'Vanderpump Rules' Ariana Madix Steps Out Smiling with New Hairstyle

"Vanderpump Rules" star Ariana Madix has every reason to hide away and feel sorry for herself, but she's doing the exact opposite ... with a big smile and new hairstyle to show off.

Madix was spotted in Los Angeles Thursday, grinning from ear to ear and sporting a lighter hair color as she waved to cameras before meeting up with a friend.

It's not the first time we've seen Ariana since we broke the news of her split with Tom Sandoval after discovering he'd cheated with Raquel Leviss -- she was recently celebrating a friend's wedding down in Mexico ... but she does genuinely look happy in these pics.

Earlier this week, Ariana broke her silence publicly on the "Scandoval," thanking everyone for the "outpouring of love and support i have received from friends, family, and people i’ve never even met in the last two weeks."

She continued, "to say i have been devastated and broken is an understatement." Finally, issuing a warning with, "What doesn't kill me better run."

The show's cast is gearing up to film what's sure to be a wild reunion in the coming weeks, TMZ broke the story, Raquel recently opened up talks with show producers to figure out whether or not she'll participate in the reunion.