(Celebrity)

Miley Cyrus Has Tried *Every* Edgy Haircut & Color Over The Years

Look back at her best.

by Amanda Ross
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By her mid-20s, Miley Cyrus achieved the kind of pop culture fixture status reserved for multi-generational icons. Part of the appeal? Cyrus reinvents her style and sound nearly every year, rarely doing anything twice. Here, look back at Miley Cyrus’ beauty evolution, from the ethereal to the edgy.

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One year after her major TV debut, Miley Cyrus was a red carpet regular. She loved trendy, of-the-moment looks like flat-ironed side-bangs and teased hair poufs, coupling them with bold eyeshadow and tons of gloss.Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
You can’t talk about Miley Cyrus without talking about Hannah Montana herself. Cyrus regularly performed and made appearances in-character, which she would later say created an “identity crisis” for the young teen. Defined by her streaked blonde wig, Hannah’s look is instantly-recognizable.Clara Molden - PA Images/PA Images/Getty Images
Perhaps to further separate herself from the character, 2008 and 2009 saw Miley Cyrus experiment with darker brunette shades which were often tinged with subtle hints of red.Ian West - PA Images/PA Images/Getty Images
Four years into her Disney tenure, it was clear that an 18-year-old Miley Cyrus was ready to move on to more mature, age-appropriate looks. Her tousled golden curls and shimmery purple eyeshadow at a 2010 award show mark a turn toward a grown-up aesthetic.George Pimentel/WireImage/Getty Images
Fans were so into Miley Cyrus’ sporty topknot, which she wore nonstop for months in 2012, that a Twitter account dedicated exclusively to the bun itself amassed more fans than some actual celebrities. Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images
When Miley Cyrus debuted her internet-breaking pixie cut, the world was stunned — even the bun account tweeted its surprise. Fully shedding her squeaky-clean Disney look a year after her show concluded, it definitively marks Cyrus’ foray into full-fledged adulthood.NBC/NBCUniversal/Getty Images
Miley Cyrus kept that platinum pixie in various forms — including mohawks, undercuts, and those infamous VMAs space buns — for the next few years, but by 2016, she officially grew it out. The change was timed to her return-to-form album Younger Now, which saw the star turn toward retro ‘50s looks.Raymond Hall/GC Images/Getty Images
By 2018, Miley Cyrus seemed to have settled into a sophisticated groove. Making plenty of high-profile appearances with her now-ex-husband Liam Hemsworth, Cyrus often opted to show off her stunning natural wave pattern, illuminated by a golden blonde hair color and retro lipstick shades.John Shearer/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
Smash-cut to 2019 and Miley Cyrus is back on the road to reinvention. In the run-up to her rock-inspired album Plastic Hearts, Cyrus embraced the aesthetic hallmarks of the genre with choppy bangs, sweaty-sultry makeup, and tons of layers.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
A little bit country, a little bit rock-and-roll — but all with Miley Cyrus’ signature touch, of course. 2021 saw Cyrus combine her all-time favorite motifs into one wild wolf cut, which fuses the best parts of the mullet, the shag, and some classic bottleneck bangs.Amy Sussman/WireImage/Getty Images
Miley Cyrus is arguably the millennial icon, so it makes sense that she loves to revive classic ‘00s and ‘10s beauty trends. Her platinum layered lob is seemingly straightforward, but the underside color is a striking jet black — a refreshing move ahead of her new album, Endless Summer Vacation.Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images