‘Lioness’ Star Nicole Kidman Swaps the Wigs for Shorter Natural Waves on a Sun-Soaked Italian Escape
Few stars have turned hair into a running storyline quite like Nicole Kidman, and her natural hair has become one of the most talked-about subplots in her recent public life. Between red carpet reinventions and character-driven transformations, fans have learned never to assume what they’re looking at is actually hers.
That reputation is well earned. At the 2025 Met Gala, she debuted a two-tone pixie cut on the red carpet, sending the internet into a frenzy before she confirmed that the look was, in fact, a wig. Not long after, she appeared on the cover of Allure in a striking shaggy red bob with blunt bangs, cementing her status as Hollywood’s resident shapeshifter.
Now the actress has surprised followers once again, this time by keeping things refreshingly real. Kidman shared new photos on Instagram on Thursday from a vacation in Portofino, where she is sporting noticeably shorter hair styled in relaxed, loose waves.
The snaps show her soaking up the sun at the Belmont Hotel on the Italian Riviera. In one photo, Kidman leaned on a table outside the hotel in a white strappy shift dress, her blonde waves tied back in a low ponytail with a few tousled strands framing her face. She completed the look with oval, silver-rimmed sunglasses tinted pink.
Another image offers an even clearer view of the change. She posed on an outdoor sofa in a burnt orange silk slip dress trimmed with white lace, her blonde waves falling around her shoulders and appearing shorter than in other recent appearances. It’s an effortless, lived-in vacation look that feels miles away from her polished premiere personas.
The timing makes sense for a well-deserved break. The actress is coming off a busy summer promoting ‘Practical Magic 2’, the long-awaited follow-up that reunited her with Sandra Bullock. The sequel was set to debut on Sept. 18, 2026, with Bullock and Kidman reprising their roles as sisters Sally and Gillian Owens, who descend from a long line of witches.
Fans of the original will appreciate the full-circle quality here. A natural redhead, Kidman kept that striking color for her role in the first ‘Practical Magic’, though her iconic 1998 hairstyle was also a wig. In other words, even her most beloved hair moments have often been borrowed.
What makes the Portofino photos especially interesting is that they fit into a larger pattern. Earlier this year, InStyle observed that Kidman seemed to be making curls her thing in 2026, consistently sporting her rarely seen natural texture. That shift arrived after a tumultuous fall that saw her announce the end of her marriage to Keith Urban after almost two decades.
Her real texture has been popping up in all kinds of settings. The curls appeared in December when she shared a photo from her daughter Faith’s 15th birthday celebration, and again at a Christmas Eve party in Sydney. In a January Instagram post from a trip to Chile, she wore them in a casual low ponytail under a beige fuzzy cap.
Length has been evolving too. Last fall, she debuted one of her shortest hairstyles in years for a Vogue cover shoot, and around the same time she stepped out at Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week show with new bangs, in her new role as a global ambassador for the brand. The Italian getaway photos suggest the shorter silhouette might be sticking around in a softer, more natural form.
Kidman’s audience has always had strong feelings about this particular side of her. Fans tend to go crazy whenever she lets her natural locks down, with many believing she looks better that way and should keep them permanently. Every unfiltered glimpse feels like a small reward for followers who have tracked her many transformations.
There’s something disarming about seeing one of the most versatile performers in the business simply enjoying a sunny holiday with her own hair doing its own thing. After decades of wigs, extensions, and dramatic character reinventions, the relaxed Riviera look lands as its own kind of statement.
Which Nicole Kidman hairstyle do you prefer?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
