Britney Spears made Chris Appleton‘s dream come true.
The celebrity hairstylist, 42, collaborated with Spears, 44, on a new look in what he called a “full-circle” moment in a sweet Instagram tribute that he posted on Monday, June 1.
“As a kid growing up in England, Britney Spears was the soundtrack to so many moments. Never in a million years did I think I’d one day be standing behind the chair (or in this case her standing behind mine, lol) styling her hair,” the celebrity hairstylist began the caption.
“Some moments really do come full circle,” he continued. “She is not only an icon, but one of the most genuinely kind and gentle souls I’ve ever met.”
Appleton’s heartfelt Instagram caption accompanied a selfie he snapped with Spears, who held up several different curling tools behind the hairstylist for the photo. She playfully stuck her tongue out for the pic, while he smiled at the camera.
In the photo, the “Gimme More” singer’s hair was pin-straight and parted down the middle in her signature blonde color. Appleton rocked his dirty blonde locks, which were styled in an effortless, sun-bleached and windswept aesthetic.
Appleton also uploaded the picture to his Instagram Stories. He added Spears’ 1998 hit, “…Baby One More Time,” as the background music.
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Collaborating with Spears has been a long time coming for Appleton, who previously opened up about his desire to work with the “Circus” singer on his social media several times.
In June 2025, the hairstylist responded to an Instagram user who commented: “Pleaseeee do Britney Spears hair!!! She needs new hairstylist asap 😭 😭 😭.”
“Absolutely,” Appleton replied. “I’d so be down to do Britney, but you know what? If I was going to do her hair, it wouldn’t just be like a little touch up thing. It would have to be like a whole revamp. I feel like she’s been through enough. She deserves some big, major comeback hair.”
He added, “We love Britney Spears… Alright, I’ll do it. Challenge accepted.”
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In another TikTok video, Appleton — who’s worked with everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Kim Kardashian — responded to another user who loved the idea of him working with Spears. In response, he suggested they “campaign” to make it happen.
“Let’s campaign to get Appleton on Britney. Full makeover, or you know, just bring it back. Let’s bring Britney back,” he said in the clip.
In a third social media post, Appleton — who was proudly wearing his Spears’ shirt in the videos — polled his users on which era of the pop singer they loved most, asking if they preferred the “Oops!…I Did It Again” era or the “I’m a Slave 4 U” era.
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“That’s my personal favorite,” he said of the latter. “The ‘Slave 4 U’ hair was so hot. I feel like it was so ahead of its time. The wet look, it was like sexy, piece-y, she had the bangs.”
Fans of the hairstylist, including Appleton’s celebrity clients, flocked to his comment section on Instagram to show their love and support once the team-up finally happened.
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