Pump Up Your Pixie with Tilda Swinton's Gravity-Defying Hairstyle

Tilda Swinton Hair
Tilda Swinton Hair

Angela Weiss/Getty Images

As evidenced by the various ways we've seen her wear her crop, Tilda Swinton certainly knows the power of the pixie well, and even manages to make that often awkward, in-between growth phase look chic. Case in point: The pompadour-esque 'do she wore to Variety's Actors on Actors event. "We needed a look that would be low-maintenance, yet feminine to suit the longer length of her hair now," her hairstylist Pamela Neal tells InStyle.

"We decided on a deep wave in front, and a tailored side and back." To create the look, Neal started with damp hair, and formed a deep side part. If you're unsure on where to divide your strands, use the arch of your eyebrow as a guide. "I blow-dried the sides smoothly to the back to meet at the nape, and held the sections in place with Serge Normant's Hairspray ($25; nordstrom.com)," she adds.

RELATED: Tilda Swinton Is the New Face of NARS

With Swinton's hair dry and smooth, Neal then picked up a set of small hot rollers to impart the volumized texture. "I placed the rollers through the front and top in two rows---one with all the rollers directed toward the face, and the other row away from the face," she says. Allow the rollers to cool completely to ensure the waves have set, then comb through using a bristle brush to break up the ringlets; On Swinton, Neal used a Mason Pearson brush ($105; nordstrom.com). "I gently nudged the waves into place with my fingers, and applied hairspray for extra hold," Neal adds.

PHOTOS: See Tilda Swinton's Best Looks Ever