You’ve seen the photos. Maybe you were scrolling through the 2024 Governors Awards coverage or caught a still from the Nosferatu press tour. One thing is impossible to miss: Lily-Rose Depp isn’t hiding her forehead. While half of Hollywood is currently obsessed with "Birkin bangs" or face-framing layers to shorten the face, Lily-Rose is doing the opposite. She’s leaning into a high, prominent hairline that has sparked everything from "iPhone face" critiques to a genuine "forehead positivity" movement online.
Honestly, it’s refreshing.
For years, we’ve been told that a large forehead is something to "balance out" with volume or fringe. But Lily-Rose—daughter of Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp—is proof that what some call a flaw is actually a high-fashion hallmark. In 2026, the "egg-like physiognomy" (as some fans jokingly call it) isn't a detractor; it's the centerpiece of the French-girl aesthetic.
The Viral Debate: "iPhone Face" vs. 1830s Realism
When Lily-Rose was cast as Ellen Hutter in Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu, the internet did what it does best: it found something to argue about. Specifically, the "iPhone face" phenomenon. Critics on X (formerly Twitter) claimed her features looked "too modern" for a 19th-century gothic horror. They pointed to her high hairline and sharp bone structure as evidence of a 21st-century look that wouldn't fit the Victorian era.
They were wrong.
If you actually look at 19th-century portraiture, high foreheads were often seen as a sign of intelligence and aristocratic beauty. Fans quickly clapped back, noting that her "ashen look of despair" in the film felt more authentic to the 1830s than almost any other contemporary actress. Her hairline doesn't look like it belongs in a TikTok—it looks like it belongs in an oil painting.
Why Her Hairline Works (The Science of "Five-Head" Representation)
There’s a reason hairstylist Bryce Scarlett often pulls her hair back into taut, slicked-back buns rather than hiding her crown. A high hairline creates a longer vertical line on the face, which emphasizes her "doll-like" features.
- Cheekbone Accentuation: By exposing the full forehead, the focus shifts downward to those razor-sharp Paradis cheekbones.
- The "Doe-Eye" Effect: Without bangs crowding the brows, her heavy-lidded, smoky eyes have more "room" to stand out.
- Proportional Balance: Because she has a petite jawline and "pillowy" lips, the larger forehead prevents her face from looking too "crowded" or small.
Basically, if she had a low hairline, her features might actually look too heavy. The "five-head" provides the negative space that makes the rest of her face pop.
Breaking Down the 2026 "Forehead Positivity" Trend
It sounds silly, but it’s real. We’ve moved past the era of contouring everything into a "perfect" oval. On platforms like Reddit, the "Forehead Lobby" has claimed Lily-Rose as their patron saint. People who grew up insecure about their large foreheads are now ditching the "safety blanket" of curtain bangs.
One student recently told The Columbia Federalist that seeing Lily-Rose sport a slicked-back ponytail gave them the confidence to do the same. It’s about rejecting the idea that every face needs to be "corrected." Sometimes, the most striking thing about a person is the part they were told to hide.
How to Style a High Hairline Like Lily-Rose
If you have a similar hairline, stop trying to camouflage it. Lily-Rose’s red carpet history is basically a manual on how to own the space.
The 1940s "Siren" Wave
At the 2025 Oscars, Bryce Scarlett used a $7 bottle of TRESemmé mousse to create "Old Hollywood" volume inspired by Veronica Lake. The trick? A deep side part. One side covers part of the face—adding that "mystery" Scarlett talks about—while the other side is tucked behind the ear, fully exposing the temple. It’s asymmetrical, intentional, and incredibly chic.
The "Slicked-Back" Power Move
At the Governors Awards, she went for a bun so tight it looked like a facelift. While trolls said she "looked bald," fashion editors called it the look of the night. To pull this off without looking "harsh," her makeup artist Nina Park uses a "rich beige blonde" color strategy. The roots are slightly darker, which creates a soft shadow at the hairline, preventing it from looking too stark against the skin.
The Gothic Braid
During the Nosferatu tour, she frequently used two tiny, delicate braids at the very edge of her hairline. These act as "anchors." They don't hide the forehead, but they add texture right where the hair meets the skin, making the transition look deliberate and artistic.
The "French Girl" Reality Check
We need to talk about the "nepo baby" elephant in the room. Does Lily-Rose get away with a high hairline because she’s a Depp? Maybe a little. Beauty is subjective, and yes, she has the "face for it." But the takeaway shouldn't be that only models can have high foreheads.
The takeaway is that symmetry is boring.
In an era of AI-generated perfection and "Instagram face," Lily-Rose’s hairline is a reminder that "quirks" are what actually make a face memorable. Whether she’s being criticized for looking "too modern" or praised for her "Victorian" vibes, the conversation always comes back to her refusing to hide.
Actionable Tips for Owning Your Hairline
If you’ve been thinking about growing out your bangs or trying a slicked-back look, here is how to do it the Lily-Rose way:
- Invest in "Hair Makeup": If you’re self-conscious about a sparse hairline, use a root touch-up spray or a matte eyeshadow that matches your hair color to fill in the "corners" of your temples. This creates a clean, intentional shape.
- Focus on the Brows: When the forehead is exposed, the eyebrows become the "frame" of the face. Keep them groomed but fluffy. Lily-Rose’s brows are never too thin; they provide a strong horizontal line that balances the verticality of her forehead.
- The "Tuck" Method: Use a simple bobby pin—the kind that matches your hair color—to tuck one side of your hair back. It’s a 5-second trick that Lily-Rose and Elle Fanning have been using to add "instant elegance."
- Embrace the Shine: A high forehead reflects light. Use a glowy base (like Chanel Les Beiges) rather than a flat matte foundation. If the skin looks healthy and radiant, the forehead just looks like more of a good thing.
Stop looking at your hairline as a problem to be solved. Start looking at it as a feature to be highlighted. If it's good enough for the face of Chanel, it's definitely good enough for the rest of us.