Skip to content
  • Essence GU
  • Beautycon
  • NaturallyCurly
  • Afropunk
  • Essence Studios
  • Soko Mrkt
  • Ese Funds
  • Refinery29
  • WeLoveUs.shop
  • 2026 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture
  • Celebrity
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Lifestyle
  • Entrepreneurship
  • News
  • Shopping
  • Video
  • Events
  • Subscribe
Home • Beauty

Beauty Looks We Love

Celebs, models and beauty gurus whose makeup savviness makes us swoon.
By Crystal Martin · Updated October 27, 2020
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…
01
Zendaya Coleman

One word: Eyebrows. As for as loveable beauty signatures go, her brows are the creme de la creme. These rose-gold highlights and easy waves at the MTV Movie Awards aren’t too shabby either.

Beauty Looks We Love
Michael Buckner/Getty Images
02
Jourdan Dunn

British supermodel Jourdan Dunn is one of those girls who has mastered the art of effortless chic. Shown here in New York with soft apricot lips and filled in brows.

Beauty Looks We Love
Dave Spencer / Splash News
03
Hannah Bronfman

This cool-kid New Yorker is a DJ and co-founder of the app Beautified. We’re obsessed with her Instagram feed—she cooks, she works out, she travels—where we’ve discovered she’s quite the beauty girl. She’s into hair, cute eye makeup and nails (Her recent Passover mani is the stuff of legend). Swoon.

Beauty Looks We Love
04
Carly Cushnie

One half of the design team Cushnie et Ochs, Carly has eviable style and always looks real-girl radiant on the red carpet and at her shows. And That Hair!

Beauty Looks We Love
05
Malaika Firth

This 20-year-old Keyan-British model has the cutest Instagram feed ever—chock full of funny selfies and enviable lip shades.

Beauty Looks We Love
06
Rihanna

No beauty crush list would be complete without RiRi! The glam star—shown here during Paris Fashion Week—stays in a bright red lip, likely her MAC Viva Glam shade.

Beauty Looks We Love
Instagram
07
Maria Borges

This two-time Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show model has a natural glow that we’re loving. The Brazlian beauty is on the cover of this month’s Vogue Portugal.

Beauty Looks We Love
08
Naomi Campbell

Thsupermodel slayed it on the cover of SHAPE magazine last month. And the fro she’s been rocking is an absolute delight. We love Naomi for being Naomi—and looking that smoking hot into her early 40s.

Beauty Looks We Love
Valerie Macon/Getty Images
09
Lupita Nyong’o

The world has fallen in love with Lupita over the past several months. We, of course, are no exception. The new face of Lancome and her talented makeup artist Nick Barose have dazzled us with gorgeous color all red carpet season.

Beauty Looks We Love
Lester Cohen/Getty Images for GLAAD
10
Jodie Patterson

Never mind the fact that she’s stunning, this New York native and former fashion publicist is all about the brains behind beauty. She turned her love of skincare, makeup, hair care, et al, into a game changing retail site, DOOBOP. The brown-beauty destination boasts a highly curated collection of niche and international brands that work perfectly for our skin and hair.

Beauty Looks We Love
11
Thandie Newton

Newton’s been girl-crush status since her role in Mission: Impossible II  (2000). In the decade plus since, she’s continuously killed the red carpet with signature hair and beauty looks, like this stand-out fucshia lipstick!

Beauty Looks We Love
12
Joan Smalls

OK, we all know Joan Smalls is everything. But it’s her makeup style that has really hooked us. Just take a look at these perfect smoky eyes—and that time she wore black lipstick? Epic.

Beauty Looks We Love
13
Nikki M. James

This Tony Award-winning Broadway star (currently playing Éponine in Les Miserables) always looks radiant and chic. Her makeup artist, Nick Barose, used Dolce Gabbana Perfect Matte Liquid Foundation and Giorgio Armani Cheek Fabrics in 200 to create her glowy complexion at the premiere of the musical.

Beauty Looks We Love
14
Tracee Ellis Ross

The actress always looks gorgeous yet natural, even while rocking a statement lip. And those curls are to die for.

Beauty Looks We Love
Erik Umphery