Why Miley Cyrus Opted For A 'Jellyfish' Haircut For The 2025 Grammys

Miley Cyrus has been stunning the world with dark gowns and dramatic beauty looks this year, and tonight was no different. The singer stepped onto the 2025 Grammys red carpet in a black halter dress designed by Saint Laurent, accompanied by a sultry cat eye and stick-straight blunt bangs. By the time she got to the ceremony, she had already won the Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for 'II Most Wanted,' her Cowboy Carter duet with Beyoncé. And her make-up and hair definitely deserved an award as one of the best beauty looks of the night.

While coming up with the vibe for her make-up, celebrity makeup artist James Kaliardos focused on complementing the Saint Laurent gown as well as how Cyrus felt and what she wanted for the night. 'Miley is the brainstorm,' he tells ELLE. 'We work together to create her makeup look every time. I always want Miley to feel like she is in her own skin, I want her to recognise, in the mirror, a version of herself she wants to be.'

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He began by carefully laying down Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Concealer under the eyes and in the center of the face in thin layers. To keep her skin looking fresh and natural, he then went in with small drops of the Maybelline Super Stay Lumi-Matte Foundation only where she needed some extra coverage. Kaliardos enhanced her cheekbones, temples, and eye crease with the Maybelline Lifter Stix in Neutral Shade 20 before tapping the Maybelline Sunkisser Blush in Rooftop Views on the top of her cheekbones for a kiss of radiance and color.

Then came the main attraction: Cyrus’s alluring eye look. Her blonde brows got a touch of definition and colour thanks to Maybelline’s Superfluff Brow Mousse in Blonde, while her eyelashes went darker with the Maybelline Sky High Mascara in black on the top and the same mascara in brown on the bottom. As for the cat eye, Kaliardos created it by lining Cyrus’s lash line with the Maybelline Tattoo Gel Pencil and smudging it out. He then thickened the liner with the Maybelline Eye Stix in I am Courageous and I Am Rare and sharpened the line with the Maybelline Master Precise eyeliner. Finally, the make-up artist lined Cyrus’s enviable lips with a liner, tint and lip plump.

If you’re recreating this look for one of your events or a night out, Kaliardos recommends locking everything in by powdering the T-zone. 'Plus, bring your lip for touch-ups,' he says. 'Also, take a step back from the mirror and see what needs a little more oomf, then add it.'

Meanwhile, Cyrus’s hair went in a completely different direction from her gravity-defying style for the 2024 Grammys, although it was just as breathtaking. This year, celebrity stylist Bob Recine opted to straighten her blonde and brunette mane, with its bangs and choppy chin-length strands. 'Because we have been working to grow her hair, we really wanted to do the opposite of what we did last year,' Recine tells ELLE.com. He revealed that there were no extensions involved—Recine and Cyrus have been working hard to grow her hair out to her waist, 'and we really wanted to show it off and have her hair down, spilling all over her bare back,' he says.

Because he knew he’d be using some heat on Cyrus’s wet strands, he doused them in Nexxus’s Prep & Protect Heat Defense Spray prior to carefully drying the hair straight with a flat Mason Pearson brush—no flat iron needed. After drying each section, Recine sprayed the Nexus XXL Volume Medium Hold Hairspray onto the brush’s bristles and kept brushing and blow drying the hair from the ends to the crown to ensure that the hair would retain its straight appearance throughout the night. Nexxus’s Epic Shine Anti-Humidity Spray also contributed shine, while the brand’s Repair & Nourish Ultra Lightweight Hair Oil also nourished the strands and added extra luminosity. 'The oil is just really great for the health of hair, especially after blow drying, to give health back to the hair,' Recine says.

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Carol Lee

Associate E-Commerce Writer

Carol Lee is the Associate E-Commerce Writer at ELLE.com, where she covers all things beauty and personal care. Before joining the team, she was an editor at Food Network Magazine and HGTV Magazine and ran the beauty section at The Pioneer Woman. Carol received her bachelor’s degree in Journalism from New York University and was one of the first customers to visit Glossier’s flagship store in New York’s Soho neighborhood. Over the years, she’s tested countless makeup, hair, and skin care products, and written hundreds of articles covering the beauty space, from pieces about the trendiest launches to roundups of the best products on the market. As a Korean-American, she grew up in a sea of Korean makeup and skin care products and is a bona fide expert on the ever-expanding world of K-beauty, helping lead our coverage. Additionally, she’s also always on the hunt for the perfect lipstick and watches the same few comfort sitcoms (Frasier, Cheers, Seinfeld, New Girl, etc.) over and over again.