Whether they’re re-inventing themselves for a role, going for a post-baby or pre-wedding switch-up, or just pulling a Kylie Jenner (a.k.a. changing their hair colour the way some people change underwear), celebs from the A to Z lists are making some big hair decisions this year, and we can’t get enough of their of-the-minute hair inspo. Here’s the lowdown on every major celeb hair transformation of 2019 so far. Stay tuned (and save this list for your stylist!) as we continue to update with our faves—starting with Charlize Theron’s bold new cut.
Charlize Theron
South African actress Charlize Theron announced her return to The Fast and the Furious franchise in a very chic way. Theron took to Instagram to share a photo of herself onset for Fast & Furious 9, debuting a new and seriously cool bowl cut. Yep, a bowl cut. “She’s baaaaack #Fast9,” Theron captioned the image, referring to her character, Cipher. The cut and blonde highlights are a big departure from the actress’s recent brown bob. In the wise words of actress January Jones, who commented on Theron’s post: “This hair is next level good. But would only look good on you.” Honestly, very true.
Katherine Heigl
Katherine Heigl is welcoming autumn with a big hair change. The actor, who is typically blonde, debuted new dark brunette locks on September 4, sharing the change with Instagram followers in a post and series of stories. The change is in anticipation of Heigl’s upcoming role in the Netflix series Firefly Lane. According to Heigl’s Instagram stories, the process took three hours to complete. We’d say the time was well worth it.
FKA Twigs
FKA Twigs is really leaning in to the recent Little Mermaid hype. The British singer debuted bright red tresses on July 31, taking to Instagram to share the hair change with her followers. The usually brunette singer didn’t caption the image, instead tagging her hairdresser, but tbh this bright new hue speaks for itself.
Bella Hadid
Ready to see double? Bella Hadid’s Instagram Stories were recently lit up by a shot of her new, bright blonde hair—and for two seconds we were convinced it was her older sister, Gigi. Bella reportedly changed her hair for a V magazine shoot, but it remains to be seen whether she’ll stick with her new hair colour. That said, she’s actually a natural blonde, so maybe she’ll use this as an opportunity to get back to her roots.
Angelina Jolie
Maybe she’s channeling HRH Kate Middleton? On July 9, Jolie debuted some uncharacteristically light coloured tresses while out and about in Paris, going from her well-known darker ‘do to a caramel colour. The actress also shed some length, going for curled, blunt-cut ends. Je t’aime!
Céline Dion
Leave it to the Queen of Fashion Week to shock us not only with her haute couture outfits, but her hairstyle as well! Dion debuted a stylish shoulder-length bob while walking around Paris on July 3. C’est magnifique!
Kim Kardashian West
Okay, this isn’t *quite* what we expected when we saw the words “light frosted brown” in celeb hairstylist Chris Appleton’s Instagram caption. But Kim Kardashian West’s new lighter look is a whole summer mood.
Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Spears is blonde no more! The actress has gone light brunette for her upcoming role in Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias. Netflix tweeted that, “Spears will play Noreen Fitzgibbons, a young woman who is determined to build a new life for herself after a series of bad choices.”
Zendaya
The Euphoria actress looked red hot at a press event for her new film Spider-Man: Far From Home, channelling Spiderman’s OG love interest MJ with newly dyed locks. Zendaya plays love interest Michelle “MJ” Jones in the film, so it seems only fitting that the 22-year-old would pay homage to her predecessor, a redhead in the Marvel comic books. In response to fans speculating whether the new ‘do is a permanent change, or just a wig, Zendaya responded to a fan on Twitter: “I dyed it, semi-permanent.”
Kaia Gerber
Who doesn’t love a little hair drama? Kaia Gerber, for one, is all for it. The 17-year-old model chopped her long brown hair into a bouncy bob. On IG, she credited stylists Sandy Hullett and Redken Global Director Guido Palau for her new perfect-for-summer cut, which somehow makes her look even more like her supermodel mom Cindy Crawford. And, according to Gerber, this is a big change. In her IG caption, she dubbed her new look “the drama cut.”
