We caught up with one of our favorites, Solange Knowles at the launch party for the new limited edition Moet & Chandon bottles designed by Marcelo Burlon. As ESSENCE Festival performer Trey Songz crooned, she gave the scoop on how she summers. Yes, it’s as cool as you would imagine.
Her ideal summer night: “Sitting on my balcony in New Orleans. Watching the time go by. Honestly, that is my favorite thing to do. Last night I was home in New Orleans. I watched a R&B video appreciation I had made. It has all the videos directed by Paul Hunter. We listened to Glenn Lewis “Don’t You Forget It” and “She’s All I got” by Jimmy Cozier. Remember those songs? Jimmy actually was singing about her being kind of manic. I didn’t think about it as a kid. This b***h is real crazy. I can look at videos directed by a certain director for hours. Nerdy stuff like that.”
Her summer anthems: “Right now I’m obsessed with Tamia’s ‘Sandwich and a Soda.’ That is my jam. I love the video, too. She’s timeless and just super-talented. I also like Lil Mama “Sausage” and going to be making a dance routine to that. I’ve been listening to mostly old stuff. I just bought Stevie Wonder’s The Secret Life of Plants on vinyl.”
Her summer read: “I just finished reading Charles Blow’s Fire Shut up in My Bones. So incredible, so poignant, so powerful, so inspirational and it’s a really phenomenal read. T magazine is my go-to blog.”
Her beauty: “I’m basically doing no makeup, just a little concealer on my blemishes, and then a bright color at the inside of my eye. I also do Vaseline or Kiehl’s lip balm on my eyelids. I find that it just radiates your skin.”
Her summer hair: “Right now, wigs are saving my life. As soon as I get home, I take it off and put coconut oil in my hair. I actually have been wearing my hair more blown out, recently, so I have to keep that moisture game on lock. I’m really simple when it comes to that: coconut oil, olive oil, steam is my friend. Really, it’s about getting to express the joy and the fun of being a woman. I love wigs for that very purpose of being able to project all of the different sides of you. I have like four right now that are in rotation. They’re doing me well for the summer.”
Her beach look: “For bathing suits, I like a high-waisted joint. I don’t really like to show my navel. I’ve always been kind of like that. I think it’s really sexy to have some kind of mystery. I actually just got a Marc by Marc Jacobs swimsuit that is long sleeved crop top. I love the sleeveless style, I’m into that. I’ve also been wearing the same American Apparel swimsuit. I have one in gold, one in red. It’s the high-waisted. I hate tan lines, so I love the strapless. I like simple classics.”