingredient approved in the US for 20 years; it cost them roughly $20 million to bring it to market.

BEMT approval gives cosmetic chemists another ingredient to add to their list, and Dobos praises it for its efficiency. BEMT provides “true broad-spectrum protection with two distinct absorption peaks, one in the UVA range and one in UVB,” she explains, which means better defense against both sunburns and aging rays. “Unlike older filters that often require high concentrations to achieve adequate SPF, BEMT allows chemists to use lower overall levels of actives while still meeting high SPF and UVA protection targets,” Dobos tells Allure. It may also improve the sunscreen experience: “We can make products with lighter texture and less greasiness in formulations. And, like other organic filters, it's transparent on the skin.”

The American Academy of Dermatologists is also very much on board with BEMT. “The academy has been advocating for many years for the availability of more sunscreen options for US consumers,” Susan C. Taylor, MD, FAAD, the immediate past president of the AAD, said in a statement last December, noting that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. “The United States lags behind many other countries that have nearly twice as many approved sunscreen ingredients.”

Now that BEMT is officially approved, you can expect to see sunscreens with the new filter hitting shelves this year. Allure has it on good authority that plenty of brands already have their formulas locked and loaded. Since BEMT is legal to use in other countries, companies were able to get a head start on testing elsewhere. Ultra Violette confirmed to Allure that they plan to launch a sunscreen with BEMT in the U.S. September. Neutrogena also plans to work with the new filter.

Dobos says she's “very excited” about putting BEMT to work in sunscreen formulations. “Many times in the past, I felt like Charlie Brown when Lucy pulls that football away just as he's about to attempt a kick, as progress would start and stall,” she says. “I've been following this my entire career.”

Illustration by Briana Rengifo; Source images: Getty ImagesSave StorySave this storySave StorySave this story

I do everything a reasonable person is supposed to do.

I meditate. I do breathwork. I show up at my weekly therapy appointments, even when I would rather sleep in. I take the SSRIs that my therapist, my former primary care physician, and I all agree I should take. I work out several days a week. I go for a walk every evening before dinner. And, despite applying for hundreds of jobs, I’ve been out of work for a year. The stress of being without a stable income and benefits has affected my well-being on a cellular level, and the protocols that are supposed to work do not—even though, by every measure of wellness culture, I am taking my own care seriously. Before I left DC to move in with friends in North Carolina, I spent every day on edge, wondering when someone would unlock the door and force me and my possessions out onto the curb.

I do everything a reasonable person is supposed to do. And now, for the first time in a decade, I want a cigarette. To get even more specific, I would kill for a Marlboro 27.

For the first time in a decade, I want a cigarette.

Cigarettes are the leading cause of preventable deaths in the US. While the long-term health effects of the occasional cig are tricky to track, we do know smoking even just one causes immediate damage to the body, and, of course, you run the risk of developing a really nasty habit. Despite this, they are having a cultural resurgence, and many writers have spent the last few months parsing out why. In The Cut, Xochitl Gonzalez made a melancholy case for smoking as a rebellion against the productivity-poisoned way we live now, a way of stepping outside our optimized matrix and engaging with another person for the length of a cigarette. In Allure, Gabriella Onessimo followed the smoking aesthetic into the makeup aisle, rightly clocking that the beauty industry is glamorizing a deadly addiction.

At my peak, I smoked half a pack on a mild day, though most were bad ones where I would have nearly the whole 20. When I quit, the effects were immediately noticeable. Within weeks, my skin was better, my resting heart rate was going down, and I could take deeper breaths. Quitting was one of the few unambiguously good decisions I have ever made about my own health, and I do not regret it. Still, the desire to smoke pops up. Most likely because addiction, even one I had a long time ago, has rewired the neural pathways in my brain a bit, but there’s also the intense stress I find myself under.

