A new year comes always comes with beauty changes as people embrace the opportunity for a fresh start with a completely new and rejuvenated outlook on life. Celebrities aren't any different, and usually, elect for elaborate changes—with the help of their ever-so-talented glam squad.
Whether it's chopping off their long locks for a pixie cut, a blunt trim which transforms their cascading manes into lobs, or dying their hair an elaborate color, 2018 gave fans some pretty unexpected celebrity hair changes. From Cardi B's drastic haircut to Lena Dunham's transition back to elegantly long tresses, there were definitely changes in Hollywood.
Probably one of the most surprising trends was how many celebs opted to go the pastel route, with pale pink being a leading option, and lavender and grey following suit as well. On the opposite end of the spectrum have been those who elected to go with bright, highlighter-colored neons, which remarkably, looked fantastic too!
Not everyone decides to change their beauty look, however, and some celebrities simply know what works for them. Take Anna Wintour or Mariah Carey, for example. The two A-List powerhouses haven't changed their looks in years, and why would they? They're absolutely iconic.
Here are 20 of the most dramatic hair transformations in Hollywood, and five who simply never change, so keep reading for some 2019 hair inspo for the next trip to the salon.
25 When Ariana Grande Let Her Hair Down And Went Platinum Blonde
If Ariana Grande is known for one thing besides her absolutely phenomenal voice, it's her gorgeous brown hair, which she usually throws up in her signature pony.
2018 brought a lot of hardships and successes for the pint-sized starlet, so it comes as no surprise that she took every chance she got to change up her look.
Perhaps the biggest change came when Ariana decided to dye her locks platinum blonde and ditched her pony for a laid-back look which had her hair partly clipped back. According to Daily Mail, she posted the look to her IG, and her adoring fans were quick to compliment, some even comparing her to a modern-day Audrey Hepburn.
24 Kylie Jenner, The Hair Chameleon Who Popularized The Pastel Pink Hair Trend
The pastel pink hair trend genuinely popped up out of nowhere in 2018 but definitely stuck, as stars everywhere were dying their hair this airy and light shade. A trailblazer of the trend was definitely Kylie Jenner, who has established herself years ago as the undisputed queen of changing up her hair color and style. According to Allure, her pastel mane was given to her by her family's go-to hairstylist, Chris Appleton, who decided to take advantage of the fact that her hair was already blonde, making the transition so much easier. Kylie has definitely gone different shades of pink before, but because her naturally dark hair had difficulty with the dye, she resorted to wearing wigs to change up her look.
23 Cardi B, Who Surprised Fans At The VMAs With Her Pixie Cut
Cardi B has rocked her long black locks for as long as she's been in the spotlight and why not? She looks absolutely phenomenal. 2018 brought some fantastic surprises for the hitmaker, in particular, the birth of her adorable baby girl.
Being a new mom, she debuted a new haircut at the end of the summer but definitely didn't opt to go the "mom" hair route, looking sleek and sophisticated much like Audrey Hepburn, with wispy front bangs that look ultra chic.
This wasn't the first hair transformation the star saw in 2018, as she also briefly dyed her tresses blonde, too.
22 Khloe Kardashian, Who Recently Followed In Kylie's Footsteps And Went Pastel, Too
Kylie isn't the only one in the Kar-Jenner clan to try out a pastel shade—Khloe Kardashian followed in her younger sister's footprints, too. Her first change came only a few weeks prior to her recent venture into the pale pink hue when she took her warm blonde tresses and dyed them an icy, platinum blonde. Clearly looking to experiment even further, Khloe took advantage of her light locks by tinting them a beautiful pastel pink color. According to Allure, her colorist, Andrew Fitzsimmons, used the L'Oreal Paris Colorista 1-Day Color Spray in the Pastel Pink shade to achieve the look. The best part about experimenting with a unique color? The L'Oreal spray used is designed to last exactly one day and dissipates after one shampoo session.
21 Jordyn Woods, Who Went Retro With Auburn Hair And Curtain Bangs
Kylie Jenner's BFF, the beautiful model Jordyn Woods, is known for her long, dark tresses, letting her bestie take center stage when it comes to experimenting with her hair.
Of course, it came as a surprise when earlier in the year Jordyn shared a photo of herself on IG rocking auburn-colored hair and adorable curtain bangs.
