Dionne Warwick is more than just her God-given vocals. Born into a family rooted in music—from her sister Dee Dee Warwick and mother Lee Drinkard Warwick, to cousin Whitney Houston—being a six-time Grammy-winning R&B singer was destined by blood. Beyond her voice, Warwick is a major muse in the fashion and beauty sphere’s, too.
Known for her bouffant coifs, Warwick’s hair has long been a part of her beauty DNA. In a portrait session, the young singer’s updo took on a personality of its own paired with just a flick of liner. While matte nude shades often crossed her lips (see: her backstage at a concert venue in 1968 London), she soon embraced shades of classic red.
At a 1991 Los Angeles Raiders game, for one, her blown-out curls accompanied a red lip and matching manicure. She’s seen in a similar lip-nail combo in another portrait session in 1985, then again in 2002. That time, she paired the reds with brown hair and muted eye shadow. And, while she’s since cut off her bouffant and dialed back on makeup, her coming of age beauty looks still resonate today. Blending her gray hair with blonde, her new signature is short, slicked back, and just as impactful as her ’60s coifs.
Scroll on for 13 of Dionne Warwick’s best beauty moments in honor of her 85th birthday.
Portrait Session, Date Unspecified
Portrait of singer Dionne Warwick wearing a black cocktail dress.
Los Angeles Raiders football game, 1991
LOS ANGELES, CA – 1991: Singer Dionne Warwick takes in a 1991 Los Angeles Raiders football game at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Warwick had a string of 1960s hit songs in collaboration with composer Burt Bacharach, including “Do You Know The Way To San Jose.” (Photo by George Rose/Getty Images)
Portrait Session, Date Unspecified
Dionne Warwick during Dionne Warwick File Photos by Galella – c. 1970-1990, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
BET’s Black Girls Rock 2012
NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 13: Singer Dionne Warwick attends BET’s Black Girls Rock 2012 CHEVY Red Carpet at Paradise Theater on October 13, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by D Dipasupil/Getty Images for BET)
22nd Annual GRAMMY Awards
LOS ANGELES – FEBRUARY 27: Dionne Warwick at the 22nd Annual GRAMMY Awards on February 27, 1980 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Joan Adlen/Getty Images)
The Engelbert Humperdinck Show Performance
UNITED KINGDOM – DECEMBER 01: Photo of Dionne WARWICK; Dionne Warwick performing on The Engelbert Humperdinck Show (Photo by Tony Russell/Redferns)
Portrait Session, 2002
LOS ANGELES – 2002: American singer Dionne Warwick, Los Angeles, California, 2002. (Photo by Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
Thank Your Lucky Stars rehearsal
American singer Dionne Warwick during rehearsals for the ABC Television music television show ‘Thank Your Lucky Stars’ at Alpha Television Studios in Aston, Birmingham in November 1964. Dionne Warwick would go on to sing the song ‘Reach Out For Me’ on the show, first broadcast on 28th November 1964. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
Dressing Room, 1968
American singer Dionne Warwick posed in a dressing room backstage at a concert venue in London in 1968. (Photo by David Redfern/Redferns)
The 12th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Dionne Warwick (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
1985 American Image Awards
Dionne Warwick (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
1970
UNSPECIFIED – CIRCA 1970: Photo of Dionne Warwick Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball screening
NEW YORK – MAY 11: Singer Dionne Warwick attends the screening of “Oprah Winfrey’s Legends Ball” at JP Morgan Library May 11, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images)
