Ariana Grande and Ricky Álvarez are putting their affection on full display. In a new Instagram Reel posted Nov. 7, the couple turned a promotional challenge for Grande’s makeup brand, R.E.M. Beauty, into a playful make-out session — and gave fans the most candid look yet at their rekindled relationship.
A Blindfolded Kissing Game
The premise was simple: Álvarez, blindfolded by his beanie, had to identify which R.E.M. Beauty lip product Grande was wearing by kissing her. Sitting on his lap, Grande applied a generous layer of gloss before leaning in. Álvarez, 35, quickly asked for another kiss, saying he needed more to make his guess. He then correctly identified the product as Glossy Balm, reasoning that he hadn’t felt the tingling sensation associated with another item — and noting that a recent bowl of spicy ramen might have opened his pores.
From there, Álvarez kept his streak alive, nailing the next two rounds and earning even more smooches. For a bonus round, he guessed a shade that Grande suggested hadn’t been released yet: Holiday Mélange. She laughed and confirmed he was right, adding that the product wasn’t out yet.
Álvarez also showed off his knowledge of the brand’s Italian manufacturing, a detail Grande highlighted in the video’s comments.
A Romance Rekindled
The clip offers a rare public glimpse of the couple’s chemistry. Grande, 33, and Álvarez first dated from 2015 to 2016 after he worked as a background dancer on her Honeymoon Tour. They confirmed their reconciliation in August 2026 after being spotted together earlier that summer.
Since then, Grande has made her feelings clear. During the final show of her Eternal Sunshine Tour in September, she altered the lyrics to “thank u, next,” singing, “Wrote some songs about Ricky / I’m tryna make him my last.”
Before the reunion, she had already begun dropping hints. In June, the two were seen at a group lunch in Austin, and Grande tweaked the same lyric at a concert there, singing, “They still really slap.” A month later, she changed the line to “We always find our way back.” By July 27, she appeared to soft-launch the relationship on Instagram with a post that included a clip of her clinking olives with Álvarez, captioned “petal season continued …….. !”
Grande’s Romantic History
The R.E.M. Beauty video arrives as Grande’s personal life continues to draw attention. She was previously linked to Graham Phillips, Jai Brooks, Nathan Sykes, Big Sean, Mac Miller, Pete Davidson, Dalton Gomez, and Ethan Slater. Her three-year romance with Slater ended in June 2026.
With Álvarez, however, Grande seems to be embracing a second chance — and she’s not shy about showing it, one kiss at a time.
