Charli XCX and Ariana Grande say fillers are 'over' – here's what they do instead
Ariana Grande caused a furore recently when she thanked "Botox and Juvederm" (a type of filler), for keeping her looking young and fresh.
The Wicked star has since confirmed that she was joking and she hasn't had any filler or Botox for four years, calling herself "clean" of the injectables.
The Glinda actress hasn't denounced aesthetics for good though, sharing: "When I start going again, I'll let you know. I mean it. I really want to be transparent as a beauty founder, as the founder of R.E.M. Beauty — I think it's important to have transparency."
Ari isn't the only popstar who has recently denounced filler, with Brat musician Charli XCX telling a fan: "I got fillers once or twice but a while ago but honestly I think fillers are kind of over now."
Explaining that she still loves an injectable, the 32-year-old shared she has Botox injected, as well as buzzy treatment, polynucleotides.
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"I do this thing called polynucleotides, they're injections in your face —kind of like deep vitamins," she explained.
What are polynucleotides?
Charli's explanation of polynucleotides is fairly accurate. I'd describe them as injectable skincare, others call them skin-boosters.
Made from salmon sperm, polynucleotides support collagen and elastin production without adding volume – creating natural, undetectable results.
Polynucleotides injectables are particularly good for addressing early signs of aging, improving skin elasticity and reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
READ: Polynucleotides: the coveted skin treatment doctors claim is the future of aesthetics
Polynucleotides are considered great for preventative care, supporting cell renewal to stop signs of ageing in their tracks. They offer slower results than Botox or filler, because they work at a cellular level, meaning the benefits won't be visible for several months.
Ariana Grande's changing relationship with aesthetics
During her Wicked press tour, Ariana said she'd felt scrutinised her whole life, as if she was in a "petri dish", and she told Vogue in 2023 that she has a complicated relationship with fillers, sharing: "I've had a tonne of lip filler over the years, and Botox. I stopped in 2018 because I felt [it was] too much," adding she felt she was using injectables to "hide."
The Positions singer said: "For a long time beauty was about hiding and now it's not. Since I stopped getting fillers and Botox, I wanted to see my well-earned cry lines and smile lines. Aging can be such a beautiful thing."
Ariana went on to quip "I might get a facelift in 10 years, but these are just thoughts I feel like we should be able to discuss."
Another beauty founder honest about her use of injectables is Selena Gomez. The Emilia Perez star came across a video on TikTok which saw a content creator speculate on the work she'd had done, forcing Selena to reply in the comments. "Honestly I hate this. I have Botox. That's it. Leave me alone."
Along with Ariana Granda and REM beauty, as the founder and face of her cosmetics brand, Rare Beauty, it's important that Selena be open that it's not just her (admittedly fabulous) 'Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer' or viral 'Positive Light Liquid Luminizer' that make her look so gorgeous, but a little helping hand from aesthetic doctors.
Selena's (and Charli's, for that matter) realness about her injectable usage will help to reassure those of us filling our online baskets with her brand that it's not just clever lighting and incredible formulas making her look so brilliant.
"Being open about treatments educates and reduces dangerous feelings of comparison and inadequacy," says advanced aesthetic nurse practitioner Emma Wedgwood. "It’s normal for skin to show signs of ageing, it’s normal to have scarring and it’s normal for skin to breakout and have texture. But when we're constantly bombarded with images of celebrities with none of these things and no transparency as to why, it can cause very real feelings of self doubt and inadequacy."
Here's hoping 2025 sees more famous faces being upfront about how they look so gorgeous.
