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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Lifestyle
Marissa DeSantis

From Kylie Jenner to Ariana Grande, the biggest beauty transformations of the decade

Everyone loves a good beauty moment. But with so many red carpets , festivals and screen and stage performances on constant rotation, keeping up with all of the major looks from the past ten months can be overwhelming enough, let alone the past ten years.

Sure, some celebrities have debuted headline-making switch ups that are hard to forget, but others have made changes so slowly over the years, you hardly noticed a thing at the time.

Ahead, you’ll find some of the decade’s most noteworthy beauty transformations, from Kylie Jenner to Emma Watson .

Kylie Jenner

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She may be the youngest of the Kardashian/Jenner crew, but Kylie Jenner has arguably had the most transformations over the last 10 years. In 2010, she was only about 13-years-old, appearing on red carpets with a more natural look that almost always included glossy lips. By 2013, Jenner was experimenting with bolder lipstick choices and a variety of extensions and ombré hair colors.

But it was 2014 that ushered in more dramatic changes with plumped up lips and an array of hair choices over the past five years that have seen Jenner go from a sleek platinum blonde bob to waist-length, jet black waves (and every rainbow color in between) more times than we could keep track of. All of those hair switch ups have come with some equally impressive makeup experiments, which comes as no surprise given the success of her Kylie Cosmetics brand.

Kendall Jenner

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Kendall Jenner hasn’t tried out nearly as many beauty looks as younger sis Kylie, but since her teenage years in 2010, she’s still had a pretty drastic transformation. Now 24, Jenner’s facial features have changed considerably, which she’s said are not the result of plastic surgery. “As a model, why would I have my face reconstructed? It doesn’t even make sense,” she wrote on her website in 2017.

Her hair has had some big moments, too. In 2016, she cut her longer hair into a lob for the September cover of Vogue, and by the following winter, she went for an even shorter bob cut. She even sported some makeovers on the runway, most notably going blonde in 2016 during the Balmain Paris Fashion Week show and again in 2019 for the Burberry London Fashion Week show (both wigs, of course).

Bella Hadid

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Though it’s hard to imagine not seeing the model front every other major clothing campaign, in 2010, Bella Hadid was just 14-years-old, and very much unknown. Naturally, her face has changed as she’s grown up, but there have also been claims from experts that Hadid’s current features (most specifically, her nose, lips and cheekbones) are thanks to surgical enhancements.

Hadid has denied having any surgical procedures or fillers, telling InStyle in 2018, “People think I got all this surgery or did this or that. And you know what? We can do a scan of my face, darling. I’m scared of putting fillers into my lips. I wouldn’t want to mess up my face.”

But one thing that’s certainly changed over the decade is her hair. The natural blonde has been dyeing her hair brunette for as long as we can remember, but her waist-length hair in 2010 is now a much shorter chin-length bob.

Lady Gaga

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At the decade’s start, if there was a red carpet that Lady Gaga would be walking, you could guarantee a head-to-toe statement-making look. Take for example, her 2010 Grammys beauty - which was actually fairly reserved for the singer. A blonde and neon yellow ombré wig was fixed over the fitted hood of her glitter galaxy ensemble. And Gaga’s makeup was also striking, with bubblegum pink lips, dark smoky eyes and super-defined brows.

We don’t think she’ll ever entirely give up her love for over-the-top looks (we hope not at least). But she’s certainly embraced more understated beauty looks since 2010, as evidenced by her no-makeup makeup for the 2019 Grammy Awards that added just a touch of drama with dark eyeshadow smudged on the outer corners of her eyes only.

Kristen Stewart

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Kristen Stewart was most well known for her role as Bella Swan in the Twilight series in 2010, but since then, the actress has diversified her resume with independent and mainstream film roles. And her beauty look has evolved accordingly. At the start of 2010, Stewart mainly kept her Twilight character’s longer dark hair and loose waves even off screen.

Post-series, she switched up her look, going a copper color that she eventually chopped into a short pixie and dyed platinum before completely shaving her hair into a buzz cut in 2017. Now, the Chanel muse appears to be keeping the pixie cut and embracing bold eyeliner looks on the red carpet, too.

Emma Watson

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It was in late 2010 that Emma Watson marked the end of filming the Harry Potter series in a major way - a pixie haircut. Since the big chop, the 29-year-old has let her hair grow out to a just-below-the-shoulders length, trying out baby bangs along the way and a variety of bolder makeup looks (and hair accessories).

Beyoncé

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Queen B has tried out countless makeup and hair looks since her Destiny’s Child days in the ‘90s. But by 2010, the well-established solo singer had landed on her honey blonde hair, constantly playing with how it was styled. Going from long, natural curls to a brief moment with a textured bob in 2015, by the start of 2020, Beyoncé was back to ultra-long hair with highlights.

Ariana Grande

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Before finding her signature slicked back pony, Ariana Grande’s beauty look was best defined by the bright red hair color she wore on the Nickelodeon TV show Victorious. On the occasions Grande would opt for a ponytail in the beginning of the decade, it was never the ultra-high, sleek version that’s since become the focal point of her beauty look. And it would often be paired with barely-there makeup.

As the now 26-year-old’s music career began taking off, the ‘Thank U, Next’ singer made matte nude lips and a black cat eye part of her regular makeup look. She also dyed her hair back to its natural darker brown color and added in extensions for a waist-length high ponytail (though she would make a few platinum appearances towards the end of the decade).

