More Than a Vixen: Aaliyah Dana Haughton (1979 – 2001)

There will probably never be another Queen of Urban Pop, just as there will never be another King of Pop. It’s hard to believe that today, eight years ago, I was reading about her death in the overseas military publication, Stars and Stripes. I remember thinking that it was joke – that someone at Stars and Stripes just hated Aaliyah until I saw it on the news, on MTV, on BET…it was unreal. Music keeps me going so you can believe that Aaliyah’s music helped to inspire me…and keep on inspiring me.

Like Charles Wade said, Aaliyah was “more than a woman” with the honeyed voice and the signature belly roll. I loved her side-swept bangs, the bandanas, the baggy jeans, the sunglasses and the midriff-baring outfits. She was the glamorous tomboy I secretly wanted to be.

And now, ever since Sephora’s Fall 2009 Runway Report came out and Essence debuted their “Which Trend Are You?” guide in their September issue, here’s proof that Aaliyah will forever be a timeless, trendsetting beauty icon. She rocked bold brows and lush cat eyes effortlessly. The beloved swoop? I’ve been trying to master that forever through middle school, high school and now college. Recently, when I asked my sister to put my hair in a ballerina bun for school, I told her to try to swoop my bangs to hide my widow’s peak. Of course, Baby Girl was my inspiration.

Above, she is modeling what Essence calls the “Makeup Diva” trend. The vibe is an experimental, bold style that constantly changes, loves “what’s next,” and dazzles and dares. The highlights of this trend include super done brows and statement-making eyes. When I first saw this picture at Honey, I immediately thought about Beyonce’s Sasha Fierce persona, which is the inspiration for the “Makeup Diva” trend. However, I love Aaliyah’s version more. She didn’t need an alter ego to be that much cooler. She just was. I’ll always love her for that.

Shop her official MAC collection: