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Home • Beauty

Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT

Here's to the woman whose beauty and grace has inspired us on and off the runway for more than three decades.
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
VITTORIO ZUNINO CELOTTO/GETTY IMAGES
By Shalwah Evans · Updated December 6, 2020

Leave it to a true MVP like Naomi Campbell to photograph herself for ESSENCE’s anniversary cover and rival the work of some of the greatest photographers ever to shoot her.

But it’s no surprise. Before becoming a household name, the supermodel, who turns 50 today, took the fashion, beauty and modeling worlds by storm. Those big bright eyes, her undeniable skin, the soft British accent, those unparalleled cheekbones and the best legs entertainment had seen since Tina Turner—it was all too much yet never enough.

Naomi skyrocketed to fashion royalty after gracing the runways of every haute couture designer from Albania to Zanzibar. And for more than three decades, she has kept us watching, taking it to the next level with each show or campaign (she’s still credited for having the best runway walk of any model to date).

So on her big day, we pay tribute with 50 beauty shots that chronicle just a small part of why Naomi is, and will always be, royalty.

01
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
02
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Mike Marsland/WireImage
03
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images
04
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
05
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Tony Barson Archive/WireImage
06
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
George Pimentel/Getty Images
07
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
08
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Mick Hutson/Redferns
09
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage
10
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
11
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Newsmakers
12
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage
13
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images
14
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Theo Wargo/WireImage
15
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
16
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Jeff Spicer/BFC/Getty Images
17
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage
18
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Mike Marsland/WireImage
19
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Marc Piasecki/WireImage
20
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Lawrence Lucier/FilmMagic
21
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Randy Brooke/WireImage
22
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images
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Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
THIERRY ORBAN/Sygma via Getty Images
24
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
25
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Gisela Schober/Getty Images
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Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Dave Allocca/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images
27
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Patrick Ford/Redferns
28
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
29
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/FilmMagic
30
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Time Life Pictures/DMI/The LIFE Picture Collection via Getty Images
31
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Alexis DUCLOS/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
32
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
John Sciulli/WireImage for Audi of America
33
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
34
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
James Devaney/WireImage
35
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images
36
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Randy Brooke/WireImage
37
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX/AFP via Getty Images
38
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images
39
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Nathalie Lagneau/Catwalking/Getty Images
40
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
41
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images
42
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
43
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Ethan Miller/Getty Images
44
Naomi Campbell
Supermodel Naomi Campbell has Afro-Jamaican and Chinese-Jamaican heritage.
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Venturelli/WireImage
45
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Gilbert Carrasquillo/WireImage
46
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Tony Barson/WireImage
47
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
48
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
49
Naomi Campbell
Many models age out of the industry before their 30th birthday but Campbell is still catwalk ready at 50.
13 Black Celebs Who Are Fifty And Fabulous
Neil Mockford/FilmMagic
50
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi Campbell!
Happy 50th Birthday, Naomi! 50 Beauty Shots That Prove You're The GOAT
Thierry Chesnot/Getty Images
TOPICS:  #essence50 anniversary cover essence ESSENCE 50th Anniversary in my feed Naomi Campbell Naomi Campbell 50th birthday Naomi Campbell birthday