Rose Byrne
The always-hilarious Rose Byrne got a seriously stunning new summer look, styled by celeb hairstylist Harry Josh. This isn’t the first time the naturally brunette Bridesmaids star has gone blonde, but based on the IG post from makeup artist Hung Vanngo, she’s now gone from golden to platinum—and we’re here for it.
Emily Ratajkowski
Seeing model/actor Emily Ratajkowski on the Tonys red carpet was surprising enough, but the model also used her appearance at the awards show to reveal a new 1960s-style ‘do. EmRata chopped her usually long hair into a chic, voluminous bob—giving us all kinds of Jackie Kennedy Onassis vibes in the process.
Reese Witherspoon
She’s going short, y’all! Actor and proud Southern belle Reese Witherspoon said “buh bye” to her long hair, debuting a summer-appropriate lob. “Thanks for my new summer cut @lonavigi,” the Big Little Lies actor wrote alongside an adorbs video of her shaking out her new ‘do. Not only is Witherspoon’s new look seriously cute, but it makes her look even *more* like her mini-me, daughter Ava Phillipe—as if that was even possible.
January Jones
Another celeb has boarded the blunt bob train, in blonde! Actor January Jones debuted a sleek new chop on her Instagram, writing: “So I changed my mind again. @bridgetbragerhair you’re a dream.” Sharing a photo of Jones to her own account, hairstylist Bridget Brager encouraged other women to go for a short cut, writing: “There is a bob style haircut for every woman – every hair type and face shape. If you have been teetering to make a big hair move … Fear not. Go for it! Make sure you bring inspiration pictures and thoroughly talk it out with your stylist. Get what you want!” Brager also shared that the celeb had been waiting for months to get the chop, sending her inspo photos while she waited for her bangs to grow out. We’re betting at least one of those inspo pics was of fellow blunt bob fan Kim K.
Kim Kardashian
Kim K just chopped off over half her hair, and we are so into it for summer. She went for a super sleek, super straight blunt bob, and TBH it’s the ultimate hot weather hair move: short enough not to stick to your neck, long enough to do beach waves when you’re in the mood. It’s basically the same cut she and Khloé got last year, but if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Gina Rodriguez
The Jane the Virgin star has a new, summer-appropriate ‘do—and we are *here* for her lighter, shorter hair. Rodriguez debuted a wavy layered cut and warm balayage colour on the ‘gram, where she captioned her post, “Nuggets and new do’s” (a reference to her cute tee) and credited celeb stylists Grace Zip and Anh Co Tran.
Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain’s doing it all with her new hair: a shoulder-length bob *and* bangs! We’ve seen the Zero Dark Thirty actor work bangs in the past, but with the addition of the fresh trim, some outlets are calling this look the “hottest haircut of the summer.” Chastain debuted her fresh cut, courtesy of hair stylist Renato Campora, while promoting her new movie X-Men: Dark Phoenix in Mexico City.
Ariel Winter
The Modern Family star is part of a whole new world—the world of redheads, that is. In a not-so-subtle change, Winter went from black to “Disney red,” debuting her new, brighter look on her Instagram. Btw, the comparison to another famous Ariel is v. intentional. In a post to her social media, Winter struck a pose, captioning the photo, “part of yourrrrrr worrrrrld.”
Brie Larson
The Avengers: Endgame actor is proving that she’s not afraid to go for the chop with her newest ‘do. The actress debuted her new sleek bob at the launch of MLH Sigil Fragrances on April 30. Posting a photo of the event to Instagram, Larson’s fresh look was on full display as she posed beside a friend. The star captioned the photo: “Congrats to my sister @melindaleeholm on the launch of her product line #MLHSigil . I love watching you grow and I love supporting all the magic you bring into the world. Check out her stuff – it’s the best ever.”
