In Los Angeles, Meghan Markle’s last red carpet was anything but trivial: arriving at the Fifteen Percent Pledge Fundraising Gala, the Duchess made everyone agree with an ultra-shiny sleek ballerina bun. A hairstyle that looked very simple, but precise.
Because if the Old Hollywood dress had its effect, it was this low bun, perfectly flat, which captured the lenses. Zero flyaways, almost mirror-like shine, clean lines: the dancer-style bun became a real beauty statement.
A sleek ballerina bun for the Fifteen Percent Pledge gala
On February 7, 2026, at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, the Duchess of Sussex arrived with a low, neat and flat bun, straight from classical dance. The smoothness hugged the skull without crushing it, the volume remained concentrated in a compact but lively bun, placed in the hollow of the neck.
Seen up close, nothing was fixed: the ultra-smooth surface retained a certain softness, far from the helmet effect. This balancing act has transformed the ballerina bun into the hairstyle reference of the moment, commented on well beyond the charity red carpet.
The perfect sleek, new hair signature of Meghan Markle
This beauty look extends her hair aesthetic, often described as: shiny, chic, but never too polished. Her hairdresser Jay Birmingham recently summed up this philosophy on the microphone by affirming that, a credo that the gala bun illustrates to perfection.
Here, modernity also comes from the design around the face. The frontal locks were smoothed then gently directed towards the back, which opens the features and immediately softens the result, far from the austerity sometimes associated with flat buns.
Express tutorial for reproducing Meghan Markle’s sleek ballerina bun
To achieve this glossy finish, it all starts in the shower: perfectly clean hair reflects light better. A gentle shampoo, ideally sulfate-free or enriched with argan oil, helps smooth the cuticle and limits frizz. On towel-dried hair, apply a light thermal protectant before blow-drying.
Drying is then done strand by strand, always directing the air flow towards the ends to maximize shine, then smoothing the lengths with an iron. For thick hair, a wide plate straightener passed slowly from root to tip guarantees a silky finish. A final breath of cold air locks in the straightened effect, just before collecting the hair in a low, neat and impeccably flat bun.
How is Meghan Markle’s sleek bun styled?
This is a low, neat, flat, ballet-inspired bun with zero flyaways and near-mirror shine.
Who designed Meghan Markle’s sleek hairstyle at the gala?
It’s her hairdresser Jay Birmingham, a fan of shiny hair and clean but easy-to-wear hairstyles.
How to recreate this glossy ballerina bun at home?
We start with a gentle shampoo, then a thermal protectant, blow-drying strand by strand, careful straightening and finally a low, neat and flat bun.
