We Got Ready with Yara Shahidi for Tonight’s Black Girls Rock! Awards
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet1/16A typical big night out for most 16-year-olds involves dinner with friends, a movie, and maybe, on special occasions, a dance in the high school cafeteria. For Yara Shahidi, a big night out means hang time with Rihanna and partaking in inspiring events such as Black Girls Rock!. Yara, who is currently on Black-ish, uses her star power and wise-beyond-her-years world outlook as a way to empower girls everywhere, so it makes sense that she not only attended, but presented at the Black Girls Rock! awards, airing tonight on BET. “It was so beautiful to be in a room with so many women who excel in their fields. They're women I’ve known about and stalked on Twitter and Instagram, but had never met before,” Yara explains.
An epic night calls for an epic look, obviously. So, Yara called in the experts: celeb makeup artist Nick Barose and hairstylist Noel Reid Killings, to get her glammed up and ready to go. She also invited us along to get a sneak peek. Click through to see Yara’s seriously gorgeous hair and makeup come together. Because getting ready is half the fun, right?!
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet2/16But first, prep.
“I like to be comfortable, if it’s going to be a long night,” explains Yara, on how she decides on an outfit. “With makeup, I like to keep things soft. I can go from 16 to 25 very fast. I’d rather grow up chronologically,” she adds.
Fun fact of the night? The foundation Nick used for Yara was recommended to him by Yara’s TV mom, Tracee Ellis Ross. “She swears by Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation in Golden. I love how warm and natural it looks in real life and in photos, so now I use it on Yara, too!” Like mother, like daughter. So cute.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet3/16Brow power.
“Now that I’m 16, I like playing a little more with my look. Makeup is a form of self expression. Whenever you see someone wearing fun lip gloss or glitter, it prepares you for the personality that follows. Finding someone like Nick, who has fun with colors and combinations, is so cool. Especially for a night that is all about funky, cool personalities,” explains Yara.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet4/16Smoke show.
“The vibe we were channeling is actually Yara’s TV mom’s real mom — Diana Ross! It was a disco look, complete with glittering eyes, glowing skin, and fresh cheeks and lips. It’s the kind of makeup that serves drama, but isn’t contrived or too done up, so you can dance all night,” says Nick of how he came up with Yara’s big night beauty.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet5/16Girl boss.
“I was so excited to meet Beverly Bond, the founder of Black Girls Rock!. When she first started the program, it was such a small organization. She stuck with it and made a point to recognize this excluded community of people excelling in their fields. This is the 10th year and she’s turned it into something beautiful and great,” says Yara.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet6/16All about the eyes.
“I’ve never done a smoky eye look like this before. Nick added a touch of glitter, and when the light hit it, it actually looked like those cartoon teeth that sparkle. I didn’t think that happened in real life, but it did! I felt like a rockstar,” explains Yara. First, Nick lined her lids with a long wearing black liner, and then he smudged it for an edgier feel.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet7/16Amp up the volume.
“Yara is naturally beautiful and has a big personality, and she's especially elegant for her age. She's also fun and ultra feminine. We wanted to emphasize that. Thus, we went with a big, curly bob,” says Noel. For optimum curl potential, Noel first coated Yara’s coils with a protein treatment and rinsed them with Framesi Color Lover Curl Define Conditioner. Then, she skipped towel drying and immediately applied L’Anza Healing Colorcare Trauma Treatment leave-in for definition. Next, she flipped Yara’s head upside-down and diffused. Then, she scrunched Chi Silk Infusion throughout her mane for the prettiest shine.
Noel’s curly girl must-know? “You should allow hair to completely dry before manipulating or applying shine. You should also manipulate hair as little as possible to reduce frizz,” she explains.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet8/16Just add sparkle.
“We went with the Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Glam Rock,” says Nick of Yara’s shimmery eye moment. “Layering the silver sparkles on top of the black liner helps make it pop more.”
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet9/16Nick’s Kit.
So, what does a celeb makeup artist keep in his kit? We obviously had to pick Nick’s brain. Consider this your foolproof guide to prom beauty.
Lancôme Miracle CC Cushion in 04 Yellow: “This yellow shade helps brighten up Yara's complexion. Apply under your eyes and T-zone, over foundation.”
L’Oréal True Match Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator in Rose: “This fresh liquid illuminator adds a subtle glow to the face when applied on top of cheekbones and on bridge of nose.”
Kiko Milano Matte Flawless Fusion Bronzer Powder in 03 Cinnamon: “A matte bronzer that enhances your sun-kissed glow when dusted around the perimeter of the face and down the neck.”
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Lotion: “Dabbing this on eyelids helps control oil on the lids and keeps eye makeup from fading or smudging.”
Chanel Les Beiges: “Perfect to keep in your clutch as powder to tone down shine"
Armani Fluid Sheer in a shimmery coral tone: “Dab this on the apples of the cheeks to add a lit-from-within stain.”
Sephora Collection Hakuho-do Small Teardrop Brush: “Ideal for dusting powder onto the T-zone, so you get it on exact spots without going overboard.”
BeautyBlender Blotterazzi: “I always throw these in my client’s purses so they can blot themselves and keep makeup looking fresh throughout the night.”
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet10/16Getting sketchy.
Yara’s rocker chic look is now literally a work of art, thanks to Nic’s inspiration face chart for the night.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet11/16All about the accessories.
“A friend of ours, Vanessa Lianne, is a talented jeweler. We met up with her so I could pick out some fun options to pair with my white Norma Kamali jumpsuit. Because the jumpsuit was like a blank canvas, it allowed me to have fun with the jewelry and the makeup. I found this choker and fell in love with it. It’s three levels and made to look like barbed wire. It’s plated in silver and the clasp issued of a beautiful dark metal. The earrings match the dark metal and they wind up my ear. It makes it look like I have more piercings,” says Yara.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet12/16Suited up.
“By keeping the outfit simple, I had so much fun with all of the other details,” says Yara.
"I was inspired by something fresh, modern and clean for Yara's naturally youthful style! For her first look we decided to pair a classic white Norma Kamali jumpsuit with a red Longchamp leather jacket for a pop of color and flair. We wanted to put a new twist to the mod-inspired white jumper," adds Ade Samuel, who styled Yara for the major night.
But Yara also experienced an outfit change that same night. “When I was presenting, I switched into a fun white dress that looked like a bomber jacket on top, but went into a ruffly skirt. It was made of neoprene! It was hip and wild, but also fancy. I wanted to be formal, without giving up the funky part. I wore blue heel boots on stage, but switched right into my Adidas when the night was over,” says Yara.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet13/16In the ring.
Yara complimented her badass choker with equally amazing rings.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet14/16Shine on.
“I love these glitter liners, because they're easy to apply and not messy. You can really control the brush. We chose between Revlon PhotoReady Eye Art and Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner,” says Nick.
Photo: Jacqueline Harriet15/16Ready to roll.
So, what’s Yara up to after tonight’s festivities? AP exams and, you know, changing the world. From trips to Harvard, to continuing as a mentor for girls for the Young Women’s Leadership Network with Anne Tisch, to upcoming acting moves, Yara’s shine literally can’t be stopped.
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