According to StyleCaster, it turns out that the red mane was, in fact, a wig, styled by celebrity hairstylist Mariama Dashiell, who's also worked with Pia Mia and Cardi B, too. It's not the first time she's collaborated with Jordyn, as she's the mastermind behind Jordyn's once-asymmetrical lob and blonde look, as well.
20 Lily Collins, Who Went Blonde But Kept Her Signature Bold Brows
Actress Lily Collins gave up her brunette locks in early 2018, proving that seasonal hair trends don't need to be followed, and she can still look fab with light hair in the winter. She took to IG to show off her new look, captioning the photo, "Not sure if it's the blonde or this city, but I really am having more fun."
Not one to shy away from changing up her look, Lily has gone through significant changes in the past, such as dying her hair cherry red in 2016 for a role in the Netflix original movie, Okja.
19 Kate Bosworth, Who Turned Heads Going Fiery Red
Longtime blonde Kate Bosworth stepped out on the red carpet to promote her film Nona donning a fiery red mane, as per People magazine. She initially decided to ease into being a redhead, first dying her hair strawberry blonde to start her slow transition. Then, she elected to go a deeper red, which suits her perfectly!
It's not Kate's first time going red, as the actress also dyed her hair a similar color five years ago for a role in the movie Still Alice.
At the time, she explained to StyleCaster, “I loved going red. I’ve always been attracted to that color for hair. It’s fun and I’ll probably do it again.” Lo and behold, Kate stayed true to her word!
18 Katy Perry, Who Surprised Her Fans With Her Neon Green Pixie Cut
Katy Perry has changed up her hair so many times, it's hard to surprise her fans at all anymore. Not one to be afraid of dramatic color changes, Katy elected to dye her pixie cut a bright green back in September with the help of celebrity stylist Rick Henry. As per People magazine, Rick explained how he took her icy blonde hair to the lime shade, "I pre-lightened her hair to a very light blonde, then applied neon green. After letting it process for 20 minutes, I rinsed and was done!”
Just a few months prior, Katy was seen sporting a lavender pixie cut, so who knows what she'll decide next!
17 Adam Levine, Who Went Blonde After His Wife's Seal Of Approval
Maroon 5 crooner Adam Levine is a veteran at dying his hair but recently went blonde only after gaining approval from his wife, Behati Prinsloo, as reported by People magazine. Making an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Adam explained, “My wife loves it when I do it, I ran it by her first."
Apparently, he had some people poke fun at his decision, too, as Blake Shelton has made jokes in the past about the musician going blonde.
"That’s Adam? I thought Meg Ryan was sitting in with us tonight for a second there,” Shelton said on The Voice when Adam initially debuted the look.
16 Lena Dunham, Who Went Back To Long Hair After Years Of Rocking Her Pixie Cut
Girls creator Lena Dunham isn't afraid to experiment with her looks. The actress has hacked her hair off multiple times in the past, once for her TV show, other times for herself, and has even dyed her hair blue, too. 2018 saw her doing the polar opposite, however, where she decided to ditch her short 'do for long locks at the Golden Globes HBO afterparty, as reported by People magazine.
The star obviously needed some help with hair extensions to really transform herself, and even opted for adorable bangs to really complete her look. Not shy of cheeky social media captions, Lena shared her look on IG and captioned it, "Haters gonna say it's fake."
15 Kris Jenner, Who Took After Her Daughters And Dyed Her Own Hair For A Change
The matriarch of the Kar-Jenner clan has had the same hairstyle for pretty much as long as Keeping Up With The Kardashians has been on the air. Ubiquitous with her brunette pixie cut, Kris Jenner first tested out the waters with a platinum blonde wig, then went for the real deal back in January of 2018, as reported by People magazine.
Kris took to IG to selfie her look, captioning it, “January 2nd back at work here we go!!! #happynewyear2018."
Definitely adopting the "new year, new me" mentality, she had some help from Kar-Jenner hairstylist, Chris Appleton, who also shared the photo, captioning, "Look who joined the gang!"
14 Pete Davidson, Who Went For Frosted Tips After His Split From Ariana Grande
Pete Davidson has had a rocky few weeks since his split from songstress Ariana Grande. Through the return of the ring and the covering up of the tattoos, both parties are coping the best way they can. Pete has decided to adopt a new look since the breakup, by getting a haircut and frosted tips, as reported by Refinery29.
