The Look: Sophisticated!

Rihanna always manages to be feminine and elegant yet fun and flirty at the same time. Her sophisticated look is glamorous, but still has that Rihanna attitude to it. Both her makeup and nails are dark and glam. Getting this look on your own is almost as easy as she makes it look.

Fashion:

Rihanna embraced summer in the city with this beautiful canary yellow floor-length dress at the 2008 BET Awards. Yet again, she manages to be feminine and elegant yet fun and flirty at the same time. One might think layers of chiffon, ruffles galore (a trend that continues to be strong heading into fall) and a frilly neckline would translate into over-the-top girly but Rihanna knows how to pull things back and add a twist. By keeping accessories to a minimum and going with dark, sophisticated makeup (with dark nails to match) she let the dress shine while infusing a bit of attitude.

Take inspiration from Rihanna’s look and bring it to the real world by taking a risk and embracing bright colour. But remember, stick to one colour at a time (you don’t want to look like a rainbow exploded on you) and go with barely-there accessories. And if you’re thinking about adding a ruffle or two to your wardrobe, definitely do! Just make sure they’re in the right places—if you’re worried about your butt or stomach, the last thing you want is a ruffle at your rump or across your mid-section. If you’re still unsure, take baby steps by picking up ruffled accessories like scarves, shoes or even handbags.

Beauty:

Rihanna is the epitome of sophistication for this red carpet appearance with a more mature, grown-up look. Again we see a lot of detail on the eye but it’s less about drama, more about class. CoverGirl’s Eye Enhancers 4-Kit Shadows in Coffee Shop is perfect for achieving this look and with four complimentary shades in one convenient compact, makeup has never been this easy. “Use the dark brown colour on the outer corner of the eye, follow up with gold and copper tones on the lid, and then use the lightest colour in the compact to blend out to the brow bone,” says Venoit.

Next use the Perfect Blend Eyeliner in Basic Black to line the inner rim of the eye on the bottom and the top. “Don’t forget to soften the lower line with the dark brown or gold colour from the Coffee Shop Eye Enhancers kit,” says Venoit. Finish with the Lashblast Volume Blasting Mascara in Very Black on upper and lower lashes.

To achieve Rihanna’s seductive pout, first line the lips with CoverGirl Outlast Smoothwear All-Day Lipliner in Plum and then fill in the lips with TRUshine Lipcolor in Cherry Shine.

For the face, use the TRUblend Naturally Luminous Loose Powder in Translucent Honey for flawless looking skin and the TRUcheeks Blush no. 5, which includes a contouring powder, blush and highlighter to achieve a sculpted, contoured look to the cheekbones.

By: Nancy Won