by Shonette ReedIf there’s one thing Sade superfans can all agree on, it’s that the singer has always had the red lip thing down. And now there’s a tutorial available to recreate her look.
The artist, who’s known equally for her soulful sounds and iconic look, got special homage paid to her by singer-songwriter Wynter Gordon. Makeup professional Stevie Huynh collaborated with Gordon and Elle Magazine to demonstrate how to recreate the red-lip look so often worn by Sade.
While many artists have channeled iconic beauties this year—with Kelly Rowland giving us Diana Ross realness and Yaya DaCosta’s wonderful imitation of Eartha Kitt—this is one of the first tutorials featuring one star honoring another iconic beauty.
Huynh was inspired by Sade’s 1986 cover of Elle France featuring the chanteuse’s signature rouge lip.
“What I love about Sade, other than her smooth and sultry voice, is her willingness to be vulnerable. As a powerful, strong, and beautiful woman of color, she showed her delicate, passionate side in a world where most of us are putting on a brave face,” Gordon told Huynh for Elle Magazine. “I love how effortless her style was and how consistent that red lip was!”
Huynh describes Gordon’s style as similar to that of Sade’s—“effortless and authentic, never contrived.” The two met with Elle beauty editor Julie Scott to create the beauty tutorial and photoshoot.
While little was added to Gordon’s skin, Huynh used an illuminator along Gordon’s cheekbones and Lancome eyeshadow in the shade “Mochaccino.” For her lips he used M.A.C. lip liner in “Brick” followed by three lipsticks: LancômeL'Absolu Rouge Lipstick in “Rose,” NARS Lipstick in “Shanghai Express,” and Armani Rouge D'Armani Lipstick #400.
For the darker lip, Huynh used NYX Cosmetics Simply Vamp Lipstick in “SV05 Covet,” blotting the lip to rid of excessive balm.
Check out images from the shoot below:
Photos: Tyler Joe / Elle
Shonette Reed is regular contributor for For Harriet and Coloured from Los Angeles, Calif. With plans to break into the fashion industry as a fashion reporter, she runs her own style blog. Her aim is to highlight the important contributions of women of color in the fashion industry as well as give women of color more exposure within the leading magazines in fashion. You can follow her on twitter @ShonetteReed.
