We Wore Ariana Grande's Giant Ponytail For A Week And Some Pretty Interesting Things Happened

    "The pony is making me do things I've never done before."

    by Krista Torres, Shila Farahani, Kaylin Burke
    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed

    Photography by Jessica Chanen.

    Hi, we're Kailyn, Krista and Shila, and our ponytails are clearly not as impressive as Ariana Grande's.

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    But – like the rest of the world – we adore her, her music, and her iconic ponytail.

    So, we decided to challenge ourselves to wear her high ponytail, dress like her, and wear high-glam makeup for a week.

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed

    To give us the complete look, we met with Ariana's tour stylist Cesar DeLeon Ramirez and one of her makeup artists, Daniel Chinchilla.

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    BuzzFeed

    After having my hair done and having the glam squad do my makeup, I felt like an actual celebrity. Cesar even used a toothbrush to slick it back to make sure it looked as smooth as possible. He used these bungee hair ties to put my hair in the ponytail because my hair is already so thick. It took three people and forty-five minutes to get that pony on. The pony was so tight, it felt like I got a facelift.

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    I was shocked when I saw myself in the mirror! Ever since I was little, I always wanted long, thick hair, but my hair is very fine so once it gets to a certain length the ends just kind of break off. So, actually seeing a ponytail like Ariana's on my head felt pretty cool.

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    I've been natural for three years, so when I turned around in the chair, I felt like a different person! I haven't seen myself with straight hair in years so it was wild to see a completely different hairstyle. I felt so glam!

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    Jessica Chanen / Via jessicachanen.com
    Jessica Chanen / Via jessicachanen.com

    The photoshoot was so much fun! I was trying to feature and work the ponytail as much as I could. With the outfits, the pony, and the makeup, I totally felt like Ariana.

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    Jessica Chanen / Via jessicachanen.com
    Jessica Chanen / Via jessicachanen.com

    I'll be honest, I was pretty nervous about trying to recreate the stool pic, a) because I've never had my pictures taken with that much of my body exposed and b) because I knew I had to balance while trying to pose exactly like her. Also, Ariana rarely smiles in pictures and smiling is my go to, so I kept having to just try and relax my face. Serious poses are harder than they look!

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    Jessica Chanen / Via jessicachanen.com
    Jessica Chanen / Via jessicachanen.com

    I truly felt like a pop star during the shoot. It was a lot of fun to channel Ari's "Dangerous Woman" vibes and create three dramatic looks with the different outfits. The pony made me feel fierce AF and I don't think my makeup has ever looked better. My cheek bones were lit as can be!

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed

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    Pablo Valdivia / Via Instagram: @pablovaldivia

    Shila: I've been using a toothbrush like Cesar did to keep my hair smooth, but it also just feels nice on your scalp! It massages your hair cuticles. I feel like my pony is still super tight, it's not really falling out at all. I also invested in a nice wrap and it's been keeping my hair in place at night really well.

    Krista: I was doing so well on doing my makeup the first few days, but I am getting tired of having to get up so early! I am even over-lining my lips and I feel like a damn Kardashian-Ariana hybrid. I've also never gone this long without washing my hair and I just want to wash it so bad. I feel like it's starting to look greasy, so I sprayed some dry shampoo on the roots.

    Kaylin: My hair been staying in tact pretty well with the braids, but I had to buy some edge cream because the hair around my hairline was starting to come out. It helped a lot, but my head still hurts like hell!

    Shila: When I went into work, the pony was the center of attention. People did not see me, they saw the pony. I felt so glamorous, though, so I just tried to channel my inner celebrity all day. I kept having to reapply my makeup to keep the glam look fresh.

    Krista: I didn't know what to expect – but that being said – I work at BuzzFeed so it's not unusual to see people dolled up or dressed crazy on any given day so I was less nervous. Most my coworkers could tell I was dressed like Ariana Grande right away. Being out in public was a little different, some random man shouted at me, "Work it, baby, work it! Oh yeah!"

    Kaylin: I walked into work like a damn celebrity! Everyone wanted to touch the ponytail and everyone was ogling at it. I had braids, so I felt like mine was extra tight. I had to tell people to stop touching it because it hurt if they ran their fingers through it. Definitely a different feeling than my curly fro!

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    BuzzFeed

    Shila: The first night, I attempted to wrap my ponytail with a scarf so it would stay in place, but the scarf fell out in the middle of the night. The pony still stayed in pretty well and I was able to make it look pretty close to how Cesar styled it the day before.

    Krista: The ponytail is SO HEAVY my neck feels sore. When I "styled" it this morning, I really just teased it and curled some strands. I had to use a lot of hairspray to keep my baby hairs from popping out, though.

    Kaylin: I am in full Ariana mode, so the fact that the pony is itchy and hurting my head doesn't really phase me – yet. I wrapped it up last night and it was pretty much the same this morning. I spent a lot longer than I usually do doing my makeup though.

