Nicola Peltz stuns at Deauville with a half bun, the smartest hairstyle of the season
Choosing a hairstyle for an entire evening under the photographers’ flashes is a genuine puzzle: it can’t be too prim, nor too fragile. On the red carpet of the Deauville American Film Festival on 8 September, Nicola Peltz settled that dilemma with a half bun that drew every eye before she had even stepped through the doors of the premiere of The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.
On the Deauville red carpet, a hairstyle that makes all the difference
Alongside Brooklyn Beckham, eldest son of Victoria and David Beckham, the actress best known for her role in the series Bates Motel wore a white ruffled dress. Yet it was her hair that stole the show. Radiating warmth and adoration for each other on the Normandy coast, the couple turned heads, and Nicola Peltz’s half bun quickly became the evening’s most talked-about beauty moment.
Because this hair choice was anything but accidental. Rather than opting for a classic, tightly pinned chignon, the actress went for an alternative that is both chic and practical, one capable of holding its shape through an entire evening without losing an ounce of elegance.
The half bun: why it works so well for evenings out
The appeal of the half bun rests on a simple promise: combining the glamour of loose, flowing hair with the practicality of a structured style. By clearing the forehead and cheekbones with a small bun perched at the crown, this look enhances posture and draws attention to the face and makeup. Meanwhile, the remaining lengths fall freely over the shoulders, adding movement and lightness.
What a traditional chignon doesn’t always guarantee, the half bun delivers naturally. For one thing, it doesn’t pull on the scalp. For another, it doesn’t sag as the hours go by. As a result, from the first flash to the last, the style stays impeccable and comfortable. It’s precisely this dual advantage that explains its appeal, whether for back-to-school season or grand ceremonies.
What’s more, by perfectly framing the face, the half bun naturally enhances makeup and posture, two essential assets on any red carpet.
How to recreate Nicola Peltz’s look, step by step
The key to the result lies in the contrast between the neatly cleared upper face and the relaxed softness of the lengths left loose below. Here’s how to achieve it, based on what the actress wore in Deauville.
- Build texture: work through the lengths with a curling iron or a texturising spray to add volume and a gentle wave.
- Clear the face: gather the top section of the hair, from the arch of the brows to the crown, pulling it back smoothly.
- Form the bun: twist this half-ponytail into a loose, undone bun or a neater, more structured one depending on the finish you want.
- Secure the style: pin the bun in place with a few invisible pins and a spritz of hairspray to ensure it holds all night.
How structured the bun looks is entirely a matter of taste. A looser, undone bun gives a more romantic effect, while a tighter one reads as more graphic and polished. Either way, the principle remains the same: open up the face at the top, let the lengths breathe at the bottom.
A style that goes far beyond the red carpet
What makes the half bun particularly relevant right now is its versatility. As the source confirms, this hairstyle works just as well for back-to-school as it does for formal ceremonies. In other words, it isn’t confined to big occasions, it adapts to a wide range of contexts, from dressed-up everyday looks to black-tie galas.
On the Deauville red carpet, Nicola Peltz offered a convincing demonstration of exactly that. By choosing this half bun over a classic chignon, she proved that a hairstyle can be both practical and perfectly suited to the demands of a red carpet. Ultimately, it’s this ability to solve a real-world dilemma without sacrificing elegance that makes the half bun one of the most intelligent hairstyles of the moment.
