While the Rest of the World Is Chopping Off Their Hair, Selena Gomez Is Keeping It Long
A case for the anti-trend.
If I’m being completely honest, I hate trends. Passing fads contribute to wastefulness, encouraging consumers to buy the latest hot item in order to fit in or garner social media likes. And then, in the blink of an eye, the trend changes, leading makeup products to rot and clothes to end up in the garbage—a practice that contributes to pollution and worsens climate change. Quick-changing trends also pressure people to change their looks based on the desire to fit in, when, in my opinion, beauty and fashion should be methods of self expression and individuality.
Thus, it’s always a breath of fresh air to see anyone—but especially a celebrity—remain steadfast in their signature look rather than blindly following the crowd. At the moment, Selena Gomez is one of the first public figures that comes to mind, because the beloved singer and actress has been growing her long hair out rather than chopping it off like so many of her contemporaries.
Kate Beckinsale, Shay Mitchell, Lady Gaga, and Carey Mulligan are only a few of the celebrities who have gone for short, blunt looks like boy cuts and bobs this winter. And while all of these women look fabulous, I find myself dismayed when everyone—in Hollywood or out—looks just about the same. And while Gomez has certainly participated in the hair lightening trend taking over red carpets and social media, it’s refreshing to see that she’s indulged in trends on her own terms, exclusively adopting the looks that feel authentic to her rather than embracing all of them at once.
If you, too, want to grow your hair out or simply retain the mane you already have, consider investing in hair growth products like vitamins, shampoos, and oils, which are designed to support healthy hair growth and retention from the inside out. You can also channel the showstopping shininess of Gomez’s hair with a premium hair gloss or leave-in conditioner.
Stay In The Know
Marie Claire email subscribers get intel on fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more. Sign up here.
Gabrielle Ulubay is a Beauty Writer at Marie Claire. She has also written about sexual wellness, politics, culture, and fashion at Marie Claire and at publications including The New York Times, HuffPost Personal, Bustle, Alma, Muskrat Magazine, O'Bheal, and elsewhere. Her personal essay in The New York Times' Modern Love column kickstarted her professional writing career in 2018, and that piece has since been printed in the 2019 revised edition of the Modern Love book. Having studied history, international relations, and film, she has made films on politics and gender equity in addition to writing about cinema for Film Ireland, University College Cork, and on her personal blog, gabrielleulubay.medium.com. Before working with Marie Claire, Gabrielle worked in local government, higher education, and sales, and has resided in four countries and counting. She has worked extensively in the e-commerce and sales spaces since 2020, and spent two years at Drizly, where she developed an expertise in finding the best, highest quality goods and experiences money can buy.
Deeply political, she believes that skincare, haircare, and sexual wellness are central tenets to one's overall health and fights for them to be taken seriously, especially for people of color. She also loves studying makeup as a means of artistic expression, drawing on her experience as an artist in her analysis of beauty trends. She's based in New York City, where she can be found watching movies or running her art business when she isn't writing. Find her on Twitter at @GabrielleUlubay or on Instagram at @gabrielle.ulubay, or follow her art at @suburban.graffiti.art
-
We're Catching on to Blake Lively's Favorite High-Low Formula
She wore it twice in two days.
By Hanna Lustig Published
-
Olivia Wilde Says Powerhouse Directors Can Wear Pink Chanel Suits
And still be taken seriously.
By Halie LeSavage Published
-
Katie Holmes Had a Dawson’s Creek Reunion at Her New Broadway Show
One of her old co-stars attended the play's Sept. 17 premiere.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Selena Gomez’s 2024 Emmy Awards Nails Perfectly Match Her Lacquered Lipstick
Add high-shine hair to the mix, and this red carpet look is “effortless elegance.”
By Samantha Holender Published
-
The Moody Red Nail Trend Is an Unexpected Summer Hit
Zendaya and Selena Gomez have already endorsed the off-season shade.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
Selena Gomez’s Custom “Muted Red” Manicure Shade Took 40 Minutes to Create
A maroon nail trend is upon us.
By Samantha Holender Published
-
Selena Gomez Addresses Plastic Surgery Rumors and Botox Use Once and For All: "Leave Me Alone"
She's putting rumors about her appearance to rest.
By Gabrielle Ulubay Published
-
Selena Gomez’s “Orange Julius” Manicure Might Be My Favorite Take on the Jelly Nail Trend
Neon is a neutral, right?
By Samantha Holender Published
-
Selena Gomez Is Wearing a $20 Lipstick on the Cannes Red Carpet
She makes it look so expensive.
By Samantha Holender Last updated
-
Mandy Teefey "Brain Dumps" Into Her 237 Journals to Find Her Calm
Selena Gomez's mom is a self-taught wellness aficionado.
By Iris Goldsztajn Published
-
Selena Gomez's "Love On" Music Video Is Full of French Girl Beauty Moments
She goes fully Parisian in the "Love On" music video.
By Sophia Vilensky Published