A class story lurks beneath this current wave of cigarette nostalgia, too. Why do Americans deal with stress by grabbing a $10 pack of cancer sticks from their local corner store? Even though fewer people are lighting up, smoking rates historically tick upward during and after catastrophes—as they did in 2020, after 9/11, and following Hurricane Katrina, when a percentage of former smokers relapsed, and current smokers started burning through more cigarettes. Even when calamities are more intimate, such as being unemployed for a long period of time, there is a higher risk of smoking, likely due to anxiety.

Stability remains among the best treatments for stress, but our current job market makes such a simple ask seem improbable. Fewer people are optimistic about finding work than they were during the pandemic—I’m one of them—and, last May, more than half of US workers said that job insecurity significantly affects their stress levels. It doesn’t help that the safety net is being actively dismantled. Health care is inaccessible to many. Significant cuts and restrictions to SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid will plunge more people further into poverty, a consequence of policy choices that are not focused on human well-being.

Stability remains among the best treatments for stress, but our current job market makes such a simple ask seem improbable.

So, the answer to why people smoke to cope with stress is straightforward: Cigarettes cost about $10.

Seconds after taking a pull, you’ll feel the calming effects of nicotine, and your stress will decrease for a moment. You will get that reprieve you are desperately craving. Your relief will mimic that photo of Ben Affleck, standing out front of a nondescript building, mouth agape, cigarette in hand, eyes closed, finally catching a break. There is no other intervention available to a stressed person that is that reliable, and the cigarette does not require you to work or volunteer to qualify for public assistance.

Or, at least, that’s the conclusion I came to once I caved and had one. I popped into a 7/11 on my block and bought some 27s. I stood on my balcony with the pack in my hands for a few minutes because I’ve written extensively about what I was about to do and decided to roll the dice anyway.

It was euphoric.

My eyes rolled back in my head, and I took a deep breath to get the smoke farther into my lungs. I held the fumes and the irony of taking a deep breath of cigarette smoke, something I’m only able to do because I quit in 2016, for a few seconds before blowing it out and going back in for another pull. My shoulders dropped, and I felt serene. In 10 seconds, the cigarette did what 12 months of intense wellness-ing hadn’t. Then, about halfway through it, I realized I was risking putting myself into a horrible cycle of addiction and put it out. After I woke up—the hit relaxed me so much I knocked out—I spent a few hours feeling guilty about it. But I’ve done everything a reasonable person is supposed to do.

In this economy, it simply wasn’t enough.

Collage: Ingrid Fowler; Source images: Getty; Dianna Mazzone; Jenny Walton; Diogo Parrinha; Getty; Getty.Save StorySave this storySave StorySave this story

Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter and Zendaya and Billie Eilish and Hailey Bieber all have at least two things in common: 1) They are famous. And 2) They can pull off a headscarf better than most. I’ll let the photos floating around the World Wide Web speak for themselves.

Pause there, then rewind to 1953: Roman Holiday premieres starring 24-year-old Audrey Hepburn. As she begins her rise to stardom, she frequently wraps her chocolate brown hair in a headscarf. 1970: Printed scarves—in colorful florals and punchy designs–crown Queen Elizabeth II from one royal engagement to the next. Fast-forward and the year is 1998: Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill repopularize scarves, swirling them around their hair on stage and off.

Then and now, the most elegant—and sometimes, the most mundane—squares of fabric have been spun (and tied) into a statement. Sometimes, the most extravagant materials can even take the shape of a headscarf. We witnessed this in 2014, when Adam Selman designed Rihanna a custom headpiece, dazzling with thousands of Swarovski crystals.

Rihanna dazzles in head-to-toe Swarovski crystals at the 2014 CFDA Awards.

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But let’s pause again. Because there was a distinct time—specifically the 18th century—when headscarves represented an extremely different status than “cool” or “stylish”: Headscarves were a symbol of servitude. Not a choice. Not a fashion statement. Headwraps were a requirement for slaves by their owners.

