With Jennifer Hudson set to play the legendary Aretha Franklin in the biopic Respect, we’ve been musing on the late singer’s enduring legacy. Not only was she the undisputed Queen of Soul, but she is also remembered as an unapologetic beauty icon, known for playing with proportion, embracing color and flouting convention.
While Franklin will remain known for her powerful voice, fascinating life, civil rights work and commanding stage presence, we’d argue her makeup and hair choices deserve some accolades too. So from spidery 60s lashes to ice blue eyeshadow, here are some of our favorite beauty moments from Franklin.
Franklin was never one to shy away from color, and this soft pastel lavender eye shadow is a prime example. She wore her hair in a natural Afro to signal her commitment to the Civil Rights Movement, for which she was a fierce advocate.
Franklin regularly experimented with buoyant bouffant wigs throughout her career, often paired with extended cat-eye liner and sharply defined brows.
When she wasn’t wearing graphic eye makeup, Franklin often opted for high volume hair and soft makeup, characterized by classic smoky shadows and a glossy lip.
Posing for her Aretha album cover, the singer chose a cropped wig with 60s spidery lashes a technicolor eye makeup in Franklin’s signature pink, icy blue and purple hues.
The music legend never lost her love for color, choosing more shimmering iridescent shades of lavender in later years.