Taylor Swift
Although Swift has been rocking pink since the iHeartRadio Awards, we finally got a good look at it yesterday as she bypassed paps on her way into her NYC apartment. It also looks like she’s added more pink since the awards show, which is a fitting change since she’s been filling her Insta feed with pastel hues for a few months now. Fans are speculating that it has something to do with a new album, and this countdown from her stories last night def supports that theory:
Jason Momoa
Since his turn as Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones, Momoa has been the true moon of our lives. And his newest facial hair change-up is no exception. Permanently saying goodbye to both Drogo and Aquaman, Momoa shocked fans by shaving off his trademark beard to draw awareness to his collaboration with Ball Corporation, an earth-friendly packaging company. He documented the whole process on his YouTube page, and called on his fans to make a switch to “infinitely recyclable aluminum.” Posting the video on Instagram, Momoa wrote: “I’m SHAVING this beast off, It’s time to make a change. A change for the better… for my kids, your kids, the world. Let’s make a positive change for the health of our planet.”
Camila Mendes
Well, Veronica Lodge has officially left the building (for now). Mendes, who plays Lodge on Riverdale, turned in her darker ‘do for a return to her lighter brown roots. No easy feat. In an Instagram post hair colourist Matt Rez said the process of removing Veronica’s trademark blue-black colour took six hours (!) in order to keep “the integrity of [Mendes’s] hair.” In addition to the new colour, the actress also traded in her sleek TV hair for a shaggier cut by Buddy Porter.
Cole Sprouse
Another #Riverbabe with a hair change! The actor, who plays Riverdale‘s resident “weirdo” Jughead, shed his raven hair in favour of his natural sandy blonde. We have to say, this change up is pretty Suite (LOL).
Demi Lovato
Just in time for spring, the “Cool for the Summer” singer debuted her new chop, rocking a stylish lob on the ‘gram. Sharing her new look to her Instagram followers, Lovato captioned a photo: “New hair wassupppp.”
Rachel Brosnahan
Brosnahan, who plays Midge in (our fave show) The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel, just took her signature dark hair to a fresh shade of dirty blonde. Colourist Kitty Greller created the new colour for the actor, which actually isn’t all that new—Brosnahan’s natural hair colour is blonde. We’re hoping this means another badass story arc for Midge where she rebels against the comedy patriarchy, but we won’t know for sure until season three premieres later this year.
Bella Hadid
Apparently for a shoot with photographer Mert Alas, the younger Hadid sister dyed her signature brown hair a lighter shade of honey blonde. And if you thought she was copying Gigi, think again. Bella’s natural hair colour is also blonde. She’s known for changing up her length, but this colour change is brand new for the model. We’ll see if it sticks.
Miley Cyrus
Hannah is punk now! ☠️ pic.twitter.com/I4nUdajchD
— Miley Ray Cyrus (@MileyCyrus) March 29, 2019
Never one to shy away from a big hair change, the recently married singer went for the ultimate #TBT. Cyrus’s beachy long hair and bangs pay homage to Hannah Montana, the iconic character she played from 2006 to 2011, and give us all kinds of nostalgia. The singer debuted her new chop on her Insta stories and a series of posts to Twitter. Could she be hinting at an upcoming revival of this Disney channel character? Tbh, would watch.
Mandy Moore
Looks like the This Is Us star got a fresh, springtime chop, courtesy of longtime hairstylist and friend, Ashley Streicher. Moore is also a Garnier ambassador, so she made a change to her colour, too, taking it back to a rich brunette and getting rid of her blonde highlights.
Charlize Theron
According to the Insta post above, stylist Adir Abergel changed Theron’s hair colour earlier this year with the help of Tracey Cunningham, but went in for the chop just hours before she was due on the Oscars red carpet. That’s some serious stylist–client trust right there, and the tone and cut paired perfectly with her ice-blue Dior gown.