Decades later, Black culture began to embrace the style, day and night, and it evolved into a form of protection: “Would you ride your bike without a helmet? No. Would you go to sleep without wrapping your hair? Never. When it comes to maintaining hairstyles, retaining length, and preventing frizz, the noblest work is done at night,” former Allure editor Jihan Forbes wrote in 2018.

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Now, amid your morning scroll in 2026, chances are someone on your phone screen will be showing off their headscarf this summer. Posing…and voguing, because the accessory begs to be photographed. Maybe it’s Zendaya, who stops your scroll, hilariously posing for the camera at an independent bookstore with copies of Dune and The Odyssey, her bangs poking out of a casual blue bandana. Or it could very well be that you still have images of Beyoncé and Sabrina Carpenter saved from 2024—when the headscarf trend really started taking off—on your Pinterest board. (Not going to lie, we still think of Carpenter's look in her “Espresso” music video, complete with baby pink scarf, her curtain bangs peeking out just so). Or, perhaps, it’s your favorite content creator—Claudya Moreira, Jenny Walton, Tezza Barton, Jessica Skye, Amy Julliette Lefévr, and the list goes on (and on)—whose photo you have saved as inspiration because maybe…just maybe…you are finally convinced to wear the scarf that’s been sitting in a drawer, waiting patiently to be all tied up.

Sabrina Carpenter walks the runway at Vogue World in 2024

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Candidly, we still have Hailey Bieber’s Coachella look (you know, the one where she boldly layered a leopard-print scarf over a Fila baseball cap) stuck in our heads. The same is true about Ayo Edebiri (a.k.a. Chef Sydney “Syd” Adamu) in The Bear. Edebiri pairs her white coat with a new scarf episode after episode—and each look is fabulous. Uncommon it is not to see this hairstyle in the kitchen. But, uncommon it is for someone to have such an expansive collection of ridiculously gorgeous scarves. All were sourced by costume designer Courtney Wheeler—from Aimé Leon Dore, Fine and Dandy, a vintage shop in New York City, and eBay, among other places—who says the scarves were a practical accessory but also gave Syd "self-expression without her even speaking.”

Hairstylist and hair department head for The Bear Ally Vickers had runway images pinned on her mood board for Edebiri’s character: “I pulled a lot of inspiration from fashion shows in the ‘90s and 2000s,” she tells Allure. “Anna Sui, Calvin Klein, and Prada are my favorites for archival runways. The hair is chef’s kiss.” Yes, Chef! Yes, indeed.

Emilia Wickstead spring 2026

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Zimmerman spring 2026

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If you follow fashion week, you'll know Headscarves have been the accessory du jour of the past few seasons. At the spring/summer 2026 runway shows—at Calvin Klein, Emilia Wickstead, Zimmerman, and Giambattista Valli, to name a few—models could be spotted rocking the accessory. Bold prints, solid, splashy colors, and unexpected fabrics all made an appearance. While what’s on the runway doesn’t necessarily make it to street style, scarves have flooded the sidewalks.

For Claudya Moreira—a model, digital creator, and the self-proclaimed “Queen of Scarf”—a scarf is a “versatile accent” that she incorporates into her daily ensemble, no matter the occasion…or season. “My love for scarves runs deep and is rooted in my heritage,” she tells Allure. “Growing up in an environment where all the women wore scarves, I naturally embraced them as a part of my daily life and personal style. I inherited a cherished scarf from my grandmother, and everything our grandparents leave us is a blessing. Scarves are more than just accessories to me; they represent a connection to my past, a celebration of heritage, and a medium for artistic expression.”

Claudya Moreira, the self-proclaimed “Queen of Scarf,” photographed wearing her signature accessory.

Diogo Parrinha

You’ll see Moreira styled to perfection from head to toe (in a structured blazer or summery blouse or full-length gown on her Instagram) and just about every look is complete with a scarf in some form. “Each of these styles allows me to express my fashion sense while adding a touch of elegance to my outfits,” says Moreira, who has even designed a collection of scarves called Zafia Lisbon.