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    BuzzFeed

    Shila: I feel like I've fully transformed into Ariana! I've been trying different looks I've seen her wear on her Instagram and album covers. I really am just embracing her whole look and persona. I've even had some people do a double-take when I'm out doing things during the day.

    Krista: I've definitely been stepping outside my comfort zone and wearing outfits that I wouldn't normally wear. I almost feel like a different person – the pony is making me do things I've never done before! But, having to get my son ready in the morning and then trying to leave enough time to get myself ready is getting harder and harder. Not to mention the fact that I'm super tired every morning because getting a good night's sleep with this thing on your head is pretty impossible.

    Kaylin: Doing regular activities with the ponytail is kind of hard, lol. I went to Disneyland yesterday and I felt like I had to protect it so it wouldn't get ruined on certain rides. Also, the top of the pony, where my actual hair is peeking out, is starting to turn into a little frizz ball.

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    BuzzFeed

    Shila: This process has been so much fun, but it's so much work! I am ready to take this pony off my head. Doing the makeup and up-keeping the hair every single day has been very time consuming for sure, I am ready to just relieve some pressure on my head from this pony.

    Krista: I know this was probably a bad idea, but I ran and then I was sweaty and then my head was itchy – and I've already been dying to wash my hair – so I decided to shampoo the pony. It actually went over pretty well, don't @ me in the comments! I was able to shampoo the actual ponytail and brush it out just fine, people. The downside was that all my baby hairs started frizzing out on my scalp. But, we are nearing the end so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

    Kaylin: The pony is hard work! I think it's super fun for a few days, but we are on day five now and honestly, I don't know how Ariana wears this nearly every day. I've been trying to keep my makeup on-point as well, so my morning routine has pretty much went from twenty minutes to an hour and I am ready to be back to normal!

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed

    Here is the "Side-to-Side" video for reference.

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    BuzzFeed

    Shila: Trying to look sexy while working out is NOT easy. Props to Nicki and Ariana for flawlessly pulling this off in their music video. It was definitely uncomfortable to ride a bike in a bodysuit while people record you.

    Krista: The soul cycle day was definitely an.... experience. I do not cycle – let alone cycle in a little bodysuit – so I was out of breath after one song because I could not pace myself on that damn bike! Trying to do those moves on a bike (without sweating) is not easy. Also, no one should have to workout in real life with full hair and makeup, it's miserable.

    Kaylin: I felt dangerous! Haha, no, I was really actually kind of nervous at the beginning being in that tiny leotard. But, afterwards I felt strong and confident... The only downside was how sore my legs were!

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    BuzzFeed

    Shila: I didn't have tape-in extensions like the other girls, I just had the clip-in ponytail, so it was pretty easy to get out. I just unclipped it and took all the bobby pins out. Everything was out within ten minutes – and I instantly felt relief on my head!

    Krista: By the end of this, my hair was a tangled mess. It literally took me an entire day to get these extensions out. I started with rubbing alcohol and when that didn't work, I ran to the store to get canola oil. Then I wrapped my head in foil with the canola oil for like two hours because I had no idea what the hell I was doing. Finally, I got everything out and no joke I felt like I lost about 1/3 of my own hair.

    Kaylin: One of Cesar's tips for removing the hair was to use rubbing alcohol. Well, the only thing I had was vodka, so my roommate helped me use that. It took forever, and it actually felt like one of the bobby pins was implanted in my brain. They were all coming out bent. But, finally, we were able to get the extensions and the pony out and I felt sweet relief on my head.

    Nicole Ench / Via BuzzFeed
    Jessica Chanen / Via jessicachanen.com

    Shila: Overall, this was such a fun experience. I felt like I got a little taste of what it's like to be a pop star, and there's a lot that goes into it. I have so much respect for what Ariana does for her career. She actually started wearing the high ponytail because her hair was so damaged from dying it in her Nickelodeon show, so the only hairstyle that worked for her was the high ponytail. It has taught me that sometimes what you think is a fault can end up becoming one of your biggest assets.

    Krista: No lie, I kind of got a little attached to the ponytail throughout this experience. I can understand how some people with really long hair think of it as a comfort now. When it came to up-keeping the whole "glam" look, it was tiring! Even though someone is doing Ariana's for her, it still made me respect the hell out of what she does. There's a whole process that goes into being a pop star: the makeup, the hair, the clothes, and the overall aesthetic you have to keep up. It's a lot and she manages it all like a boss! One thing I also realized is that I worry a lot about what other people think. Instead of wearing the pony proudly when I was doing certain things – like walking my son to school – I would get extremely nervous that other parents were judging me. I feel like the best lesson I am taking away from this experience is to just be myself and not worry what others think.

    Kaylin: Looking back on this whole experience, it was super cool to literally have a ponytail that was made just for me. My hair is always curly and short, so having a long, straight pony pretty much made me feel like a different person. When you have that drastic of an outer appearance change, it almost makes you act different and I definitely felt like I was a different person throughout this. But, man, maintaining a pony like Ariana's is not easy. She wears it so flawlessly and if it is hurting her head, like it did mine, you definitely can't tell.