From the wolf cut to one-minute mullets, E-girl hair horns, and shag cuts, TikTok last led a lot of our ambitious, questionable, deceptively simple hair trends in the last year. Now – just in time for the holidays – a new beauty obsession has hit our FYPs: glittery tinsel-covered “fairy hair”. 

Reaching over 90 million views on the app, the trend consists of applying sparkly threads of tinsel throughout your hair – spaced similarly to Y2K colour highlights – for a subtle, glitter look. While the majority of TikToks see users opt for silver, gold, or rose gold to add brightness to the hair, the strands are available in most colours online.

Besides its popularity on the app however, the trend has been approved by a number of celebrities – including Beyoncé, who wore gold tinsel hair on the red carpet back in 2010 and Kacey Musgraves, who wore a tinsel ponytail for her New Orleans tour date in 2019.

Now, it seems the style is being easily replicated at home, with TikTokers tying tinsel into dry hair or clipping it into different sections like hair extensions. Fairy hair is also offered in professional salons across London, including Samantha Cusick London and Keash Braids. 

After applying, the strands can be cut to the same length as your hair and washed as per normal. In order to match different hair textures – the tinsel strands can be curled or waved with styling tools (just be sure to double check the packaging first!) – it can also be easily incorporated into braids, cornrows, and plaits. 

"The main thing to be careful of is brushing (your) hair really rough at your roots which you shouldn't do anyway. (My hairdresser) said they last about a month, but mine have been in all summer. I have around 200 in my hair right now,” explained TikToker @_maermaer.

Check out the fairy hair trend below.