When Sabrina Carpenter hit the 2026 Grammy Awards stage with her high-energy, retro airline-themed rendition of “Manchild,” she needed glamorous high-performance hair that had firm hold while still retaining movement and bounce.
Carpenter's go-to hair pro, celebrity stylist Evanie Frausto, delivered with a cheeky throwback flip using products from Redken, for which Carpenter is a global brand ambassador.
“This is a retro flip bob, but done in a way that feels super luxe, not costumey,” Frausto says. “It’s controlled. It’s glossy. It has bounce. The ends are the moment — that soft, curved flip under that gives it that vintage stage energy.
“The hair has to feel set, but still touchable.”
Here is Frausto’s step-by-step breakdown for Carpenter’s “Manchild” flip:
- The prep is everything. We do not want this to be fluffy hair — I need it to have hold and polish. On damp hair, use Root Lifter Volumizing Spray at the roots, then apply Big Blowout through mid-lengths and ends. This combo gives lift at the scalp and that glossy, controlled curl through the lengths.
- Blow-dry like a set, not a blowout. This is where the look is made. Using a medium round brush, every section gets dried with tension. At the ends, I forced the curl under with the brush and heat, teaching the hair the shape now so I don’t have to fight it later. The crown gets lifted, but not teased, with root support.
- Lock in the flip with heat, very lightly. After the blow-dry, I go in with a 1” iron only on the ends. I don’t curl or don’t wave, but just kiss the ends under so the flip looks intentional and expensive, not pageanty.
- This is where the texture spray changes everything. Before detailing, I mist Dry Texture Spray very lightly. This breaks the hair up so it doesn’t look like a helmet. It gives that airy separation between pieces while keeping the set, feeling more modern instead of retro wig.
- Detail the fringe and sides. The front has that soft curl that frames her face and works with the hat. I use my hands and the brush to exaggerate that bend slightly, keeping it smooth and controlled. No frizz, no flyaways, just sculpted softness.
- Finish for stage, not salon. To hold the shape under lights and movement, apply Control Hairspray from a distance. Then I tap the ends with my fingers so they separate into pieces instead of one solid flip.
- The key to this look? If it’s too soft, it looks like a blowout. If it’s too stiff, it looks like a wig. You want that perfect middle where the ends curl under, the crown has lift, and the hair looks glossy, controlled, and touchable.