This feature originally appeared in the April 2017 Issue of ESSENCE Magazine.
Some of our favorite starlets, including Taraji P. Henson, gave the easygoing up-do a glam upgrade.
“A topknot is one of the easiest and quickest hairstyles to achieve. It can be worn casually or turned into a glamorous updo,” says celeb hairstylist Felicia Leatherwood, who has been an integral part of Issa Rae’s hair evolution including this look she crafted for the NAACP Image Awards. “Because Issa is Senegalese and African-American, I like to create hairstyles that would represent her culture from Africa to America.”
“You can change it up by adding a pompadour, a bang or even a little more texture if you have curly, kinky or wavy hair,” Leatherwood also shares. “However you choose to rock them, topknots are fun and look good on nearly everyone.”
In an ode to the nineties, brown and deep berry lips made a stunning comeback, proving that bold and sultry tints are timeless.
“The key to picking a good brown for darker skin tones is to find one that has red or pink undertones,” says celebrity makeup artist Autumn Moultrie, who did the look seen here on Viola Davis for the Golden Globes.
Moultrie also adds, “For darker skin tones, wine or berry is a great shade, but look for lipstick that is blue-based in a matte or shiny finish.”
Trophies weren’t the only things shining this season. Hints of highlighter at the inner corners of the eye made these looks award-worthy.
“Highlighting the eyes can give the illusion that they are farther apart and generally make them appear more open and awake,” says makeup artist Niki Metz, who created this look for E! Live from the Red Carpet host Zuri Hall.
“It’s not about highlighter all over, it’s about the placement of the highlighter. Place it where you see the brightness on your skin. For brown skin tones, apply a cream base highlighter first and powder on top to add,” says Metz. “For brown skin tones, apply a cream base highlighter first and powder on top to add dimension.”
We’re crowning this trailblazer, the queen of drama. An all-around style winner this season, she has unquestionably nailed each of her strikingly different looks.
“Ms. Cox gets it! She loves and appreciates the process of getting “glam” and that comes across in the work we produce together,” says celebrity hairstylist Ursula Stephen, who, along with makeup artist Deja Smith, has been part of Cox’s style squad.
“Laverne really does slay! She has a beautifully multidimensional personality that contributes to her broad fashion sensibility,” adds makeup artist Deja Smith.
