During a recent Lenny Letter essay titled Time to Uncover, Alicia Keys wrote about how she was taking a break from makeup because she didn’t “want to cover up anymore.” Alicia is clearly very serious about the whole #nomakeup thing, because last night she sashayed onto the red carpet of the BET Awards in a face covered in nothing.
Alicia is one of the very lucky few who can do #nomakeup and still look like a human person. Her skin/eyes/mouth/eyebrows all look like what they’re supposed to. When I do no makeup, I look like something from a remake of Eraserhead by Harmony Korine. My mouth looks like a Biggest Loser before-and after of an awkward pink slug. My eyes like two puffy slits with creepy little see-through lashes. The two patchy hairlike skidmarks above my eyes that can barely be classified as eyebrows (my eyebrows truly bring shame to the Dlisted family). So, good for you for going without makeup, Alicia. And if she really wants to make it a permanent thing, I would volunteer to take any and all makeup she decides to get rid of. I very clearly need it.
Alicia also carried the low-maintenance theme into her ensemble as well.
That satin jumpsuit/head wrap combo would look like “Please have a seat and we’ll begin your hair cut” on most people. That’s not to say it looks great on Alicia Keys; that outfit is pretty busted. But she’s sort of pulling it off. She looks like a medium who communicates with ghosts through sensual slow jams and gets paid in pink champagne.
Aside from Alicia, there were many many other fancy dressed people at the BET Awards. And of course, just like every other red carpet of the past two years, there was so much goddamn see-through fabric and visible panties. However, one look in particular stood out for me, and that was the dress worn by Tinashe:
After seeing so many pairs of satin granny panties, it’s really refreshing to see someone embrace their inner ho and pair a crotch-high slit with a classic mid-rise thong. Thank you for your bravery and subtle trampiness, Tinashe.
Here’s more fashion and style from last night. Shout out to Tracee Ellis Ross for working some of that early 00’s plastic “snakeskin” clubwear realness.