Rihanna

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In 2010, Rihanna was still relatively new to the red carpet game. But the singer never shied away from a bold look. A pixie cut with swooping bangs and plenty of blonde highlights was how the now 32-year-old singer started out 2010.

There would be countless hair and makeup looks over the next ten years, including bright red hair, a jet black bob and every shade of lipstick you can imagine - perhaps the latter of which inspired her to create her own cosmetics line, Fenty Beauty, in 2017? To finish out the decade, Rih opted for Fulani braids and neutral makeup at the British Fashion Awards, before bringing back her long, sleek hair at the start of 2020.

Zendaya

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2010 was a big year for Zendaya, who was just 14 when her Disney show Shake It Up premiered. The budding actress and singer kept her hair and makeup simple for her appearances, but as she grew up, the Euphoria actress became one of the red carpet’s most versatile celebs. Though she’s rounding out the decade with longer natural curls and fresh-faced makeup, over the decade, Zendaya has sported a dark bob with bangs and a plum lip, dreadlocks and even a blonde mullet.

Katy Perry

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In the beginning of the decade, Katy Perry’s beauty looks were most defined by her ever-changing hair colors (a pioneer of the rainbow hair movement if you will). In between the multi-colored looks, Perry always came back to the original jet black hair from her ‘I Kissed A Girl’ days.

That is, until 2017 when she went blonde for the first time. Going from long waves to a super-short pixie (and every length in between), Perry appears to be growing out her platinum hair now.

Taylor Swift

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Taylor Swift was still a country singer in 2010, and her long blonde curls were as much a part of her onstage look as her guitar. As Swift grew up and made the cross over to pop music, she began to develop a new signature beauty look by 2014 - red lips and a blonde lob with bangs.

But even with her go-to hair and makeup set, TSwift still had a few transformations up her sleeve, cutting her hair into a chin-length bob in 2016 and even trying an edgier platinum blonde color with vampy lips for a very brief period of time in the spring of 2016.

Kesha

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Glitter was as essential to Kesha’s beauty look as the $ was to her name in 2010. But the ‘Raising Hell’ singer dropped both as the decade progressed (though she’ll never fully let go of the glitter, thankfully), and she even dyed her hair signature blonde hair a dark brown shade in 2019 that she paired with choppy bangs and a classic red lip.

Zoe Kravitz

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Zoe Kravitz’s acting career was just starting out in 2010, and her bold beauty looks that we’ve come to know and love were yet to be created. In her early 20s when she first arrived on the scene, Kravitz was most often pictured with her dark hair styled straight in a shoulder-length cut and barely-there makeup.

As the decade progressed, she became more adventurous, going between platinum and dark hair colors in short pixie cuts or waist-length dreadlocks, accompanied by a series of bold lips and fresh-faced makeup looks.

Miley Cyrus

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In 2010, Miley Cyrus was most well known for her blonde hair and bangs as Hannah Montana on the Disney channel hit. But that long hair and blunt bangs combo was all thanks to a wig, and in real life, Cyrus was a brunette.

Over the course of the decade, the now 27-year-old took baby steps towards a bolder look. She started by adding highlights to her long hair before chopping it into a bob. By late 2012, Cyrus debuted a platinum blonde pixie that she would rock (in varying lengths) for the next few years, growing it out by the end of the decade and bringing back the bangs.

Selena Gomez

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Though she was still a Disney channel kid in 2010 (Wizards of Waverly Place, anyone?), Selena Gomez was well on her way to establishing both her singing and acting careers. At the start of the decade, an 18-year-old Gomez wore minimal makeup and her hair in a jet black shade that she often switched between long and shoulder-length (trying a range of different dark colors as well).

Then, in 2017, the ‘Lose You To Love You’ singer had her most dramatic (and most short-lived) hair makeover yet with a platinum blonde bob, eventually going back to her roots. For 2020, Gomez debuted a choppy, shaggy layered mid-length cut that her hairstylist said was inspired by Friends' Rachel Green and actress Goldie Hawn in The First Wives Club.

Jennifer Lawrence

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Jennifer Lawrence was still relatively new to the acting world in 2010, and her beauty look gave us beachy vibes with dark blonde hair, loose waves and fresh-faced skin. By 2011, she’d gone a lighter blonde shade before dyeing her hair a rich brown for her starring role in The Hunger Games series. She would eventually go back to blonde, cutting her hair into a lob before taking the plunge to a super-short pixie in 2013. Experimenting with an array of bold lips along the way, Lawrence dyed her hair platinum as it grew out.

Margot Robbie

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Actress Margot Robbie’s biggest film roles (and beauty makeovers) were still a few years away in 2010. When she first began making red carpet appearance, the Australian-native loved a deep tan with softer makeup and her blond hair pulled back. In 2014, Robbie joined the dark side for a movie role, dyeing her hair a rich brown shade that she paired with a plum lip at the Oscars that year. As she made the transition back to blonde, the Once Upon A Time In Hollywood actress began playing with her look more, trying out a variety of bright lips and even eyeshadows as the length and color of her hair changed ever so slightly.

Jennifer Lopez​

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JLo’s highlighted hair and penchant for bronze makeup and glowing skin may be long established, but the 50-year-old’s beauty look has seen some subtle changes this past decade. In 2010, the singer, actress and entrepreneur sported more textured waves that were darker in color with a touch of caramel. As the decade progressed, JLo’s hair would get blonder in color (and occasionally, it would get longer, too).

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