Creator Jenny Walton sees scarves as more than just a polished accessory: “I mainly end up wearing them when I’m having a bad hair day, which is often in the summer,” she tells Allure. “Or if my roots need to be redone and I don’t have time, a headscarf can prolong my hair appointment for a few weeks.” To be clear, you would never know that her vibrant matching Marimekko dress and scarf were hiding anything such as a “bad hair day.” Walton typically reaches for Hermès scarves and says their lightweight silky texture makes them easy to tie—and they actually stay on.

Jenny Walton pairs a Marimekko headscarf with striking sunnies.

Jenny Walton

Hairstylist Lacy Redway previously told Allure, “To secure the scarf, cross two pins behind your ears where they are not very visible.” Allure associate features director Dianna Mazzone Singh says this method has proven to be successful for her, especially with a little reinforcement from the arms of her sunglasses (as she has styled the look above).

Allure associate features director Dianna Mazzone Singh poses poolside in a caftan and headscarf.

Dianna Mazzone Singh

In her “30 Days, 30 Scarf Styles” series, Moreira shared a genius solution to avoid slippage, laying the scarf over her head (so one of the corners completely covers her face), sliding on thick black headband, and folding the scarf back over the headband to conceal it completely. Hairstylist Sunnie Brook also has a hidden support hack using bobby pins and some sneaky folding, which you can watch below.

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And on a windy day—or just to be certain your scarf isn't going anywhere—Vicker’s has another pro tip: “Leave a little hair out at the nape of your neck. Tie your scarf between the hair that you’ve left out and the bulk of your hair; then when you’re putting your hair into a ponytail you can secure all the hair into the same elastic,” she says. “You will still be able to see the bow of your scarf, but your hair will keep her locked in.”

It’s certainly one way to elevate your ponytail—or hairstyle of the day—and look effortlessly polished… no matter what lies beneath.

Shop our favorite headscarves:

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SilkySilky

Elegantly Designed Silk Printed Square Scarf

$30

Nordstrom

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The Peacock Crew

Premium Soft Cotton Bandanas

$13

Amazon

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For Love & Lemons

Rose Crochet Head Scarf

$69

Revolve

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Gunia Project

Lybid Silk Headscarf

$170

Gunia Project

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Reality TV. The beauty and fashion industries. Hollywood. Formula 1 racing? ICYMI, Kim Kardashian is now a fixture at Grand Prix races around the world thanks to her reported relationship with Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, and in true Kim fashion, she's bringing her beauty A-game to every race—including a very '90s hair accessory that looked right at home on the glamorous streets of Monaco.

Kardashian attended the Grand Prix of Monaco on June 7 to cheer on Hamilton, accompanied by her sister Khloé Kardashian, and instead of her signature long waves, she pulled her dark hair up in a messy twist and cinched it with the humble but currently trending claw clip. The clip itself was the exact same shade as her hair so it almost vanished into the hairstyle, creating a trompe l'oeil effect; depending on the angle, you couldn't even see it when you squinted! Kardashian left the front portions of her hair loose to frame her face with a romantic, easygoing energy.

The look was similar to the one she wore to watch the Super Bowl with Hamilton: simple but glamorous with a seductive softness. And a claw clip is also so practical; it's easy to pull your hair up and off your neck on a hot summer day! Kardashian finished off her race-day glam with soft rose-brown makeup and her favorite super-short nails manicured in a milky, ultra-subtle color.

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The star isn't the only one bringing retro hair accessories to the forefront this summer. Last week, Olivia Rodrigo—who was born in 2003, mind you—threw it way back with a simple but very nostalgic side-parted hairstyle secured with one statement-making bobby pin. You don’t have to be a celeb to mimic their hairstyles, either; claw clips are everywhere at the drugstore, and if you're anything like us, you've probably got dozens of bobby pins scattered around every corner of your home. It's gonna be an extremely '90s-hair summer!