10 Times Celebs Stunned On The Red Carpet With Their Curls

Hair trends come and go, but in every era, curls tend to leave their mark. Whether you have natural ringlets or are skilled with a curling wand, it's always a good time to wear a curly look to a formal event. If you're looking for inspo, there are plenty of celeb examples that show it being done well. 

In the '80s and '90s, curly styles were less about uniformity and structure, swapping that cohesiveness for body, height, and untamed aesthetics that became iconic for the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and the late Dolly Parton. But as the years went on, en-vogue curly hairdos became more intentional, with carefully styled ringlets falling strategically and held with gel and hairspray. By the 2020s, we started rocking the much more relaxed beachy S-wave look rather than the defined curls of earlier years. Both ends of the spectrum can look gorgeous, as the following celebrities demonstrate, and the one lesson we should take from them is that curls are just one part of a larger aesthetic story. Pairing them with your makeup and fashion is the key to a standout look that can't be beat.

Some celebs have naturally curly hair that they rarely let out to play, but many achieve curls with styling techniques that anyone can emulate at home. So it's time to learn once and for all how to curl your hair with a straightener — if you don't have natural curls or any other heat-styling tools at your disposal — because looks like these are worth the effort.

Kate Hudson landed on several worst-dressed lists for the dove-gray sparkly number she wore to the 2001 Oscars, but the "Song Sung Blue" actor has since defended the innovative look. Regardless of your thoughts on the outfit, there's no denying that these bouncy curls were gorgeous! The tight ringlets fell in a natural way, far from the more structured look that took over hair trends in the 2010s and 2020s, giving the 'do irresistible charm and character. It's clear that Hudson is one celebrity kid who inherited her mom's famous style!

Beyoncé's best known for her blond hair, but there have been certain points in her career when she's leaned more caramel and beyond. At the 2009 VMAs, the "Cowboy Carter" singer went for a multi-toned brown look, which she paired with long tight curls. Full of volume and yet so simple, this style was the perfect accompaniment to her striking red minidress. This event has since gone down in history, after Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift's winning speech for best female video. We're glad King B went for such a stunning hairdo on an unforgettable night!

The hair transformation of Rihanna proves that she's switched up her locks more times than we can count. Around 2010, she went through her red era in unison with the "Loud" album, and one of the standout looks from this time was the curly 'do she wore to the American Music Awards. Between the deep cherry-red hue and the corkscrew curls that sat around her head in a halo shape, the pop star and Fenty Beauty founder looked angelic. It wasn't one of the times that Rihanna went makeup-free, but she did look flawless.

Bixies give wearers the best of both worlds between pixies and bob cuts, and Zendaya reaped all the benefits at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards in March 2026. Her side-parted 'do featured voluminous curls falling over one side of her face, while the other side was slicked back behind her ear. This simple but powerful look worked beautifully with her statement floral dress by Eugene Alexander — definitely an underrated Zendaya outfit you may have missed — which we also spied on Carrie Bradshaw in the "Sex and the City" movie.

As her star has risen, Taylor Swift is another artist who has transformed her style over the years, especially since meeting husband Travis Kelce. She's come to be known for her bangs and waves, but at the 2022 AMAs, she went with more of a defined curl that stood out as one of her more glamorous red carpet hairstyles. With her signature fringe pinned to the side, Swift wore her golden locks over one shoulder, leading to a retro-inspired look that suited her bright-red lip. Without a doubt, this is one of Taylor Swift's best red carpet hairstyles.

Speaking of Carrie Bradshaw, no other TV character promoted chic curls quite like the "Sex and the City" lead. Even before she stepped into the iconic role, Sarah Jessica Parker was rocking natural-looking ringlets at the Oscars in 1995. With darker roots and a messy overall feel, the look was peak '90s in its relaxed vibes. While glossy brushed-out waves eventually became SJP's signature, her voluminous, bouncy ringlets made us fall in love with her style back during the early years of her career, and they certainly won us over to the Carrie Bradshaw fandom.

Next in '90s curly looks, we have Jennifer Lopez at the 1997 premiere of "Anaconda." She was yet to find her star power at this point, not having released any music of her own or worn statement Versace dresses to the Grammys, but Lopez was clearly still on top of the trends with these of-the-era curls, not to mention the vampy brown lipstick. Full of body and volume, the curly style should have been a hint that J.Lo would go on to nail hair trends in every decade. 

Throughout her glorious career, Dolly Parton went through several hair transformations, most notably from big to bigger. In 1989, she owned the red carpet at the premiere for "Steel Magnolias" wearing her iconic blond hair in teased '80s-style curls. Thanks to the height and the backcombed bangs, we wouldn't dream of placing this look in any other era, and no one else could pull it off quite like the country music legend, who passed away in August 2026.

Sabrina Carpenter has built her image on ultra-glamorous 1950s-inspired femininity, which includes retro pin curls. But at the Variety Power of Young Hollywood event in 2024, the "Manchild" singer went for a significantly more modern curly look (and it also happened to be one of Sabrina Carpenter's best makeup moments of 2024). Blending mermaid waves and romantic loose ringlets, the look was pulled back, leaving Carpenter's curtain bangs and face-framing layers in their curly perfection. With her darker roots, this laid-back style was a departure from Carpenter's pin-up-girl standard, but one we fell in love with.

There's only one thing we love more than seeing Lizzo with blond hair, and that's seeing Lizzo with long romantic curls. In 2026, the "Truth Hurts" artist attended the BET Awards with honey-blond hair featuring lengthy tight curls, so that she basically resembled the goddess in Sandro Botticelli's painting "The Birth of Venus." The Botticelli Renaissance-inspired hair trend took over in 2023, but based on Lizzo's take, we're not ready to say goodbye yet. Voluminous and romantic, this is a hairstyle that will complement your super curly hair, but you could also create the curls from scratch with a wand for a similar result.