Beauty Exclusive: Janelle Monae's Beauty

BET Beauty Lounge: Janelle Monae Beauty Breakdown

Beauty Breakdown - Janelle Monae has one of the most flawless faces in the business. Her makeup artist, <b>Malika James</b>, attributes Janelle’s ethereal glow to having healthy, beautiful skin. We were dying to know the products that James uses to complete <i>The ArchAndroid</i> singer’s barely there palette.

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Beauty Breakdown - Janelle Monae has one of the most flawless faces in the business. Her makeup artist, <b>Malika James</b>, attributes Janelle’s ethereal glow to having healthy, beautiful skin. We were dying to know the products that James uses to complete <i>The ArchAndroid</i> singer’s barely there palette.

Face Forward - Every time I’m asked about Janelle’s face, I’m always like, ‘Skin, skin, skin!’ Skin is in. Janelle has some of the prettiest skin you’ve ever seen. It’s very smooth and very supple. You can definitely tell that she moisturizes. It’s especially important for women of color who wear makeup to keep their skin hydrated.

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Face Forward - Every time I’m asked about Janelle’s face, I’m always like, ‘Skin, skin, skin!’ Skin is in. Janelle has some of the prettiest skin you’ve ever seen. It’s very smooth and very supple. You can definitely tell that she moisturizes. It’s especially important for women of color who wear makeup to keep their skin hydrated.

Hydrated Hottie - When I’m working with her, I prep her skin with &lt;I&gt;La Mer Hydrating Infusion&lt;/I&gt;, but for people who can’t afford that, they can use &lt;I&gt;Cetaphil&lt;/i&gt;. It’s really good and it’s really practical. It hydrates really, really well.

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Hydrated Hottie - When I’m working with her, I prep her skin with <I>La Mer Hydrating Infusion</I>, but for people who can’t afford that, they can use <I>Cetaphil</i>. It’s really good and it’s really practical. It hydrates really, really well.

Arched Android - I start with her brows. Her brows are naturally very thick. She doesn’t like a lot of penciling on her brows. We use a MAC eyebrow pencil called &lt;i&gt;Spiked&lt;/i&gt;. We don’t really tweeze them, but if we do, we just take a little off the bottom to keep it even. We brush them straight up and just do a little of the &lt;i&gt;Spiked&lt;/i&gt;.

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Arched Android - I start with her brows. Her brows are naturally very thick. She doesn’t like a lot of penciling on her brows. We use a MAC eyebrow pencil called <i>Spiked</i>. We don’t really tweeze them, but if we do, we just take a little off the bottom to keep it even. We brush them straight up and just do a little of the <i>Spiked</i>.

Highlight of the Night - My favorite makeup trick in the whole wide world is to take a small angle MAC brush (#266) and use &lt;i&gt;Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer&lt;/i&gt; (concealer) to trace around the brows. It creates a highlight right around the brows and gives you an instant brow lift. Always use a concealer that’s a shade lighter than your skin tone.

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Highlight of the Night - My favorite makeup trick in the whole wide world is to take a small angle MAC brush (#266) and use <i>Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer</i> (concealer) to trace around the brows. It creates a highlight right around the brows and gives you an instant brow lift. Always use a concealer that’s a shade lighter than your skin tone.

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Earth Angel - Instead of doing crazy colors, we use basic browns. Sometimes I’ll take a foundation and use it as her eye shadow. We even use &lt;i&gt;MAC Studio Fix&lt;/i&gt; as an eye shadow. I try to make it so that you can use one product for multiple things. It creates that pretty brown color that looks natural.

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Earth Angel - Instead of doing crazy colors, we use basic browns. Sometimes I’ll take a foundation and use it as her eye shadow. We even use <i>MAC Studio Fix</i> as an eye shadow. I try to make it so that you can use one product for multiple things. It creates that pretty brown color that looks natural.

Janelle Monae: December 1 - The innovative singer celebrates her 25th birthday.

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Wonderland Wink - She’s a lash fanatic like I am. The MAC Pro Store makes these eyelashes in #35. They look very scary; I’ll let you know in advance. But they’re beautiful and very spiky. They’re brown and black – one strand is brown, one strand is black. I apply two pairs of those.

Blinking Beauty - I also use a white eyeliner by MAC called &lt;i&gt;Fascinating&lt;/i&gt;. I put that in the inner rim of her eye and then I take a brown shadow and use it like an eyeliner. Then, I put a set of bottom lashes on. It kind of gives her a baby doll look.

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Blinking Beauty - I also use a white eyeliner by MAC called <i>Fascinating</i>. I put that in the inner rim of her eye and then I take a brown shadow and use it like an eyeliner. Then, I put a set of bottom lashes on. It kind of gives her a baby doll look.

Touch of Taj - I use &lt;i&gt;Taj Mahal&lt;/i&gt; blush by NARS. The trick is to mix bronzer with blush. I start at her earlobe and sweep across the bottom of the cheek and then and I put the &lt;i&gt;Taj Mahal&lt;/i&gt; at the apples of her cheek. Iman makes a really beautiful &lt;i&gt;Bronzing Powder&lt;/i&gt; in &lt;i&gt;Clay&lt;/i&gt;. Both products combined give a chestnut hue at the jaw line and a rose hue at the cheeks.

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Touch of Taj - I use <i>Taj Mahal</i> blush by NARS. The trick is to mix bronzer with blush. I start at her earlobe and sweep across the bottom of the cheek and then and I put the <i>Taj Mahal</i> at the apples of her cheek. Iman makes a really beautiful <i>Bronzing Powder</i> in <i>Clay</i>. Both products combined give a chestnut hue at the jaw line and a rose hue at the cheeks.

Easy Does It - I mix a little of her moisturizer first and then we use concealer just on the places where she needs it. I go over it with mineral powder. Sometimes I double up on the mineral powder. When I do use foundation, we use the &lt;i&gt;Make Up Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation&lt;/i&gt;.

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Easy Does It - I mix a little of her moisturizer first and then we use concealer just on the places where she needs it. I go over it with mineral powder. Sometimes I double up on the mineral powder. When I do use foundation, we use the <i>Make Up Forever HD Invisible Cover Foundation</i>.

Magnificent Monae - Janelle focuses on natural beauty. She’s a naturally beautiful girl. She doesn’t want too much taken away from her music, so that’s why she wears the black and white and the natural soft makeup. We’ve been working together for like six or seven years now.

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Magnificent Monae - Janelle focuses on natural beauty. She’s a naturally beautiful girl. She doesn’t want too much taken away from her music, so that’s why she wears the black and white and the natural soft makeup. We’ve been working together for like six or seven years now.