Breaking up is hard to do — but a mane makeover can help transmute that energy from sad or stuck to vibrant and vital. If you need a visual reminder of this tried-and-true technique, look to Demi Lovato, who put a cap on her recent split with an entirely new look defined by ombré blonde and an undercut.

“I did a thing,” captioned Lovato in the first of a series of Instagram shares, each pulling focus to her newly lightened (lack of) lengths. Executed by stylist Amber Maynard Bolt, Lovato’s cut and colour offered a punkish, irreverent air — a stark departure from her menu of glossy waves and shoulder-skimming raven lob. Along with the new style came a beauty look worthy of note: Ample bronzer was coupled with a hazy, elongated wing of black liner, shapely brows, and an over-lined, heavily-glossed peach lip.

The overall effect was striking, and fans and friends alike praised the shift in the comment section. “LOVING THIS NEW ERA ALREADY,” wrote Angelo Kritikos, who photographed the moment. Though in many ways this year has insisted on a standstill, life evidently goes on — and in Lovato’s case, it does so with aplomb.