Fall always feels like the perfect moment to venture over to the dark side. Case in point: Ariana Grande, who revealed today that she’s swapped the icy-blonde hair she adopted for her role as Glinda in the Oscar-winning Wicked, for a warm, chestnut brunette. “It’s good to see me, isn’t it?” the star captioned a candid mirror selfie on Instagram.
The transformation comes courtesy of Grande’s go-to colorist, Francesco De Chiara, at Nicola Clarke Salon—the same pro who took the star blonde in the first place. “We wanted a change and a new vibe for the Wicked: For Good press tour,” De Chiara tells Vogue exclusively of the “rich coffee mocha” shade. The shift, he explains, was gradual: over several months, he began weaving lowlights—darker ribbons of color—through her hair to ease the transition.
“Going from blonde to brunette can be a journey,” he notes. “The hair first needs to be re-pigmented with warmer tones before moving ahead with a darker color. And because blonde sits underneath, it’s important to keep refreshing the tone—not only to prevent fading, but to stop the lighter color from slowly reappearing.”
To achieve Grande’s glossy, multi-dimensional brunette, De Chiara blended varying shades of coffee, chocolate, and soft caramel, finishing with a luminous gloss. The result? The kind of brunette that autumn dreams are made of.
For those inspired to follow suit, De Chiara offers one golden rule: “Always ask your colorist to find the best shade of brown, or dark blonde, that complements your skin tone,” he advises. “It’s essential to achieving a shade that truly works for you.” Existing brunettes can also experiment with warm lowlights to add extra depth and radiance for the season ahead.
From there, it’s simple: a color-safe shampoo and some diligent upkeep. But when your hair looks that good, who’s complaining?
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