Beyoncé's Subtle Money Piece Highlights Stole the Show at Her First Performance in Years

After a four-year hiatus from live performances, it’s official: Queen Bey is back. On January 21, Beyoncé arrived in Dubai to perform at an invite-only concert. The show was pretty much the pinnacle of luxurious spectacles, full of violinists, gold crowns, and, obviously, fireworks. However, there was *one* element that you can actually apply to your everyday look: Bey’s subtle money piece highlights.

Although the concert was just about an hour long, Beyoncé had no shortage of looks that had an almost heavenly quality to them. Before the concert, the singer stepped onto the red carpet in a golden ensemble, which featured a sleeveless dress with a cutout at the bodice, a slit on either thigh, and a matching shawl. Her stylist, K.J. Moody, paired the look with a gold ring, gold clutch, and diamond drop earrings.

She first came onto the stage in an outfit that can only be described as “golden angel,” in a yellow dress with a bustier top, thigh slits, an asymmetrical feather train, and wings. Throughout the night, she wore a hot pink mini dress with matching opera gloves and an embellished corset, and a red bodysuit with a halo headpiece.

Her looks were downright otherwordly, but her simple yet captivating hairstyle is what carried her through the show. She wore her hair in tight waves that were parted down the middle and reach well below her waist. Her colorist, Neal Farinah, reveals on Instagram that her new highlights were a collab by himself and Beyoncé. The look features a dark brown color towards the back of Beyoncé’s head, with a subtle gradient towards the front strands of her hair, which are a light honey gold hue. 

Let’s get one thing straight: Bey didn’t invent the money piece trend—but she did perfect it. Typically, money piece highlights offer a stark difference between the individual lighter strands in the front and the darker pieces on the rest of the head, resulting in a color-blocked finish that Gen Z made a signature during the early pandemic. Bey, on the other hand, chose to blend the lighter front pieces into the rest of her hair, creating an elevated and wearable version for people who might not even know what a FYP is.

If you want a similar look, there are a few things to keep in mind when discussing with your colorist. First and foremost, show them a photo or two of your desired look so they know how much contrast you're going for. Also make sure your colorist knows exactly how you part your hair, and ensure you're on the same page on if you want your pop to have cool or warm tones. Laura Gibson, a celebrity colorist and RUSK Artistic Director previously told Byrdie that if you have lots of face-framing layers, some extra highlights along your nape may be necessary to make the colors all connect. "If you want soft but with pop, don’t make it thick at the root," she advises. "But for bold and loud, thick is a great choice at the root."

For a more natural look like Beyoncé's, Richy Kandasamy, a colorist and R+Co Collective member says to "ask for a weaved-in seamless or baby light money piece using a face-framing technique. That means natural root color and just a few seamless highlights around the face."