Essence Festival 2026 Performer Missy Elliott’s Iconic Beauty Evolution
“I was always just different,” reflected Missy Elliott to Brooklyn White in her 2023 ESSENCE cover interview. Despite her alternative approach to beauty, “I never even thought, ‘let me try to do the most outlandish thing.’ That never crossed my mind, ever,” Elliott, who will be not honored at our Black Women In Music Luncheon this Sunday during Essence Festival, but she will also be performing, and curating a special tribute to Aaliyah, at the Superdome that night.
Elliott has long had an influence in beauty, especially in the music industry, without even trying. Songwriting and producing for artists like Aaliyah, SWV, and Total, Elliott began her solo career in 1996 with her debut studio album Supa Dupa Fly (which could be said about her beauty looks) releasing the following year. At the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards, she accepted three awards (for Breakthrough Video, Rap Video, and Direction) in short, gel-drenched curls, a red lip that complimented her purple shadow, and metallic silver nails.
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