Ariana Grande turns lipstick test into a sweet kissing challenge with Ricky Alvarez

Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez have given fans a glimpse of their rekindled romance, with the couple sharing several kisses in a new promotional video for the singer's beauty brand. The two teamed up for a fun social media challenge in which Alvarez had to identify the lip products Grande was wearing simply by kissing her.

Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez beauty challenge

The video, posted on R.E.M. Beauty's Instagram account on November 7, quickly turned into a playful exchange, with the couple enjoying several affectionate moments along the way.

The challenge, titled "What's on my lips?", began with Grande explaining the rules. Alvarez, however, had a different take on it, joking, "Or what's on my girlfriend's lips, really."

With a beanie covering his eyes, Alvarez had to rely on his sense of touch and taste to figure out which products Grande had applied. The singer, who was seated on his lap, started by putting on a layer of lip gloss before leaning in to kiss him.

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Alvarez was quick to ask for another kiss, saying, "Oh, I need more." Grande obliged before playfully ruling out one of his guesses with, "That's not Blur Butter."

He eventually settled on Glossy Balm, explaining his reasoning: "It has to be Glossy Balm. I don't have a tingle yet. I also just ate spicy ramen, so I feel like the pores would be open. I feel like it might hit me quicker, so I think I'm gonna go with Glossy Balm."

Grande confirmed that he had identified the product correctly. The couple then moved on to the next rounds, with Alvarez attempting to identify more lip products, including a plumping gloss and a shade called Jello Sandals.

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There was also an extra round to the challenge that had a product in it that hadn’t been released yet. Alvarez had to guess, not seeing the products, but he managed to get the answer right.

Ariana Grande and Ricky Alvarez's relationship

Grande and Alvarez's romance goes back several years. The two first met when Alvarez worked as a backup dancer during the singer's Honeymoon Tour in 2015. They began dating that year but parted ways in 2016, remaining friends in the years that followed.

Their relationship was brought back into focus in 2026, when the pair were spotted hanging out together during Grande's Eternal Sunshine Tour. Speculation about a possible reconciliation gained momentum in June when they were seen having lunch together in Austin, Texas.

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They subsequently made their relationship public on Instagram in August.

Grande also appeared to hint at their renewed romance during a June 26 concert at Austin's Moody Center. While performing her 2018 hit Thank U, Next, she altered the lyrics originally referring to Alvarez.

Instead of singing, "Wrote some songs about Ricky / Now I listen and laugh," she performed, "Wrote some songs about Ricky / I know he's still got my back."

She made another change to the lyrics during the final show of her tour in September, singing, "Wrote some songs about Ricky / I'm tryna make him my last."

The singer has also offered fans glimpses of their relationship through social media. In an Instagram photo dump shared on November 2, Grande included a picture of the two looking into each other's eyes, along with another image showing her kissing Alvarez on the forehead.