Pop star and actor Ariana Grande is embracing a more natural side of her appearance — and fans are loving the rare glimpse. The 32-year-old recently shared a video on Instagram that revealed her natural curly hair, a look she seldom shows publicly. The post, uploaded on March 4, quickly caught the attention of followers who were delighted to see a different hairstyle from the singer known for her iconic high ponytail.
The video was shared as part of a casual promotion for Grande’s cosmetics brand, r.e.m. beauty. In the clip, the singer appears relaxed at home, wearing a face mask and speaking directly to the camera while rummaging through her purse. As she pulls out various items, she chats informally with fans, explaining what she carries with her on a typical day.
“Guys I’m going through my purse, and I think it’s actually crucial that you see — I want you to know how many things in my bag are lip products,” Grande says in the video. “Getting ready for work, but that felt important to share.”
While the video was meant to highlight her beauty products, what truly stood out to viewers was Grande’s shoulder-length brunette curls. The natural hairstyle offered fans a rare look at her hair texture, which is usually hidden under carefully styled ponytails or sleek extensions.
Grande’s hair has long been one of the most recognisable features of her public image. Over the years, the high ponytail became a signature look that fans instantly associate with the singer. However, the hairstyle originally came about for practical reasons during the early years of her career.
When Grande first rose to fame on the Nickelodeon series Victorious, she played the character Cat Valentine, whose bright red hair became a defining trait of the role. Maintaining that look required frequent bleaching and dyeing, a process that significantly damaged her natural hair.
In a candid Facebook post in 2014, Grande explained how the constant colouring affected her hair. “I had to bleach my hair and dye it red every other week for the first four years of playing Cat,” she wrote at the time. “As one would assume, that completely destroyed my hair.”
The singer also revealed that she experimented with several alternatives before settling on the high ponytail. Wigs didn’t feel right to her, and hair extensions proved uncomfortable. Ultimately, the ponytail became the most practical option while her hair recovered from the damage.
“So as annoying as it is for y’all to have to look at the same hairstyle all the time, it’s all that works for now,” she explained in the post. Over time, however, the ponytail evolved from a practical solution into a defining element of her pop star persona.
In recent months, Grande has been gradually embracing a more natural look. In October 2025, the singer returned to her brunette hair colour after spending several years blonde while filming the two-part movie adaptation of the hit musical Wicked. In the film, she plays Glinda, one of the story’s central characters.
Grande has also previously spoken about her natural curls and why she rarely shows them in public. During a 2020 interview on The Zach Sang Show, she described her real hair as “a humongous curly, curly pouf” and admitted that only a few people usually get to see it.
“My real hair… so few people get to see it,” she said during the interview. “And it’s cute, and it reminds me of me as a kid. It’s who I am, privately.”
The recent Instagram video suggests that the singer may be feeling more comfortable sharing that side of herself with fans. Alongside her relaxed appearance, Grande also wore a sweater referencing the comedy franchise Meet the Fockers, hinting at her involvement in the upcoming fourth installment of the series.
Fans will soon have another chance to see the singer in action as she prepares for her upcoming Eternal Sunshine Tour. The tour is scheduled to begin on June 6 in Oakland and will mark her return to the stage following the release of her latest music era.
With new projects, music and performances ahead, Grande’s latest post shows that the global star is also embracing authenticity — and fans are clearly here for it.
