Ari Lennox– who will be performing at the 30th annual ESSENCE Festival next month– has had a firm hold on the music industry since signing to J. Cole’s Dreamville Records in 2015. Whether she’s “leaving her curls in the shower” on records like “New Apartment” or blessing us with latest singles “Stay Awhile” and “Get Close,” the R&B artist is always relatable. Beyond her soulful vocals, Lennox’s beauty looks have had us turning our heads, too.
Just before baring her soul on stage for her Nostalgia tour, the artist gripped her brushed curls with short, stiletto nails while bangs hung over bronze eyeshadow. Other backstage beauty moments have included long barrel curls spiraled half-way down her back and a middle-parted silk press. Meanwhile, her makeup looks are always about turning up the ante on warm metallics (think: Fenty Beauty Killawatt Highlighter in Pink Shimmer).
For her 33rd birthday, Lennox posed on the beach with her humidified texture, pushing strands away from her seductive eyes with pointed French tips. We missed her after a months-long hiatus, returning with a more silver-toned look paired with a glazed lip. In her most recent post, she debuted her “Stay Awhile” cover, replacing metallic with a winged cat eye and face-framing headdress. That said, her royalty, Ari Lennox, claims the beauty throne as fans can only anticipate the looks she’ll don at this year’s festival.
Until then, take a look at the top 9 times the ESSENCE Festival performer gave us beauty inspiration.
