This $16 Tool Kept Miley Cyrus’ Pony Shining On The Met Gala Red Carpet

If you’re looking for something beautiful, we’ve got you. Miley Cyrus just hit the Met Gala red carpet in a “sickening” custom Alaïa dress (her second custom look from the brand this year, the first at the Grammys), and while we could wax poetic on the look for hours, the hair is our main focus tonight. NYLON talked to her hairstylist Bob Recine, who used Nexxus products to get her flash-reflecting slick-back braided ponytail looking as shiny as a new penny.

Recine tells NYLON the inspiration started with the jacket-skirt combo: “We knew we wanted to extend the natural shape and beauty of the dress and transfer the same concept to her hair. It was important to ensure every little flyaway was held down, but the Nexxus Slick Stick made it very easy.” The theme of the night was “Tailored for You,” so it’s fitting that Miley wanted to embrace a slim, sleek ‘do while keeping the outfit similarly streamlined.

Miley had one of the more statuesque looks in the red carpet, embracing her inner supermodel with an emphasis on bare skin, leaving room for the hair to (literally) shine. As for hair inspirations? Recine says yes, top models were on their minds. “For tonight's look, we wanted to play into the dandy style — a tight, sculpted updo that highlights a structured part — that highlights the cheekbones and structural elements, similar to someone like Naomi Campbell.”

To embrace your inner Miley by way of Naomi by way of Alaïa, do as Bob did and prep the hair with Nexxus’ Humectress 20-in-1 spray for protection, then coat the hair in Nexxus’ Volume Medium Hold Mousse to protect those precious strands from the effects of such a severe pull-back. Bob topped it all off with a favorite of Lindsay Lohan’s, the Nexxus Slick Stick, to make sure not even a centimeter-long flyaway was visible. Mission accomplished, as the shine coming off her slick-back could be seen from several blocks away.