Euphoria Brought Back A ’90s Headband I Love — & One I Love To Hate

You don't have to be a fan of the show to know that makeup is the shining star of Euphoria. Head makeup artist Donni Davy is incredible and every single element — from Maddy's double-winged eyeliner to Cassie's bright-pink flush, a physical reflection of her slightly manic headspace — is both gorgeous to look at and purposeful. But what's been getting more and more attention in the early parts of the second season is the hair.

The second season premiere included Maddy (Alexa Demie) showing up at the New Year's Eve party with what can best be described as, the most uncomfortable headband of our collective youth: the stretch comb. Lead hair designer Kim Kimble shared a closeup of the hairstyle, that involves the plastic-tooth comb headband and stylised baby hairs.

While the hair comb hits on the huge Y2K vibe we're seeing play across hair trends right now, it doesn't tell the whole story. Further in the season, there's a much-more welcomed accessories trend introduced, also by Maddy, during the second episode: the classic '90s headband — this time, the soft, stretchy cotton kind. HBO recently posted a clip to TikTok with one fan commenting: "Maddie’s look here needed more screen time," and 10.4k liked in agreement. Her green bikini and side-tie coverup by Romé is good, but the wide black headband may be the most relatable accessory thus far in the season.

The comeback of the cloth or cotton headband also speaks to a larger trend taking place in our own homes, with the focus on ease, comfort, and simplicity over consistent heat styling. According to hairstylist Kindale Godbee, headbands allow some people to more easily style their natural hair. "What goes around comes around," she explains, speaking to the cyclical nature of beauty trends. "With hair, we are going back to our roots and embracing natural textures." Headbands or hair wraps are simply add-ons.

While there are moments for the blowout and curling wand — maybe on the weekends — many are opting for easier wash-and-go styles during the week. Or in our current state, wash-and-Zoom meeting.

According to Refinery29 Assistant Editor Nadia Ebrahim a classic cloth headband champions her easy Zoom-ready hairstyle — that's also protective. "Styling my natural hair takes a lot of time and effort, so having a wig has been really convenient," she explains. Her wig from Ali Express is a glueless wig with a headband attached. "It's all in one," Ebrahim adds. "So I just slick back my hair into a bun, swoop my baby hairs, put the wig on like a hat, and I'm good to go."

Pulling my own long hair back with my old-school stretchy headband — mine is tie-dyed and not black, an early COVID addition to my hair accessories collection — is definitely helping me feel more confident in my wavy air dry, covering my hairline cowlick and flyaways. It's a change of pace from my claw clip, and feels a little like Y2K for adults, which is kind of what Euphoria is all about.