![]() ![]() Her look was meant to be natural but distinct. Joan was this smart, beautiful business woman with a heart of gold, but always struggling in the love department. Tracee bringing a little Diana Ross with her every day is what really brought Joan’s radiance and glow to life. So while she was in my chair, I would be doing her makeup and she sat with the bag on her lap, pulling out different bottles, spritzing and spraying throughout the whole process. Makeup: “Tracee came to set each day carrying this little cosmetic case-I can remember it clear as day! Inside this little bag were a bunch of generic bottles filled with unmarked potions that her mother gave her. Joan Clayton (Played by Tracee Ellis Ross) The trifecta of hair, makeup, and wardrobe is really how transformations came to life-we worked so closely together, and that’s where we saw such great success.” In order to achieve each woman’s dewy glow, Silva had to set one thing straight: “There’s a thin line between being glow-y and greasy.” Her pro move was to enhance the glow on the high points of the face, “where it will catch the light, adding dimension to the skin.” Building these characters isn’t dependent on just makeup or just wardrobe. “My job wasn’t about changing their look it was about building off of it to create nuances and enhancing details for each character per episode. The way they appeared to the naked eye was how she wanted them to be portrayed on camera,” says Rea Ann Silva, the show’s makeup artist and founder of Beautyblender (she credits Girlfriends as the birthplace for her successful brand, since she was always cutting makeup sponges on set to get the perfect shape). “When I got the job, the direction I got from Mara was that these four girls were cast because of who they are. It was all a glimpse of what I thought my adult life could look and feel like. There was Joan’s lit-from-within glow, Lynn’s au natural meets gothic-chic vibe, Maya’s hot pink lips and smoky eyes, and Toni’s sexy red lips. Inspiration didn’t stop at the hair either. The show’s fashion and beauty looks were my mood board, from curls, blowouts, and weaves to wigs, braids, and updos. Joan’s hard work, Lynn’s artistic open-mindedness, Maya’s unapologetic spirit, and Toni’s confidence and honesty motivated me through middle school. I didn’t always know what was going on (the show started when I was five and ended when I was in the eighth grade), but I was always entertained, and I looked up to each of the characters for different reasons. I remember my mom watching Girlfriends in the early 2000s, when I’d secretly enjoy joining her on the couch each week to see how Joan, Maya, Toni, Lynn, and Williams’s shenanigans would unfold. That means I don’t have to search the ends of the internet to stream my favorite series-it also means endless hair and beauty inspiration. ![]() Mara Brock Akil’s Girlfriends show is finally on Netflix. ![]()
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