Elle Fanning has been the sweet-faced blonde with an infectious smile in nearly everything she’s been in; for Maleficent, in which she played the forever-effervescent Aurora, her bubbly personality worked as perfectly as her fair hair did. But now she’s trying something a little different, and while it’s unclear whether it’s for a role or just because she was ready for a change, she does have the web buzzing.

The 16-year old chopped several inches off her mane and went to a shimmery brunette over the weekend, and now that she’s doing press for The Boxtrolls, photos of the change are spreading online as fall is officially declared the “brunette season”.

Fanning recently weighed in on what makes a girl beautiful, saying she doesn’t go in for the heavy makeup her peers do.

“I just feel like it’s better, looking fresh. It’s also sexier not wearing any makeup at all. Like, honestly, if you talk to guys, they’ll all think that,” she told Teen Vogue.

The brunette trend has officially arrived! Blunt chestnut bob,honey highlights #fallhair #honeyhilites #chestnutbrown http://t.co/OwQUsoheDL

— Visions (@visionshairnail) September 22, 2014

elle fanning looks so great with brown hair

— rhymes with glory (@codenameveritys) September 21, 2014

As for any guys who think they have what it takes to win Elle’s heart? They have to be down for some quirkiness.

“Well, I want a boy to like my weird style. If he doesn’t, then he’s not the right person for me. Because if you start dressing one way and it’s not truly you, then you have to stick to it. Otherwise, you wear your weird thing and then he’s like, “What’s that?” and you’re like, “Well, I like it!” And then you are in an uncomfortable situation,” she said.