We continue our “Best of 2011″ series with those ladies who came correct in the beauty department this year. Here are your nominees:
1. Nicki Minaj
While we’ve had to fetch the smelling salts for some of Nicki’s ensembles this year, you seem to agree on one thing: the girl’s face stays beat.
Whether she’s rocking her signature green eyeshadow and pink lip, or opts for a different makeup look, you can always be sure to see Nicki with perfectly curled false lashes, topped off with a multicolored wig nothing short of fabulous.
Her beauty choices might be a little kooky, but they always seem to work for her.
In 2011, Nicki also became of a bit of a beauty aficionado herself, releasing her Pink Friday lipstick with MAC Cosmetics, posing for the brand’s Viva Glam campaign with Ricky Martin, and launching nail polishes with OPI:
2. Kelly Rowland
The singer and X-Factor UK judge is also nominated for Fashionista of the Year, thanks to her saucy style evolution in 2011.
Ms. Rowland offsets her racier look with classic, glamorous makeup and hair, often with a punch of color for good measure.
3. Rihanna
Another Fashionista of the Year nominee, Rihanna started the year with edged-out candy apple red locks, and ended with a fluffy crown of light brown curls streaked with blonde highlights.
It is amazing to see the versatility of the pop singer’s beauty game, from the über glam makeup she often rocked in the beginning of 2011, to the more toned down, natural looks in the latter part of the year. Either way, Riri looked consistently gorgeous, and will continue to do so.
4. Beyonce
Beyoncé’s high-quality weaves earned her the loving nickname Beyaki, but as far as beauty goes in 2011, it’s hard to compete with an already beautiful woman, whose skin and hair are made more radiant by pregnancy hormones.
One thing is for sure: Mama Bey has remained glamorous throughout the year, and shows no signs of stopping!
5. Tika Sumpter
Tika Sumpter stole our hearts with her gorgeous chocolate complexion and impossibly sleek locks. She transformed from a relatively unknown soap star, to one of our favorite it girls this summer.
We’d be hard pressed to find a time when Tika’s hair and makeup were not on point this year.
So…who’s the Beauty Diva for 2011?
Take a look back on Nicki’s looks here. Check out Rihanna here. Peep Kelly Rowland here. Swoon over Beyonce here. Try to contain your jealousy over Tika Sumpter here.
~Jihan
