Hair Gems Are the Hottest Y2K Hair Accessory of Summer

I’ve scrolled through just about every hair trend on TikTok — heatless sock curling and Tancho’s hair stick, included — but the latest trend I’m anxious to try? Sparkly hair gems. If you aren’t familiar with those, then you must not have been a ’90s baby like I am. Growing up, my tangerine-colored caboodle was filled with snap bracelets, Lancôme Juicy Tubes, and a hair gem bedazzler that my sisters and I stamped onto each other’s hair strands for middle school dances and roller rink birthday parties.

First I saw Sophie Murray apply rhinestones straight onto her blonde waves in a viral TikTok video that has over one million likes and counting. Then, I saw another one where Kirstye Elizabeth and her amber-red hair glisten with gems, courtesy of a similar pink, circle-shaped clamper. That was all it took for me to head straight to Amazon, in desperate need to purchase a set of my own just in time for Governor’s Ball. Unfortunately for me, the festival was days away and the Blinger Glam Collection was not on Amazon Prime. 

Disappointed that I wasn’t able to show off my blinged-out hair at the concert, I sad-girl scrolled the app. TikTok’s algorithm must have heard my cry, because it showed me a post by Katie Farhood, revealing a a do-it-yourself version. In fact, you don’t necessarily need the hair tool at all: just add some Got2b Glued Spiking Hair Glue to each rhinestone before sticking them onto hair strands. 

While Farhood did use a dotting tool to help with precision when applying, what I was most curious about what how well the gems lasted, and most importantly, what the removal process would be like. “I wore the look out to the club and they stayed put all night!” Farhood recalls in the clip. And to my surprise, the removal processes was also easy-breezy: Farhood said she just picked them off one-by-one, and finished with a quick hair rinse. 

If you aren’t in a huge hurry or want to try the nostalgia-inducing hair gems stamper, I’d recommend placing your order on Amazon for the Blinger Glam Collection now, as it shows a month’s wait time. But if you’re curious to try out the hair gem trend out via DIY, pickup some Got2b Glued Spiking Hair Glue and have at it.