Honestly, it felt like it would last forever. For over a thousand days, the world didn't see Ariana Grande’s natural dark curls. Instead, we got a steady stream of honey tones, platinum flashes, and that specific "champagne" hue that became her entire identity.
The Ariana Grande as a blonde era wasn't just a quick salon visit for a music video. It was a massive, high-stakes commitment that lasted from October 2022 until the final months of 2025. This wasn't just "hair." It was a metamorphosis.
Most people think she just wanted a change, but the reality is much more intense. She didn't just dye her hair to play Glinda in Wicked; she dyed it to become her.
The "Blondieversary" and the commitment to the bit
When Ariana first posted that side-profile selfie in 2022 with the caption "new earrings," the internet actually imploded. We’d seen her blonde before—remember the Sweetener era platinum or the 2018 Vogue cover?—but this felt different. It was warmer. It was softer.
The colorist behind the magic, Francesco De Chiara, had to take her hair from a deep, signature brunette to a Level 9 lift. That is no small feat for someone who has spent a decade in high, tight ponytails.
By October 2023, she was literally celebrating her "one-year blondieversary." She posted throwback snaps of the foils in her hair, tagging De Chiara and leaning into the fact that this was her life now. She even bleached her eyebrows. If you’ve ever tried to maintain bleached brows, you know that is a level of dedication that borders on extreme.
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Why she chose the "Champagne Blonde" over everything else
There was a lot of debate on Reddit and TikTok about whether this specific shade "washed her out." Critics pointed to her olive skin tone and suggested a cooler ash blonde would have been better.
But there was a specific reason for the warmth.
The production team for Wicked wasn't just looking at what looked good on a red carpet. They were looking at the 1939 Wizard of Oz. They wanted a nod to Billie Burke’s strawberry-tinted Glinda. De Chiara used a very specific Redken formula to get that pearly, buttery finish:
- The Base: Redken Blonde Idol Flash Lift.
- The Toning: A mix of Shades EQ 10N and 10VG.
This created a "creamy" look that could catch the light of the Oz sets without looking like a flat, plastic wig. Even though she did wear wigs during filming to protect her strands, she insisted on being blonde underneath. She told Vogue in 2024 that she needed the hair to "find Glinda." It was method acting, but for your hair follicles.
The toll of the bleach
Let's be real: three years of constant lifting is a nightmare for hair health. Ariana has been open in the past about the "Victorious" days, where red dye absolutely destroyed her natural texture.
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To keep her hair from literally falling out during the Wicked press tours, De Chiara used a strict regimen:
- K18 Professional Molecular Repair Mist before every single touch-up.
- Virtue Labs Restorative Treatment Mask for that silky, non-brittle finish.
- Constant glossing treatments to fight the brassiness.
Despite the high-end help, the maintenance was grueling. Fans noticed her hair looking thinner at times, sparking endless "hair health" threads. It's the price of the "pop star" life. You're basically trade-offing your cuticle health for a cultural moment.
The 2025 shift: Why she finally went back
The blonde era officially "ended" in October 2025. It wasn't a slow fade; it was a total reset.
Just weeks before the premiere of Wicked: For Good (Part 2), she dropped the mirror selfie we’d all been waiting for. Dark hair. Rich, chocolatey tones. The caption? "It's good to see me, isn't it? 🫧"
It was a meta-nod to Glinda’s first line in the movie, but it also felt like Ariana coming back to herself. In interviews with Entertainment Tonight, she explained that she wanted the first press tour to be "on-the-nose" Glinda—all pink, all blonde, all light.
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For the second movie, she wanted to show up as the actress who played her. She shifted to what she calls "Teddy Bear Brunette." It’s a softer, more multidimensional brown that feels mature. It signals that the Glinda chapter is closed, and the Eternal Sunshine tour era has truly begun.
What we can learn from the "Glinda Blonde" era
If you're thinking about following the Ariana Grande as a blonde blueprint, don't just walk into a salon and ask for bleach. This was a million-dollar transition.
The Takeaway Insights:
- Skin Tone is King: If you have olive undertones like Ariana, a "champagne" or "honey" blonde is safer than a "silver" blonde, which can make you look gray.
- Bond Builders are Non-Negotiable: If you aren't using K18 or Olaplex, your hair will not survive a three-year blonde stint.
- The Transition Out: When she went back to brunette, she didn't go "jet black." She went with a warm, auburn-tinged brown (Wella Professionals Color Touch 7/71) to ensure the transition didn't look harsh or "boxy."
The blonde years gave us some of the most iconic fashion moments of the 2020s, from the 2024 Met Gala to the custom pink gowns. But honestly? Seeing that high, dark ponytail back at the 2026 Golden Globes felt like a homecoming. Some things are just classics for a reason.
If you’re planning your own color transformation, start by assessing your hair's "porosity" rather than just the color. Bleach only looks good on hair that can still hold moisture. Otherwise, you’re just chasing a ghost of a trend.