Celebrity Coverage
Whitney Houston’s 17 Most Iconic Beauty Moments – Essence
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Sixty-one years ago, Whitney Houston was born. She grew up in New Jersey in a star-studded family — her mother, a two-time Grammy winner, sang backup for Aretha Franklin and her cousin Diona Warwick was a ’60s pop star — reaching for Chaka Khan records to pump up her angelic grooves. Taking a cue from her vocals and sweetness, Houston earned a short lived modeling profession under Wilhelmina after being spotted acting at Carnegie Hall. As beautiful as she was, “Too picky for me,” she told ESSENCE in its 1990 cover story. “You stand there in front of the camera and just smile.”
Now, looking back, the Scout had an actual eye. In 1984 (the 12 months before she released her debut album of the identical name), Houston performed with Jermaine Jackson in New York City wearing a cropped Afro and a sculpted fuchsia blush that matched her matte lipstick. At the 1988 Grammy Awards, her full brows sat above gold eyeshadow and her signature smoky lash line. In the ’90s, her shorter version of Diana Ross’s “Twiggy” lashes were paired with smoky purple makeup, turning the look into her signature take a look at the United Negro College Fund Dinner.
As her afro grew more puffy, she began experimenting with wigs: an asymmetrical bob for the 1999 EMAs on MTV, and a historic blonde updo for the inaugural BET Awards in 2001. In the run-as much as her final years, she attended Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party like a Golden Girl—together with her hair in a shade of brunette and makeup to kick off the evening. Despite her premature death in 2012, Houston’s angelic beauty will remain etched in history (and our hearts) until the tip of time.
In honor of her divine birthday, let’s have a look back at Whitney Houston’s most iconic beauty moments.
Introducing fuchsia makeup
Whitney Houston performed with Jermaine Jackson in New York City wearing her trademark fuchsia makeup and heavily smoky eyes.
Iconic white headband
The then 21-12 months-old previewed the white headband she wore during her performance on the 1991 Super Bowl.
Manicure without hands
Now that bare nails are all the trend, Houston was years ahead of the curve by pairing her no-mani manicure with a hairstyle harking back to Jheri curls.
The image of perfect beauty
She posed with gold eye shadow and deep lipstick on the thirtieth Annual Grammy Awards, where she won awards for Best Album and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
Short, glued eyelashes
She added short, tufted lashes within the Diana Ross “Twiggy” style to her signature combination of fuchsia, pink and smoky eyeliner.
Lipstick Hall of Fame Moment
At the twenty first annual Songwriters Hall of Fame, she traded in her usual purple lipstick for red to be inducted into the hall.
Bang! Bob-ish pixie
Houston paired her short haircut with an asymmetrical bob and a pixie cut, and in addition painted her lips red, added muted purple eye shadow and chocolate blush.
Pigments, pigments, pigments
At a non-public party after her performance at Madison Square Garden, she had the chance to do her hair in an enormous way, wear lipstick and add eye shadow.
Beauty Pageant Queen Coded by Chaka Khan
The beauty queen’s look recalled her idol Chaka Khan’s curly locks on the thirteenth Annual American Music Awards.
Purple under the attention
Instead of eye shadow on her lid, she opted for purple eyeliner on her lower waterline and left the upper line a smoky black.
Whitney Houston Classic
Among Houston’s most historic moments (except for her Super Bowl performance), essentially the most recognizable thing about her performance at the primary annual BET Awards was her dirty-blonde wig and outsized personality.
Deep Tones MTV
At the eighth Annual MTV Movie Awards, she wore her usual makeup look of shades of purple and red, but a darker shade than usual.
Short cut and red lips
Houston sat next to Janet Jackson on the 71st Annual Academy Awards, wearing a red lip and muted makeup.
Golden Girl Hair and Makeup
She showed as much as Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy party looking just like the Golden Girl she is, with brown hair (and eyebrows) and makeup.
Touched by an angel
Her vocals soared to heavenly heights during her performance at Madison Square Garden, which she attended in her classic make-up.
Brown Mullet Charm
She attended the tenth annual United Negro College Fund Telethon wearing a Czech soccer-style haircut, which is currently very trendy.
Inspiration for black girls
Houston hugs her young fans at a concert within the UK, weaving their beaded pigtails and butterfly clips into her asymmetrical bob.
