On the Up and Up

I Need to Know What the Heck Is Going On Inside Nicole Kidman's Updo

How do you say “oomph” in Italian?
Nicole Kidman poses in a white dress against a red background
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It's no surprise that celebrities have hair benefits that the rest of us don't, like easier access to high-quality extensions and the hairstylists who are so adept at utilizing them. Stars like Nicole Kidman are adjacent to all the best styling secrets—and from the looks of her latest voluminous style, her hair may actually be full of secrets.

The Oscar winner is at the Venice Film Festival for her new movie, Babygirl, and on Friday, August 30, she attended a photocall wearing a black, low-cut Bottega Veneta midi dress with swirling shoulder details and dangling Roberto Coin earrings. And while her makeup look was sweet and simple, with soft pink gloss and blush and a hint of shimmer on her eyelids, her hair said, “This is my moment.”

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure what's going on here. Is it half-up? Fully up? Is this even a ponytail in any sense? From the side, we can see that her hair is tautly but not slickly pulled back, exploding into cascading waves that start a few inches above her crown and extend well down her back; if it were down it would easily reach her waist, suggesting that her go-to stylist, Adir Abergel, used some stunningly well-matched extensions.

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From the front, there's no hair tie—or any clear source of ponytail security—in sight. Instead, we see expertly teased strands distributed in different directions, looking like a fountain of billowing, blonde hair.

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Honestly, if Kidman's dress was white, I would think she's renewing her vows while in Venice—this hair is bridal inspo if I've ever seen it. But, as we've established, celebrities don't need a huge life event to justify a huge hair moment like this.


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