Taking to IG to give his barber, Micah Walker, a shoutout, Pete elected to go for the '90s throwback look by keeping the tips of his bleached hair long towards the front of his head, while he trimmed the rest short, making his natural roots visible, too.
13 Kim Kardashian, Who Cut Her Gorgeous Long Locks For A Geometric Bob
Kim Kardashian isn't shy of switching up her hairstyle—much like the rest of her Keeping Up With The Kardashians family. The reality TV beauty has changed her hair countless times in 2018, but our favorite was the sharp and blunt bob she decided to rock for the summer.
Initially, fans speculated that Kim was wearing a wig, but her hairstylist Chris Appleton was quick to jump on IG and post a photo of the star, confirming in the comments that it's truly her own tresses.
According to Today, although the world was blown away by her sleek cut, it took Kim a while to adjust to short hair, stating on her IG that she missed her trademark, long tresses.
12 Rita Ora, Who Beamed With Her Fire-Red Hair
Absolute chameleon Rita Ora recently ditched her bleached waves for a fiery red look this summer, looking completely different. She took to IG to show off her new 'do, revealing that London hairstylist Alisha Dobson was the genius behind her shaggy, tangerine dream. According to W Magazine, the look was achieved with vegan hair dye by Bleach London.
Rita definitely loves taking risks, and as she once discussed with Vogue U.K., she said, "I like changing it up. I just cut my hair off and started doing a smoky eye. I'm a chameleon in all aspects of my life—my music, my wardrobe, my beauty."
11 Leighton Meester, Who Traded In Her Signature Brown Locks For An Icy Blonde Look
With her iconic Gossip Girl fame, Leighton Meester has always been associated as a beautiful brunette, never really straying far from her signature look.
According to Harper's Bazaar, the actress went through a drastic beauty transformation in April, where she dyed her chestnut brown locks an icy, platinum blonde.
Her go-to stylist is a Hollywood favorite, the trusted Aura Friedman, who explained why Leighton opted for the specific shade of blonde. "With Leighton’s very fairy-like features, I wanted a softer platinum that would complement her features, and not take over." Friedman used the Nexxus Keraphix protein treatment and masque to keep Leighton's hair health undisturbed throughout the entire six-hour process.
10 Chrissy Teigen, Who Went On Board The Wet Hair Trend And Chopped Hers, Too
Chrissy Teigen is usually seen smiling and goofing around while sporting her long, blonde, beachy waves. Back in September, however, she took to the red carpet during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards to support her husband John Legend as he achieved EGOT status— winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. As John basked in his success, Chrissy basked in her new look—a short wet-look bob that certainly turned heads. She even posted a photo of her hair on social media and hilariously captioned it, "Honestly I'm super proud of him but I was also like wow my hair looks great so I posted it."
9 Ruth Negga, Who Took A Quick Break From Her Signature Pixie Cut
It's not just celebrities chopping their locks in 2018 that made headlines—others elected to go longer and do the exact opposite. Strikingly beautiful actress Ruth Negga decided to rock braids, courtesy of hairstylist Lacy Redway.
According to People, Lacy posted a photo of Ruth to her IG with the caption, “taking a quick break from her signature pixie cut to join my braid gang!”
Ruth's box braids were a fun look for the summer, and needless to say, the actress looked amazing! It's not the first time she's changed up her look either, as the 2017 Met Gala saw her rocking cornrows on the red carpet.
8 SZA, Who Traded Her Black Locks For A Fiery Red Mane
Dying her black locks red, SZA shows she can rock being a redhead, too. Not the first time the Ctrl singer has rocked red tresses, the star went copper back in 2015 as well.
A DIY girl at heart, SZA told Vogue about the first time she attempted going red. She described the process as taking two box dyes, setting them down, and thinking, “If I go bald, I will [turn] it into something else. It’s a journey.” After hours of saturating her hair in dyes, the color was too dark so the next day she corrected it by mixing ice blonde bleach with Nexxus Moisturizing shampoo. We hope this time around she didn't have as many issues!
7 Teyana Taylor, Who Debuted A Gorgeous, Platinum Blonde Pixie Cut
Brunette songstress Teyana Taylor isn't afraid of experimenting with her locks. A hair chameleon, she's been known to constantly try new looks with colorful wigs, box braids, and even bobs without batting an eye.
