These Over-the-Top Hair and Makeup Looks in Black Is King Are the Real Winners Today
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ICYMI: Beyoncé released her highly-anticipated self-directed visual album Black Is King on July 31. The visual is a love letter to Black and African culture, and as we've come to learn from all of her releases over the last few years, it's a rainbow of colors and over-the-top fashions. But even though the fashion itself is jaw-dropping, it wouldn't be a Beyoncé project if it wasn't also bursting with epic hairstyles and beauty looks.
Throughout the entire 90-minute project, the Queen and her collaborators squeezed in dozens of intricate, African-inspired braided hairstyles — like box braids and bantu knots — and over-the-top makeup looks. Read ahead to check out a few of our favorites from the video — then head over to Disney+ to watch it a second (or third) time.
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Beyoncé Wearing Crystal Eyebrow Jewelry
To match her bedazzled bodysuit and headpiece, the queen wore smoky eye makeup and black lipstick that she complemented with crystal eyebrow jewelry.
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Beyoncé Wearing a Braided Ponytail
The singer wore a simple braided ponytail with blunt ends in the video for "Find Your Way Back." She also wore teal-and-black-striped body makeup from the neck down.
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Beyoncé Wearing Bantu Knots
One of Beyoncé's hairstyles for the "Already" music video combined bantu knots — a popular protective style in the natural hair community — and Fulani braids.
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Beyoncé Wearing Mint Green Tribal Makeup
In another moment from the "Already" visual, the singer is seen wearing tribal makeup much like the dancers in the video that are painted almost entirely blue.
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Beyoncé Wearing a Standing Bubble Ponytail
For the "Water" music video featuring Pharrell Williams and Salatiel, the Queen's hair was styled in a messy bubble ponytail that stood up and curved on top of her head.
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Beyoncé Wearing Waist-Length Havana Twists
In a second look from the "Water" video, Beyoncé's seen wearing blond Havana twists that flow all the way down to her waist.
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Kelly Rowland Wearing Microbraids
Kelly Rowland is one of many celebs who make a cameo in the "Brown Skin Girl" video. She's seen wearing microbraids that flow all the way down to her ankles in the visual.
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This Visual Showing a Variety of Looks
Beyoncé uses the "Brown Skin Girl" video to call attention to how creative Black people can get with their hair with a montage showcasing a variety of hairstyles. This part shows a family wearing several different styles from cornrows to a double bubble ponytail to bantu knots.
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Beyoncé Wearing Cleopatra Braids
One of many styles Bey wore in "Brown Skin Girl" was this Cleopatra-inspired braided hairstyle that featured a braided cone at the top of her head.
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Beyoncé Wearing a Braided Beehive
This braided beehive look is one of the most complex styles of the entire visual, though we'd rather not know how painfully long it probably took the hair and makeup crew to get it that perfect.
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Beyoncé Wearing a Floor-Length Twisted Ponytail
Beyoncé added some extravagance to the average ponytail by wearing it in a twisted, ombré style and making it long enough to almost touch the floor when she's sitting.
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Beyoncé Wearing an Intricate Braided Updo
For this part of the video, Beyoncé wore her hair braided into a bun.
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Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland Wearing Matching Beehives
The two longtime besties appeared alongside each other in "Brown Skin Girl" wearing matching '60s-inspired updos, Beyoncé's in her signature blond color and Rowland's in dark brown.
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Blue Ivy's Jumbo Box Braids
What's a Beyoncé visual without a few appearances from Blue Ivy Carter? The eight-year-old appeared in her mother's video for "My Power" wearing jumbo box braids and a wide brim hat.
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Tierra Whack Wearing a Pretzel Braid
Rapper Tierra Whack collaborated with Queen Bey on the song "My Power" and appeared in the video with her hair braided into a pretzel-like shape that was accessorized with mini shells.
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Moonchild Sanelly Wearing Bright Blue Yarn Braids
Moonchild Sanelly is a South African performer known by many for her blue yarn braids — she's revealed the inspiration behind the signature style on Twitter — that she proudly wore with a horned headpiece in the "My Power" video.