Ariana Grande’s Signature Ballerina Bun Has A Millennial Twist

Throughout her career, Ariana Grande’s eras have all been accompanied by a hairstyle to match.

Her first album, Yours Truly, was associated with images of a young Grande with voluminous half-up, half-down hair. Her entire Thank U, Next vibe, on the other hand, was defined by her brunette hair pulled into an extra-long ponytail — straight, crimped, and otherwise.

On the heels of her recent work, Eternal Sunshine — and just weeks away from her starring role as Glinda in Wicked — the “we can’t be friends” singer has been rocking an entirely fresh look, and it’s become her signature ’do for all of fall 2024.

Ariana’s Side Part Ballerina Bun

On Oct. 12, Ariana made waves as the host of Saturday Night Live. Although her glam was kept low-key and fresh, her sleek hairstyle solidified the classic look as her current fave.

While her hair is still very much Glinda-inspired blonde, Grande has been ditching her go-to pony for quite some time now. In its place, she’s been rocking a tight ballerina bun placed below the crown of her head and finished off with a very Millennial-coded side part. So long, lengthy extensions.

Alyx Liu — her right-hand hair guru — is to thank for her ultra-chic look on the SNL stage *and* every other recent time she’s opted for the elegant hairstyle. Here, the celeb-loved artist shares an exclusive tip with Bustle on how to recreate the look.

“The look is a modern take on the ballerina bun, with a sleek side part and a twisted bun,” says Liu. “It’s important to make sure you have a really secure and tight base — that’s why I always use ‘the hairtie’ by Útiles Beauty to make sure it’s locked down. I also like to spray the bun with texture spray and layer a flexible-hold hairspray as I twist up the bun to minimize flyaways.”

It’s Become Her Signature For Fall ’24

Saturday Night Live aside, Grande has actually been rocking a variation of this ‘do since as early as spring 2024 — and the pop star has hardly sported anything else since the end of summer.

Days before her appearance on the long-running comedy series, the “true story” singer did all of her SNL promo with the same side part-styled tight bun.

Just ahead of summer’s end in late July, Grande channeled both Audrey Hepburn and Glinda with her pastel pink, structured gown. She showed off the dress with her honey blonde hair in the exact same side part ballerina bun, this time adorned with a pink ribbon fastened at the bottom.

It’s so good witch-chic.