Actor and musician Halle Bailey stands just over five feet tall, but you'd never know it from her latest red carpet appearance. The Little Mermaid star put the power of hairstyling to work to give her a visual lift with an XXL ponytail that makes her look much taller than she actually is. (And the platform heels don't hurt, either.)

Bailey attended a Pandora New York Fashion Week event wearing her hair in a super high ponytail that played some very clever tricks on the eye. The pony itself was pulled up tightly right at the crown of Bailey's head and cinched tightly up top, with a few pieces of her hair wrapped around the base to disguise any elastics and pins. It's a simple style that still adds a ton of visual interest to Bailey's look, not to mention makes her look much taller than her 5'2" height. The pony wasn't just skyscraper height; it also flowed all the way down her shoulders, hitting just above her lower back. Ponytails, man — they really can do it all. There's a reason the humble ponytail is an absolute essential in any hairstylist's repertoire!

When paired with a black blazer dress and deep red lip, Bailey and her XXL pony were absolutely giving Janet Jackson circa the early '90s. "You can never go wrong with a red lip and a little black dress," the star wrote on Instagram, and she's right. Bailey paired the ponytail with a warm, subtly smoky eye and full lash, a flush of red blush and a perfectly precise lined rich red lip. The star's nails, too, were feeling the darkly romantic vibes of the season, filed into long almond shapes and painted with an autumnal burgundy-brown color tipped in black for an autumnal ombré effect. With that perky ponytail and seriously stunning lip color, Bailey is clearly ready for fall beauty to take over — and after seeing these pics, so am I.

More ponytails to inspire you:

• Kim Kardashian's Hairstylist Shares His Secrets to the "Snatched" Ponytail

• Gabrielle Union's Entire Family Wore Head-Turning Hairstyles to See Beyoncé in Concert

• Jennifer Lopez's Ponytail Is Long Enough to See Itself Become the Villain

Now, watch Halle's sister Chlöe try 9 new activities:

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Originally Appeared on Allure