Sarah Michelle Gellar is a ’90s icon in every sense of the phrase. Between her roles in Cruel Intentions, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, she’s forever etched into the Dot-com decade’s hall of fame — and the reboots of all three of those projects are further proof of her Hollywood staying power.
Earlier this week, she attended the premiere of the new I Know What You Did Last Summer remake — a reimagining of the 1997 film that helped launch her scream queen status. And once again, she proved that while she was a movie star mainstay in that decade, her style is truly timeless: The actor rocked a wavy, half-up hairstyle that was nostalgic as ever.
Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Half-Up Hair
Millennials probably remember trying to perfect their own version of the half-up, half-down look using a Conair crimper, but Gellar’s rendition of it was executed in a way fit for 2025.
For the premiere, celebrity hairstylist Justin Marjan brought the star’s look to life: waist-grazing blonde waves tied halfway up, parted in the middle with two face-framing tendrils in the front (another throwback touch). The final result was nostalgically ’90s, but also had a beachy aura to it, too — think high-fashion Aquamarine meets the cool older sister in a sitcom.
If the hair trends of the moment are telling you anything, it’s that polished looks that appear semi-effortless are all the rage right now.
How To Get The Look
Thankfully, Marjan shared exactly how she created Gellar’s hairstyle on her Instagram. First, she ran Tresemmè’s Lameller Gloss Cream Serum through the star’s strands before blowing them out with a round brush to achieve a smooth look.
Then, she went in with a wrist-flick flat iron technique to achieve undone, beachy waves — a more modern alternative to crimping. Once the whole head (including some matching blonde extensions) was waved, she pinned back two sections and smoothed them out using Tresemmès Workable Hairspray on a dense-bristled edge brush, keeping Gellar’s Millennial-beloved middle part intact with two face-framing pieces left outside of the pinned section.
For finishing touches, she went in with a small-barreled curling iron to add a few more waves and volume throughout.
Gellar paired her ‘do with a few more ’90s-approved details — a smoky eye, toasted mauve lip combo, neon orange pumps, and a sculptural mini dress covered in a butterfly wing motif. I know what Gellar is doing this summer… absolutely slaying.
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