She may have just blown out 51 candles on her birthday cake but Kylie Minogue first came to our attention as curly-haired schoolgirl Charlene Mitchell on the long-running soap Neighbours.
As she moved her career from acting to singing, Kylie catapulted into superstardom and with her new-found uber fame came an every-evolving look.
As Australia’s golden girl turns 51, we take a look back at her incredible transformation. From her ’80s perm to her 90s pixie crop, after 30-odd years in showbiz Kylie has tried (and successfully nailed) it all.
“There are lots of times I look in the mirror and I see that gravity has taken hold. Or suddenly see my face on a phone or on Skype and it’s like a Spielberg special effect and you just scream, ‘Who is that?'” the pop princess previously joked.
Keep scrolling to see Kylie Minogue through the years!
Kylie in Sydney in 1980.
1980: Melbourne-born Kylie got her first taste of the entertainment business at age 12, with guest roles in classic Aussie TV shows such as The Sullivans and The Henderson Kids.
Kylie with her Neighbours love interest Jason Donovan in 1987.
1987: Having landed the role as the tomboy car mechanic Charlene Mitchell a year earlier, Kylie quickly became a fan favourite… along with her on-screen (and off-screen) love interest Jason Donovan (who played Scott). Kylie’s hair was peak ’80s during this time – and she has the volume to pull it off.
Kylie at the start of her pop career in 1988.
1988: The hit ‘The Loco-Motion’ skyrocketed up the charts and quickly commanded the attention of British music producers who were keen to groom her into international star. So, after two years on the show, she quit Neighbours and went off to become the pop princess.
Kylie in the Netherlands in 1989.
1989: With two albums under her belt including I Should Be So Lucky and Enjoy Yourself, Kylie was starting to get noticed everywhere – including movie producers who cast her the Australian Drama The Delinquents as the rebellious Lola, helping her shake off that girl-next-door image.
Kylie in 1990.
1990: She recorded a third album Rhythm of Love which included the hit single Better the Devil You Know, once again shaking off her good girl image for a slightly sexy film clip.
Kylie with her INXS frontman boyfriend Michael Hutchence in 1992.
1991: Her curly mop was chopped off into a pixie cut and one of her greatest ever loves was on the scene… INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. They dated for two years from 1989-1991 and remained close friends until his untimely death in 1997.
Kylie on the red carpet in London in 1996.
1996: Another album release, this time simply called Kylie Minogue. It was opriginally meant to be titled Impossible Princess but the shocking death of Princess Diana led Kylie to rename it out of respect. The album was the lowest-selling of her career, although it resonated well in Australia – staying on a charts for a whooping 35 weeks. Kylie strayed from her signature blonde during this time, and really stayed true to ’90s fashion with not only her style but her hair twists – which couldn’t have been more on trend at the time.
A redheaded Kylie in 2000.
2000: New decade, new hair colour we hadn’t seen her try before – just time for her dance anthem album Light Years – featuring the hit single Spinning Around which saw a pair of gold hot pants became international headlines. The curls made a comeback during this time, and for that we were grateful.
Kylie at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2001.
2001: This was Kylie’s year – the year her eighth (and best) album to date was released – Fever, featuring the hit single Can’t Get You Out of My Head. The blonde was back, although with sleeker waves, and the lips were bright. It was an iconic early 2000s look.
Kylie at the 2004 Grammy Awards.
2004: At the Grammy Awards Kylie could have renamed herself the Polished Princess because she looked flawless. Safe to say the introduction of quality hair straighteners around this time helped us all out – no matter of our fame status.
Recovering from breast cancer in 2006.
2006 A year after being diagnosed a breast cancer, which ultimately led to the loss of her hair from chemotherapy, Kylie was back with a style reminiscent of the ’20s flapper era.
Looking relaxed and tousled-haired in 2007.
2007: Fast-forward a year and, now in well and truly in remission, Kylie’s hair was slightly longer and more tousled, and her smile even wider, having released her latest album X after a four-year break.
Kylie Mingoue 2008
2008: It grew long enough to be a bob, and so she style it just like that, complete with sweeping side fringe and a new colour – creamy blonde.
Kylie Mingoue 2010
2010: It might have been a clip-in but the pop princess we knew and loved was back and better than ever at the Jingle Bell Ball. This was the same year she would embark on her biggest tour: Aphrodite: Les Folies Tour.
Kylie Mingoue paris October 2012.
2012: With a slightly more brunette tone in her hair,
Kylie Mingoue in Los Angeles in 2013.
2013: The curl were revived once more for an event in Los Angeles.
Kylie Minogue at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc visits the Cannes Film Festivcal for the 21st amfAR’s Gala in 2014.
2014: Kylie’s signature style was back – warmer honey hair with loose waves.
Kylie Minogue Britain-Australia Society Award at Windsor Castle in 2017.
2017: Kylie headed to Windsor Castle in April to be awarded the Britain-Australia Society Award. She’s spent much of the year working on her album Golden which was released in 2018.
Kylie Minogue at the Queens 90th
Kylie Minogue at BBC Radio 2 in London, England
Just weeks before turning 51, Kylie stepped out in London in an ethereal white ensemble. Looking more stunning than ever, she has wondering whether she’s secretly stumbled across the fountain of youth because she simply does not age.
Kylie Minogue talks about her latest album Golden
