Last night, the 30th ESSENCE Festival of Culture kicked off day one of the weekend’s Evening Concert Series at Caesars Superdome. Between performances from legendary guests including The Roots, Juvenile, and Birdman, Ari Lennox pulled off one of the best performer beauty moments of the night. “I love a beat face and wish I could have it done more often,” Lennox told ESSENCE prior to festival weekend.
The R&B star is known for her backstage beauty moments often featuring warm metallics, glazed lips, and matte finishes. While her beats may be reserved for on-stage performances, Lennox looked like a natural at the Superdome, appearing in pale powdered eyeshadow and a deep brown lip (similar to her Nostalgia Tour look in Ontario). Turning to artists like Solange, Madonna and Tammi Terrell for inspiration, she usually pairs her earth-toned beat with natural curls or a sheened-up wig.
But for ESSENCE Fest, she had another look up her sleeve. Although she’s familiar with a high ponytail, last night she took the stage in a long, crimped texture. Two medium-sized strands fell on the sides of her face, framing her muted makeup with a matte hair look. Ironically, “I actually hate getting my hair done as it’s a process that requires a lot of manipulation and I’m always fearful that my fragile strands will break off,” she told ESSENCE. “I wish I could be more relaxed in their chairs.”
Nevertheless, she pushed the strands aside, wiping sweat off her brow with pointed oval French tips. The classic style has turned into her signature manicure at the moment, gripping the mic with her thick-lined tips at her most recent performances. Identical to her nails from last year’s ESSENCE Fest and her Nostalgia Tour, the short-length stage look has had small modifications since then, like a squared nail at the Blue Note Jazz Festival and a longer nude coffin shape at Afro Nation. And last night, her no-fuss beauty moment easily took it home.
