Ariana Grande is the queen of long, thick, flowing locks and is notoriously known for her classic voluminous high ponytail. What began as a hairstyle created to hide her damaged hair due to excessive dying, has now become part of her identity. We love Ari's ponytail so much we just had to try to recreate a similar hairstyle, inspired by the Dangerous Woman herself. If you follow Ariana, you'll notice that she has many variations of her iconic ponytail so if you want to change your pony up, find out how to create a different ponytail for any occasion by clicking here.
If you’d like to rock Ari's other iconic hairstyle, the voluminous half-up ponytail, check out this tutorial.
So, what's the story behind Ariana Grande's ponytail?
Ari's iconic ponytail came from years of evolution. In an interview with insider.com, she confessed that the ponytail was always a hairstyle she was comfortable with from when she was young, and admired how easy it was to style it in different ways, including this crimped variation below.
Ariana explained that she never expected it to become such a large part of her identity, especially since the Ariana Grande ponytail originally was born as a way to hide her damaged baby hairs due to consistently dyeing her hair red while filming Nickelodeon's hit show “Victorious.” This just goes to show you that even celebrities opt for a ponytail when they’re not having the best hair day. Reassuring, isn't it?
A little celebrity tip? To combat the hair damage and dryness, Ari swears by applying coconut oil to her hair to keep it smooth and hydrated. This also helps achieve that slicked back look.
The new face of Givenchy
Just a few days ago, Ariana was featured in Givenchy’s newest campaign featuring a silhouette of her iconic ponytail. The new face of the brand is photographed in different runway outfits including a business inspired look, all while rocking her slicked back ponytail, showcasing how the classic ponytail hairstyle can be paired with any outfit, and any occasion.
#ARIVENCHY began trending worldwide a few days ago, exciting fans for what's to come. The brand says they wanted to express elegance, individuality and empowerment, three characteristics that Ariana embodies fully, and her support for women empowerment can be seen through the clothing styles presented, as she embraces blazers and bold colours. But, her sense of individuality at the end of the day comes from her famous ponytail.
How to create a voluminous high ponytail, inspired by Ariana Grande
If you aren't blessed with long, thick hair, a quick trick to achieve a longer thicker ponytail instantly is to add clip-in hair extensions. In this tutorial, Catherine uses her Seamless Blonde Balayage Luxy Hair extensions to achieve extra thickness and length, to get as close as possible to Ari's iconic hairstyle.
You'll also need heat protectant spray, a hair elastic, a hair straightener and some hairspray. If you can get your hands on some smoothing oil, apply this to your hair while it’s damp and blow dry it straight before styling, to get a sleek finish at the end.
Step 1
Begin by applying a heat protectant spray to your hair and brushing through thoroughly to evenly distribute the product throughout your hair.
Step 2
Section and straighten your hair to achieve a super sleek look. Divide the hair into horizontal layers and once smooth, bring the next section down. You’ll be sure to get every strand with this method. Brush once more before moving onto the next step.
Step 3
Grab the front section of your hair and brush forward. This should be about a 2-3 inch part at the front of your head. Tie it loosely to keep separate from the rest of your hair. This will help with inserting the extensions later.
Step 4
Gather a section of hair at the crown of your head and create a small ponytail. This should be about a centimeter thick and will be referred to as the “base ponytail” that the rest of the hairstyle will revolve around. We recommended to use a thin elastic band to keep the tie easily hidden.
Step 5
Pre-straighten your hair extensions, and then insert a 4-clip weft directly under the base ponytail. Ensure that you insert it upside down, to prevent lumps and bumps when you eventually tie all your hair up. Section a layer underneath the weft and insert another 4-clip weft, once again upside down. This will add that mega volume and length to your ponytail, Ariana Grande style.
Step 6
On top of the base ponytail, insert a 3-clip weft, this time clipped in facing downward. To even out the look, add two 2-clip wefts on each side of your head also facing downward.
Step 7
Once the extensions have been secured, gather all of your hair into a high ponytail, covering all the wefts. Lightly brush your hair to smooth out any bumps and to ensure the extensions are hidden. Tie the ponytail into place.
Step 8
The final touches are the most important part of this look. Begin teasing the ponytail in layers for added volume and hairspray any flyaways back for a sleek finish. As mentioned before, you can also add a tiny bit of Coconut oil for an even sleeker look. In order to hide the hair elastic, grab a piece of your hair and wrap it around the elastic, then the piece in underneath the elastic.
If you feel as though your hair is too tight, or your scalp is getting tender, opt for a higher ponytail, as it tends to take away the added pressure. Another perk? It will give you a guaranteed facelift for the night!
Is Ariana Grande's ponytail this generation's newest style craze? What do you think of our inspired interpretation? Have any other questions on how to achieve this look? Let us know in the comments below.
Written by: Caroline Akawi
