Ariana Grande Kicked Off the New Year With a Red-Toned Hair Transformation

Happy New Year! I don't want to be too optimistic, but the energy seems fairly warm and welcoming. Or... maybe I'm just looking at Ariana Grande's new hair color?

For the 31st Annual Critics Choice Awards on Sunday, January 3, Grande slipped back into the pink wardrobe she's loved so much over the last few years with a glittering custom Alberta Ferretti gown. There was a key difference between this and her Wicked era looks, though: instead of sporting Glinda's blonde hair, her brunette strands leaned more Dorothy Gale. That is to say, they were dyed a technicolor-worthy shade of warm reddish brown.

Ariana Grande's New Hair Color

Worn in a pretty updo fastened by celebrity hairstylist Alyx Liu, Grande's color was showcased via softly sweeping bangs—also new—and a single perfect bouncy curl (very 2026) that popped out of the carefully pinned style. Her color was the work of Brandon Pietsch, who called it a "rich brunette" in an Instagram post. I swear those red tones are there, though.

When the artist showed up to host SNL a few weeks ago, her hair was a lighter shade of brown. (Not that we saw much of it, she was wearing wigs all night long.) The switch from blonde to brunette last fall was exciting, but this update is even more thrilling—if only because we need all the new color inspiration we can get.

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The Rest of the Look

Naturally, Grande wore a full face of her very own R.e.m. Beauty for the evening for a pretty-in-pink look that further highlighted the warm tones in her hair.

The brand was kind enough to share a full breakdown of the look via Instagram, with highlights including pinky cheeks via the Glinda-core Cherry Blossom Blush Palette from the brand's Wicked: For Good collection and a lip combo that included the Practically Permanent Lip Stain Marker in Booked n Busy and On Your Collar Plumping Gloss in Pink Razor.

Oh, and "something new" was involved, too.

New year, new hair, new makeup products to gush over... there's no place like 2026.