Aside from being a two-time Grammy Award-winning artist and a talented singer-songwriter, another captivating aspect of Tems is her beautiful makeup, fashion, and hairstyle choices.
Tems’s most recent hairstyles seem to be taken from those posters plastered on hair salon walls years ago. There’s something very old-school, old Nollywood about them, but Tems adds her own spin, making them look incredibly chic.
Something I’ve noticed about Tems’s hairstyles is that she plays around with curly extensions, feed-in braids, stitch braids, and cornrows. This actually makes sense and makes changing her hairstyles super easy because it won’t take as much time as braiding a full head of hair would, given that she has to switch up her look often.
Perhaps we should start with her most viral hairstyle, which is this one she had on during her interview on The Jennifer Hudson Show in 2024, where she performed “Love Me JeJe”.
1. The Flipped Bob with Stitch Braid Accents
This look went completely viral, and it’s easy to see why. It’s an elegant, sleek style that has a 90s twist to it. Tems’s hair is primarily styled in a flipped-out bob (also known as a ‘flip’ or ‘kick-out’ curl) that sits just above her shoulders.
The front section is where the magic happens where few stitch braids (which look like very neat, flat cornrows) are braided into the hairline, leading back into the rest of the style.
The rest of her hair is pulled back, creating a half-up, half-down effect. The flip adds a gorgeous volume and bounce at the ends.
How It’s Achieved: The style uses weave or extensions for the main body of the hair, which is then heat-styled into the signature flip. The small cornrows or stitch braids at the front are created by braiding small sections of the natural hair and extensions right near the hairline before blending them into the longer hair.
2. The Slicked-Back Braid with Laid Edges
Tems brought the drama and glamour to the Met Gala with this stunning, high-fashion look. This hairstyle is super polished and sleek with precision. Her hair is perfectly pulled back into a single, long braid using an attachment.
The standout feature is the baby hair styled into a beautiful, circular design at her temples, which gives more personality to the otherwise simple, slicked-back look.
How It’s Achieved: This hairstyle requires a good amount of strong-hold gel and edge control to smooth the hair back. Extensions are then added and braided.
The most crucial part is carefully laying the edges (the baby hairs) with a brush and gel for that smooth, defined curl pattern. It’s a great hairstyle for showcasing statement earrings and keeping your face beautifully open.
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3. The Glamorous Boho French Curls
This is one of her most popular braided looks, seen on multiple occasions. This hairstyle is a variation of the classic box braid. The hair is braided with French curl hair extensions, and Boho curls are added to the braids and curled to create a stunning, voluminous, and slightly messy look.
The hair has a beautiful, natural-looking texture, with the loose curls flowing throughout the braids.
How It’s Achieved: You’ll have to use French curl hair extensions for the main braids themselves. The hair is then braided down a short length, and then a piece of the curly extension is tied/crocheted onto the braid and left to hang freely.
4. The Half-Up Cornrows with Loose Waves
This style is a mix of braids and loose hair, which Tems rocked at the Coldplay performance at Wembley Stadium and in a different colour variation in Marbella.
This versatile look features a half-up, half-down style. The top section of her hair is braided into straight-back cornrows for a neat, pulled-back effect. The rest of the hair is twisted rather than braided and follows the Shuku pattern.
How It’s Achieved: The front half of the hair (or natural hair combined with extensions) is braided neatly onto the scalp into a ponytail. Then, wavy/curly extensions are added as a leave-out.
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5. The Messy Braids and Beads from “Crazy Tings”
We’re throwing it back to 2021 with this hairstyle from her iconic “Crazy Tings” music video and promo images. It was a memorable look that set the tone for the hairstyles we see on Tems today.
The Look: This style features long, chunky box braids with a lot of movement and texture. The most distinctive feature is the use of different beads and cowrie shells strategically placed throughout the braids, especially at the ends. The look is styled to be a bit “undone” or messy bun to give it a raw, beautiful energy that truly suited the song’s vibe.
How It’s Achieved: Standard box braiding is done with extensions, but before sealing the ends, various beads, shells, or hair cuffs are threaded onto the hair. The braids are often dipped in hot water to seal them.
