Janet Jackson Closed Essence Festival With A Twist On Her Signature Beauty Look – Essence

Last night, the ESSENCE Festival of Culture’s 30th anniversary headliner Janet Jackson closed the show, bringing this year’s festival to an end. Holding the title for number one ESSENCE Fest Ticket Seller of All Time, Jackson has the tightest grip on us; not only for her electric performances but also for her aspirational beauty looks.

The icon is known for everything from her twiggy lashes on the cover of Damita Jo to gigantic updos front row at Thom Browne. But for her Evening Concert Series look at the Superdome last night, she reminded us what her signature look actually is.

For the past month, Damita Jo has been rocking jumbo braids, which takes us back to her Poetic Justice era. She first showed them off on her Together Again Tour, replacing the current knotless braid trend for a knotted base. Her big, horizontal parts allowed her knots to alternate sides, giving each braid full range to be tied up or down. The Urban Meet Braid Shop has been braiding and styling her tour looks along with colorist Chris Rios Riggio, dipping her waist-length dark plaits for a long, free end.

Beat by her long-time makeup artist Preston Meneses, Jackson’s classic matte base and powdered under eyes set the tone for the night. Her high cheekbones did not require blush nor heavy contour. Instead, her glazed, lined lips were parted by a smile, which pushed her cheekbones up for a natural sculpted look. Her luminous eyeshadow cut up the matte moment with a touch of shimmer for the Superdome lights to bounce off of. 

Her nails were nude this year, unlike the pink nails at her 2022 ESSENCE Festival performance, but were a similar length and shape. Although she rejected the knotless braid trend, the popular “no-nicure” for nails was in for the star. As we say good-bye to the 2024 festival in New Orleans, we can look to Janet Jackson for timeless beauty inspiration to hold us over until next year.