The 14 Best Celebrity Hair Transformations of 2016

No matter how you feel about 2016, most of us can agree—we’re ready for a new year. But one thing you can say for 2016? It was THE year for celebrity hair transformations. Perfect platinums, sexy shags, perms(!)—celebs weren’t afraid to switch it up in 2k16. From J. Law to Kylie Jenner, these swoon-worthy makeovers left us wondering, what will they do next? (2017, we’re coming for you!)

1. Taylor Swift

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Apr 14, 2016 at 6:08am PDT

You can’t talk about hair in 2016 without talking about Taylor—especially her shift to platinum for the cover of Vogue. 

…but as much as we loved seeing Tay undergo such a dramatic makeover, the world seemed to breath a collective sigh of relief when she returned to her more natural, ashy blonde.

2. Jennifer Lawrence

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Feb 28, 2016 at 5:40pm PST

To our delight, J. Law went lighter and lighter in 2016, and it all started with this sleek blonde lob she debuted on the Oscars red carpet. ~swoon~

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Apr 14, 2016 at 7:09am PDT

…and then she went even brighter while promoting her new film “Passengers” at CinemaCon. Seriously, can she DO wrong? 

3. Kylie Jenner

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Sep 6, 2016 at 4:43pm PDT

Though short-lived, Kylie’s platinum was one of the most newsworthy makeovers of the year. Why? Because EVERYONE wanted to know how she went from dark to platinum practically overnight. Still curious? Here’s how her colorist did it.

4. Emma Watson

Just in time for the release of her new movie “Beauty and the Beast,” Emma channeled her inner Belle and shifted from her classic bronde shade to a deeper, darker brown in November. Want the look? Here’s how to recreate her color formula.

5. Ariana Grande

Thought Ariana could only rock one hairstyle? You’re not alone…which is why when she added bangs to her signature high pony back in July, the world actually stopped spinning for a second. “Bang Bang,” indeed.

6. Julianne Hough

Julianne has gone through so many hair transformations this year, it was hard to choose just one for this roundup, so here are our top three!

Her Perm

Julianne singlehandedly put perms back on the map this year with her loose, subtle beach wave perm, not only because it was so drastically different from poodle perms of the past, but also because of how heavily lightened she was at the time of the service. Here’s how her stylist, Joe Santy, achieved the impossible.

Her Platinum Blonde

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Nov 20, 2016 at 7:00pm PST

Oh, and then there was that time Riawna Capri made her a gorgeous, icy blonde for the American Music Awards.

Her Shag

 

A video posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on May 7, 2016 at 8:38am PDT

Last but not least, we loved when Jules hopped on the shag train earlier this year. Of course, the ladies at Nine Zero One were responsible, and they gave her a gorgeous beige tone to complement the sexy, layered cut.

7. Halle Berry

Hair tattoos + Halle Berry = maybe the best thing to happen in celebrity hair ever?

8. Zayn Malik

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Feb 9, 2016 at 10:00am PST

Oh, Zayn. We love you for giving us endless hair inspo for those fashion-forward men in our chairs.  

9. Anne Hathaway

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Feb 9, 2016 at 7:03am PST

Do blondes really have more fun? Ask Anne. Back in February when she was still a mom-to-be, she went from a deep brunette to a golden blonde, and the result was so fab!

10. Emma Stone

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Oct 14, 2016 at 1:37pm PDT

OK, so this was a wig. But, just sayin,’ we wouldn’t be mad if Emma made it a permanent thing…

11. Elle Fanning

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Jul 12, 2016 at 10:06am PDT

Normally, drastic celebrity hair transformations are pretty divisive. Not the case with Elle’s dusty rose makeover. EVERYONE seemed to agree—this color is a perfect fit for Elle. Here’s hoping she’ll be back to pink soon! 

12. Tori Spelling

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Jul 3, 2016 at 9:25am PDT

Two words: Guy. Tang. When he transformed Tori’s “bored blonde” into a beautiful pastel rose back in July, people went nuts—including Tori. “I absolutely LOVE it!” she wrote on her blog. “…It feels super feminine but also a little bit edgy, and I am absolutely obsessed with it.”

13. Lily Collins

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Jun 29, 2016 at 1:40pm PDT

Lily would look good in any shade, but this dramatic, raspberry red will probably go down as one of our favorites. Plus, her stylist, Sanna Seppanen, did it in one process. Amazing.

14. Christina Aguilera

 

A photo posted by behindthechair.com (@behindthechair_com) on Jun 7, 2016 at 9:21am PDT

What does a girl want? To look as flawless as Xtina did when she stepped out with fiery red locks earlier this year. Her stylist, Chris Appleton, deserves a gold medal.