This year, however, she took her real hair and chopped it off, sporting a gorgeous platinum blonde pixie cut.
As per Hype Hair, the beauty took to social media back in March to discuss her new look, giving credit to celebrity stylist Ray Christopher who gave her the edgy look using Kadus Professional 12PA High Lift Blonde Pearl Ash color.
6 Constance Wu Also Went Pink This Year, Picking A Millennial Shade
Move over Kardashians—another celebrity is having fun with the pastel pink hair trend. Constance Wu colored her hair a similar shade as the Kar-Jenner sisters back in February and posted to her IG, tagging her hairstylist, Ara Ko. The millennial pink looked perfect on the Crazy Rich Asians star, so HelloGiggles reached out to Ara to hear all about the process. She explained that "dark hair must be lightened to achieve a pastel tone. For Constance, the process took eight hours and we lightened her hair twice.”
If you're looking to try this trend out yourself, Ara suggests having natural hair that hasn't been dyed recently, as it's easier to lighten if you want to go pastel.
5 Mariah Carey, Who Never Steers Away From Her Luxe Blonde Waves
Mariah Carey, on the other hand, is a diva who never changes her hairstyle from her signature luxurious blonde waves. According to StyleBistro, Mariah has had the same stylist for over 12 years. Basically, why fix something that isn't broke, right?
In an interview with Vogue, the iconic songstress discusses starting off how hard it was to have her now-divaesque look.
"I said I wanted to be a singer; I wanted to be an actress. And they were all like, ‘Ha-ha.' Because, of course, at that point, I still didn’t really have conditioner or know how to comb through textured hair.”
4 Paris Hilton, Who Has Rocked Her Trademark Blonde Look Forever
Paris Hilton has made an entire brand out of herself off of her signature, blonde locks, and Barbie doll persona. According to Female First, the socialite even declared that she loves her blonde hair so much, she's vowed never to change the color, and that if need be, she'll don a wig to experiment with different shades. "I'm blonde and I love it. I've never dyed my hair dark. I'll sometimes wear a wig when I'm somewhere with lots of people, such as Disneyland. It's fun to be able to change my hair color without worrying about the damage."
3 Julianne Moore, Who Rose To Fame With Her Signature Wavy Red Locks
Although she's started dying her hair to keep her red tresses lush and rich, Julianne Moore is still a true redhead at heart who doesn't stray from her signature fiery long and wavy mane. In fact, as reported by Game of Glam, when she was required to play gray-haired Alma Coin in the third Hunger Games movie, she even went as far as to wear a wig so she didn't have to dye her hair gray.
According to Glam, as much as the Hollywood starlet loves her natural hair color, she admits it's sometimes hard on her wardrobe.
“Sometimes it’s hard to use a lot of color in my wardrobe because of my hair." To remedy this problem, fans often find the actress dressing in monochromatic looks.
2 Anna Wintour, Who Hasn't Changed Her Haircut Since She Was Fourteen
The iconic editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine, Anna Wintour is legendary. Almost as legendary as her herself is her pageboy bob hairstyle that she hasn't changed since she was 14. According to Telegraph, she maintains her pristine bob with two blowdries a day, one first thing in the morning and another in the early evening. She's so serious about this twice-a-day blowdry method that she's been known to book a hair appointment for a quick blowdry wherever she may be.
Clearly a creature who doesn't like to break habits, Anna's affinity to stick to what she loves translates into fashion, too. For the past 20 years, the fashion editor has worn the same style of Manolo Blahnik shoes, the cross-front slingbacks with a delicate kitten heel.
1 Kendall Jenner, The Only One In Her Family Who Stays Consistent With Her Locks
One member of the Kardashian-Jenner family that rarely ever changes her 'do besides the occasional play with textures is Kendall Jenner, who can almost always be seen with her dark brown tresses.
In fact, according to Brit + Co, in a new Calvin Klein ad campaign she had with her sisters, they all played a game of "Never Have I Ever" wherein Kendall revealed she's never in her life dyed her hair.
The fact comes as a surprise since her entire family is known to play around with hair dyes. Kendall? She prefers to stick to getting cuts sometimes or changing up her style with gels, instead.
