rihanna's glowing skin
Beauty,  Celebrity Makeup

Rihanna AMAs Makeup

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I missed this year’s American Music Awards but thanks to my Instagram feed, I was able to catch the highlights. Of course, Rihanna stole the show. The Empress (as the Navy calls her) won the first-ever Icon Award with a classic cat eye, glowing skin, nude talons…and a smooth doobie. Yes, you read that right: a sleek wrap with bedazzled bobby pins was the look Rihanna chose to accept the special merit award at the American Music Awards. Jessica Andrews breaks down the protective style on Elle.com

Wrapping the hair is a protective technique used by African American and Latina women to preserve straight hairstyles. Interchangeably called a “doobie” or “wrap” depending on the region, the style is created by brushing the hair in one direction around the circumference of the head and securing with bobby pins. As a rule, most women never wear their doobie wrap beyond the threshold of their house or salon.
There was a brilliant post on The Style and Beauty Doctor on Facebook. It reads:
I  LOVE the statement this hair makes. THIS is how black women are presented in the media… ghetto, unkempt, and oversexed… and she wore all of this to accept an ICON AWARD. She can be all of those “ghetto” things and STILL achieve. Oh the irony! You show them, RiRi! #PhuckYoRespectabilityPolitics
The irony indeed! Either way, my hat is off to Rihanna’s entire glam squad: Mylah Morales, Ursula Stephen, Kimmie Kyees, Adam Selman and Mel Ottenberg. Since I only found out the exact nude shade she wore on her nails, I took cues from past beauty breakdowns to help you get Rihanna’s AMAs makeup look:
Rihanna Nude Nails
Celebrity manicurist Kimmie Kyees enlisted Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Almost Almond for Rihanna’s elongated nude nails at the American Music Awards. Another Sally Hansen shade Kyees has used on Rihanna is Cafe Au Lait.
rihanna's glowing skin

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Rihanna Eyeliner and Doobie

Celebrity makeup artist Mylah Morales has used Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Eyeliner on Rihanna countless times. Since she stuck to the timeless beauty pairing of a cat eye and nude lips for Rihanna’s special night, it only made sense to go back to the basics.

The consensus says Tom Ford’s eponymous makeup collection is pure decadence, which is perfect for a musical icon of the Millennial generation. Blush Nude is an effortless, warm shade that brightens the complexion.

What did you think of Rihanna’s overall AMAs look?