Emilia Clarke
There was a ton of buzz surrounding this colour change after rumours circulated that Clarke achieved it herself with (gasp) a box dye kit. But her hairstylist Jenny Cho cleared things up with this Insta post, shouting out Nicola Clarke for the colour. Tbh, we initially didn’t have that much trouble believing this was a box dye, because it did look a little flat on the red carpet. But we understand that inclination towards brunette, especially if Clarke is trying to separate herself from her role as the platinum-haired Mother of Dragons on Game of Thrones.
Kerry Washington
When hair stylist Takisha Sturdivant-Drew saw Washington’s Schiaparelli dress for the Vanity Fair Oscars after party, she immediately thought of Audrey Hepburn. And that, of course, meant a pixie cut. Just hours before the party, she posted this cryptic Insta of the back of an unknown person’s head, and we now know it was Washington getting a fresh, Audrey-inspired chop.
Karlie Kloss
Right before New York Fashion Week, and just months after her wedding, the model’s stylist Harry Josh cut a whopping seven inches off her hair. It looks fresh and pretty, and the texture and layers make it stand out amongst all the blunt chops celebs seem to be favouring.
Kendall Jenner
Just about every woman has at some point flirted with the idea of bangs, a face-framing plunge Kendall Jenner decided to update her long, shiny brown hair with. Trimmed by her good pal, celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, the model’s new wispy, eyebrow-skimming was debuted on Insta with a photo and two videos. Her caption: “yes, no, maybe so?”—and we’re definitely feeling a major “yes.”
Hailey Bieber
Taking inspo from the Pink Ladies’ Frenchy, Baldwin debuted a new pink ’do to kick off the new year, dying her usually blonde hair a bubblegum pink. This isn’t the newlywed’s first foray in to pastels. She first rocked pink hair at last year’s Met Gala (with then-BF Shawn Mendes on her arm), giving off major couple-goals *and* major hair goals.
It may be a different year, and she may have a different beau (and last name—at least on IG), but some things remain the same: Baldwin is definitely still pretty in pink.
Zac Efron
In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it change, Efron debuted his ice-blonde look in a series of (thankfully, shirtless) posts to his Instagram. The actor is no novice when it comes to quirky hair changes. If anything, 2018 was the year of hair-raising styles for the Baywatch star, with the actor trying out multiple looks, including a very interesting striped-beard/frosted tips combo (thanks to his upcoming role in The Beach Bum).
Efron has recently come off filming and promo’ing his newest movie, Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, about American serial killer Ted Bundy (a brunette), so can you blame the guy for wanting to add a little light to his life (and hair)?
Chris Messina
Actor Chris Messina (of The Mindy Project and Sharp Objects fame) surprised fans at the 2019 Golden Globes, stepping out with platinum hair. With his new look, the normally brunette actor joins a growing list of celebs, including Kylie Jenner, Hilary Duff and Pete Davidson, testing out the theory that blondes have more fun.
The moment Messina walked out on the carpet, the internet was shook, and hella thirsty.
Chris Messina looks like he broke my heart in junior high, high school, and one last time during my sophomore year in college https://t.co/zcE979kTr3
— Britt Stephens (@brittsteps) January 6, 2019
The actor has always been hunky, but has he *officially* joined Steve Carrell as a full on #Zaddy? Some people in the FLARE office were in full support of Messina’s golden locks, saying that dear sexy Danny can pull off anything. Others were convinced that this is the look of a Zayn Malik-inspired mid-life crisis.
According to a tweet by Good Morning America producer Tony Morrison, Messina’s switch-up is most likely work-related. The actor is set to star in the upcoming DC film Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) as villain Victor Zsasz. If that’s the case, let’s just say he makes being bad look real good.
Lady Gaga
We’re gaga over this look! The A Star Is Born actor opted for a bold new ’do for her first walk on the Golden Globes red carpet, taking her normally blonde mane from frosted to frosty blue. Never one to shy away from a bold fashion statement, the singer matched her new blue locks to her periwinkle gown, which gave everyone major Judy Garland vibes, completing a head-to-toe look worthy of a star.
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