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Home / Face / What I learned about makeup application from Nicki Minaj

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What I learned about makeup application from Nicki Minaj

February 21, 2012

I have a love/ hate relationship with the rap superstar Nicki Minaj, particularly after the total WTF moment (or four minutes) that she gave us last week at the 54th annual Grammys.  No matter how you feel about her music, fashion or existence as a whole, Ms. Minaj’s, face is always BEAT.  Her makeup artist is pretty much my favorite person in the world and my best friend in my head.

In a recent interview with Elle Magazine the rapstress was asked about the best advice given to her by her makeup artist.   She responded “I don’t do round, rosy cheeks; that’s for old people. It’s played out. I like the color to be like a diagonal line across the cheekbone up to the temples. It really changes the shape of my face.”   I tried it this weekend.  This is seriously the NEW MOVE in makeup – at least for me.  It really does give the face an entirely different look.  Even those of us who are over 21 and have actual 9-5’s can pull this off.

Instead of Minaj’s signature  super bright Barbie pink, I opted  a more subtle Mac Breezy.    I will no longer be applying my blush in circular motion on the apples of my cheeks like my Grandma Elaine taught me in 1997.  To get the best from this technique, use a contour or an angled blush brush.

For woman with short, round faces (like me) it really elongates the face and makes the cheek bones pop (a la Janet Jackson.  There you have it, beauties.  Nicki Minaj has significantly improved the quality of my life and yours.   Whodathunk?

photo credits:Hip Hop Wired

About the author

Zakiyyah Walker
Zakiyyah Walker manages Color Me Rouge, Skin We're In and Get Tressed . This Jersey girl with a New York state of mind got started in the beauty industry as a plus size model and soon moved on to styling and freelance writing. Eventually, she landed a job at Hydroxatone and has been living in product junkie heaven ever since. She’s been blogging about all things pretty for over a decade. (think:Geosites) Zakiyyah is an avid wearer of bright lipstick, ridiculously high heels and anything leopard. This somtimesy creative director/ wardrobe stylist/ image consultant / soon to be novel finisher spends her free people watching from Brooklyn cafes and searching the web for obnoxiously long false lashes.