Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic/Alberto Rodriguez/BET/Getty ImagesPerhaps Janelle Monáe wanted to pay homage to one of Mother Nature's most destructive creations, or she simply had bad summer weather on her mind when she decided to wear a tornado on her head for the BET Awards.
We're all for avant-garde hairstyles but we were a little afraid the singer's funnel cloud was going to pick up speed during her performance with Erykah Badu last night and start sucking up items on stage.
Her makeup on the other hand, was far from a summer disaster… With perfectly winged eyes, bold brows, and an on-trend coral lip, this soul songstress hit all the right notes. Though, we were baffled that Janelle seemed to have the same lip-lining problem as Beyoncé—instead of penciling her Cupid's bow she made her upper lip all the same line. Perhaps this is a new trend, but we're hoping it won't last long since the Cupid's bow is the most sensual part of the lip. Why cover it up?
Get the Look: Okay so we're not going to give you a "Beauty Bailout" for the hair. I mean really… what can we say? Don't wear a tornado on your head? Either that or unpin your hair and start over.
Instead, we would much rather talk about how to get Janelle's sultry summer makeup look. Start by covering your eyelids in a shimmering ivory eye shadow like Estee Lauder Pure Color Eye Shadow in Ivory Slipper. Then use a matte light brown like NYX Cosmetics Nude Matte Eyeshadow in Tryst to contour in the crease of your eyelids. This will give your eyes more depth and make puffy or sagging eyelids look better.
Next, use a matte black liquid eyeliner like MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Liner in 13 Mat Black, that doesn't feather or flake, to create a winged eye along the upper lash line. Make a line along your upper lash line starting from the inner corner and, as the line passes your eyeball, start thickening it. Then, create the wing by continuing to draw the top of the line towards your temples.
Now, if your eyes are not sensitive and you want to copy our songstress's eyes identically, line your waterline with the liquid liner but gently hold it away from your eye with two fingers until it dries. If this sounds equivalent to sticking toothpicks in your eyes, use a non-irritating kohl eyeliner like Tarte Skinny SmolderEYES™ Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner in Onyx to line your waterline. Complete your eye makeup with a couple coats of your favorite mascara.
To match Janelle's lips, apply a matte coral lipstick like MAC Lipstick in Vegas Volt after exfoliating and lining the lips with a neutral lip pencil. Note: We're not going to give you instructions on how to draw over your cupid's bow because A) we want you to show off your cupid's bow B) it's pretty self-explanatory.
Even though we didn't approve of Janelle's disastrous ‘do and uniform upper lip, her eye makeup and lip color proved to be both the calm before and after the storm.
If you're a beauty addict, Janna will be your enabler. Just an occasional user? She'll be your bad influence. Visit her blog at mybeautybinge.com and indulge!