5 Wild and Lust-Worthy Hair Moments from the VMAs

by Jessica Galliart | August 26, 2013 | Bookmark +

Ellie Goulding

Twitter was abuzz over the pop star's super sharp outfit -- literally, there are spikes -- but her overall beauty and hair look were also noteworthy. Styled by Sarah Potempa, Ellie's hair has grown in beautifully from her side-shaven days and was practically glowing, mussed up just enough to maintain that rocker edge she's known for.

Fun fact: About that side shave Ellie rocked in 2012? It's oft-referred to as the "Skrillex cut," who Ellie was dating at the time, and she insists she "had it bloody first." She also has some amazing thoughts on trend haircuts.

Katy Perry

Before donning some performance-appropriate french braids at the end of the show, Katy rocked a polished, high ponytail with mega-shine and lots of length, styled by Jen Atkin. She was wearing a multicolored grill at one point, huh?

Fun fact: Katy Perry has been coloring her hair "black" since she was 15 years old: "I chopped it all off, I had it bleach blonde ... and it just didn't look right. So I bought a box of color, went black and have never gone back." More from Katy on her beauty and hair routines from her Vogue photo shoot.

Taylor Swift

She's definitely not 15 anymore -- T. Swift ditched her ponytails of late and went with a vintage pin curl, faux bob look to pair with her navy evening gown, soliciting mega-points from style squads for her ever-maturing looks and grace on the red carpet.

Style tips: Volumizer, a half-inch curling iron and lots of pins -- follow this step-by-step guide to recreate a Naomi Watt's elegant faux bob, strikingly similar to Taylor's.

Nervo

Mim Nervo, half of the DJ duo currently featured in CoverGirl spots, is tough to miss with her always on-point, delightfully sky-high style on red carpets. "I love playing around with hair--it's so great because you can cut it and it just grows back. I like having short hair. Believe it or not, it's just easier. Less maintenance," she told Sophisticate's.

Style tips: Teasing. Lots of it. Mim often does her own hair on the road by loading up on mega-freeze hairspray and working the comb. Check out Refinery29's behind-the-scenes shadowing of the ladies during prep time.

Lady Gaga's hair changes

What can we say? We love to watch Gaga's love affair with hair unfold before our eyes. For her first big appearance and performance back in months, Gaga changed up her hair four times (at least, depending on if you count her white head prop) and settled on a super-voluminous, auburn look.

The transformation:

From yellow wig...