Honestly, if you close your eyes and think of Ellie Goulding, you probably see a cloud of platinum. It’s been her "thing" since the Lights era back in 2010. But then, things got weird for a second. In late 2022, she basically vanished the blonde and showed up as a brunette. Fans were genuinely shook. Was the Ellie Goulding blonde hair era officially dead?
Not quite. But the story behind her hair isn't just about choosing a box of dye at the chemist. It’s actually a pretty wild saga involving ruined TV lighting, secret natural colors, and a massive amount of upkeep that would make most people just give up and wear a hat.
The Blonde Myth vs. The Brunette Reality
Here is the thing most people get wrong: Ellie isn't a "natural" blonde in the way we see her on stage. She’s actually a natural brunette. Well, specifically a "dark blonde" or light brown, depending on which interview you read.
When she debuted her dark tresses at the 2022 Royal Variety Performance, it wasn't just a random fashion choice. She told Irish radio station FM104 that she was finally "back to her natural color." It was a move for anonymity. She joked that since going brown, people don't instantly recognize her as "Ellie Goulding" anymore. Instead, they just think she's someone they sort of know from the telly.
But let’s be real. The world knows her as a blonde. By the time the 2024 Brit Awards rolled around, the brunette was history. She returned to a "lived-in" blonde that looked expensive, healthy, and—crucially—way more sophisticated than the bleach-heavy looks of her early 20s.
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That Time She Broke the MTV EMAs
There is a legendary story from the 2015 MTV Europe Music Awards in Milan. Ellie showed up with this bizarre, almost neon yellow-orange hair. It looked cool in a "punk-rock" kind of way, but the producers absolutely hated it.
The dye job had actually gone wrong.
In an interview with You magazine, she admitted the shade messed with the TV lighting so badly that the producers ordered her to re-dye it an hour before the show. Imagine that stress. You’re about to perform for millions, and someone is telling you your head is too bright for the cameras. She couldn’t fix it in time, so she just tied it back and hoped for the best.
How She Actually Keeps Her Hair from Falling Out
Look, you can't go from dark brown to platinum and back again without a serious team of experts. Transitioning back to Ellie Goulding blonde hair after her brunette phase required some heavy lifting.
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Her longtime stylist, Anastasia Stylianou, is the one who masterminded the 2024 comeback. If you’re trying to replicate this look, you aren't just looking for "blonde." You're looking for what the pros call a "multi-tonal finish."
The 2024 "Get the Look" Breakdown:
- The Color: Anastasia used the Schwarzkopf Professional BLONDME range. To avoid that "fake" look, she applied a "root drag" (a darker shade at the roots) to make it look lived-in.
- The Lift: She used a premium lightener freehand around the top layer and face-framing areas. This is basically the "money piece" technique that makes your skin glow.
- The Toner: This is the secret. She used a mix of "Ice," "Clear," and "Ise-Irisé" tones to kill the brassiness.
- The Length: Believe it or not, a lot of that volume comes from Great Lengths 22-inch GL Tapes in Ash Blonde.
Ellie has also been the face of Pantene PRO-V, and she’s mentioned using their Repair range to deal with the heat damage from touring. When you're under stage lights every night, your hair gets fried. There’s no way around it.
The Evolution: From "Lights" to "Higher Than Heaven"
If you look at her evolution, the hair tracks perfectly with her music.
- The Indie Folk Era (2010): Very pale, almost white-blonde. Often messy, side-parted, and very "English festival girl."
- The Delirium Era (2015): This was the experiment phase. We saw pink streaks, the orange mishap, and very heavy, blunt bobs.
- The Brunette Pivot (2022-2023): This coincided with her wanting to be more "low-key" and returning to her natural roots. She even rocked some "pixie bangs" (super short fringe) for a minute in early 2023.
- The Luxury Blonde (Present): Long, healthy, and expensive-looking. It’s not the "bleached-to-within-an-inch-of-its-life" blonde anymore. It’s more sophisticated.
Why the Blonde Matters for Her Brand
Celebrity branding is a weird beast. For Ellie, the blonde hair is as much a part of her "sonic identity" as her breathy vibrato. It reflects the "light" in her music. When she went brunette, it felt like she was hiding—which she basically admitted she was doing.
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Coming back to blonde for the Higher Than Heaven era felt like a return to form. It’s the "Pop Star Ellie" that the world recognizes.
Practical Takeaways for Your Own Hair
If you're thinking about chasing the Ellie Goulding blonde hair look, don't just dump bleach on your head.
First, recognize that she uses high-end extensions (like Great Lengths) for that thickness. Most people's natural hair can't survive that much bleach and still look that full. Second, the "root drag" or "shadow root" is your best friend. It saves you from having to hit the salon every three weeks when your natural dark hair starts peeking through.
Lastly, toner is not optional. Ellie’s hair looks good because it’s "ashy" or "icy," not yellow. If you're doing this at home, you'll need a solid purple shampoo or a professional toner to keep that "Brit Awards" sparkle.
Next Steps for Your Hair Journey:
- Book a Consultation for a Shadow Root: If you have dark hair naturally, ask your stylist for a "lived-in blonde" with a root drag. It’s exactly how Ellie manages to look natural despite the heavy lifting of the bleach.
- Invest in Bond-Builders: Before going lighter, use a treatment like Olaplex or the Schwarzkopf BLONDME Dual Bond system to prep your hair’s internal structure.
- Check Your Lighting: If you're planning a major color change for a big event, remember Ellie’s Milan disaster—test how that color looks under different lights (especially warm vs. cool) before the big day.