Celebrity Coverage
A Fall Hairstyle Rihanna Approves: Medium-Length Curls – Essence
Neil Mockford/GC Images
BobsLobs and pixie cuts, like Rihanna’s iconic short black bob, have been among the most beloved hair trends this summer. While these big cuts have been flooding our feeds all season long, this week the Fenty Hair founder introduced mid-length curls just days before fall.
Rihanna didn’t take the front row at London Fashion Week to have a good time the opening of Fenty Hair’s recent home in Selfridges. Her loose waves were parted to the perimeters, with the left half tucked behind her ear, revealing a chandelier-shaped earring. On the opposite side, the waves sat above her breasts — accentuated by custom Jacquemus robe— and rocked manicure butter.
To achieve this look, Fenty Hair Global Hair Stylist Ursula Stephen she washed her hair with shampoo and conditioner before preparing 5 in 1 heat protection type. She then curled the sections with a medium-diameter iron, pinning each section because the curls cooled. After resting, Stephen combed the curls and backcombed the roots for added volume, securing his curls with edge control.
The tycoon matched her hair together with her cherry-coloured makeup, which was highlighted Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Stix Lipstick in “Blaz’d Donut” and Snap Shadows Eyeshadow Palette in “True Neutrals”—turning this look into Rihanna’s first fall trend.
Celebrity Coverage
Best New Music of the Week: GloRilla, Monaleo, Shenseea & More – Essence
Happy Friday, folks. As summer officially involves an end, let’s enjoy its final days with some great music from some of the most talented artists in entertainment.
Today, GloRilla drops “Hollon,” the first single from her highly anticipated debut album. Monaleo and Kaliii team up on recent track “Flush Em,” iconic MC Lyte returns after a decade along with his 1 Of 1 album, and TDE’s ScHoolboy Q drops the video for “THANK GOD 4 ME” with . Our roundup also includes music from Lecrae, Future, Rich Homie Quan, and more.
Check out today’s list of recent releases below.
Celebrity Coverage
Arike Ogunbowale strives for excellence both on and off the pitch – Essence
Arike Ogunbowale during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo: Alex Slitz/Getty Images
In Yoruba, the name means “a child you cherish, nurture, pamper, and love.” So from the moment she was born, WNBA star Arike Ogunbowale was special—and now the world knows it. In just six seasons, she became the fastest player in league history to achieve 4,000 points and broke the Dallas Wings’ all-time scoring record. For an athlete who has achieved a lot, she still has so much to supply.
Ogunbowale was born in Milwaukee to Nigerian parents and was raised surrounded by sports. Her mother was a former softball player at DePaul University, and her brother Dare played football at the University of Wisconsin before joining the NFL as a running back for the Houston Texans. Growing up, Ogunbowale showed off her athletic skills in multiple sports, contributing to 4 state football championships during her highschool years. However, her passion shifted to basketball, where she rose to fame at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, earning accolades similar to Wisconsin Miss Basketball and being chosen as a McDonald’s All-American.
The point guard’s profession took off when she joined the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and eventually led the team to a national championship in 2018. Since being drafted by the Wings the following yr, Ogunbowale has earned quite a few accolades, including 4 All-Star selections and two All-Star MVP honors — the latest coming in an exciting game in Phoenix on Feb. 18. “I just love having fun and playing with a lot of super great players — that’s always what I look forward to in the All-Star Game,” she says.
Amid all her successes, the 27-yr-old understands the responsibility she has to influence the next generation. “I was lucky enough to have two amazing parents who always did the best they could for me and more,” Arike says. “I know how hard it is to get out of Milwaukee. So I always think that when I see little kids, I always try to be the best person I can for them.”
“I know I’m a role model,” she continues. “That just comes with being in your shoes, so I definitely embrace that. I want to be the type of person that people look up to. Young boys, young girls, young black kids — it doesn’t matter. I want to be someone they can see themselves in. So I know I’m a role model, and I try to treat myself that way because I know people are looking up to me.”
The past yr has been a memorable one for the popular basketball star on both a private and skilled level. After establishing herself as one in all the most prolific scorers the WNBA has ever seen, the one thing Ogunbowale hasn’t managed to capture during her illustrious profession has been a league title. As an athlete in her prime, a championship is something she will check off her bucket list in the very near future. Off the court, she reached a key milestone by announcing her engagement to Lala Ronay. For some, balancing home and basketball might be difficult, but for Ogunbowale, this latest relationship has been the perfect complement to her life.
“It really makes me happy,” she says of her decision. “My biggest goal has always been to have a family and kids, and now I’m a little closer to that. It definitely brings me a lot of peace and I feel like I’m headed in the right direction.”
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