No one on Earth does it quite like Cher. She’s a legend, an icon, and today, May 20, 2021, is her 75th birthday. Yes, 75 solar returns for the original Mackie Doll—and, obviously, this is cause for celebration. If you want an idea of how much I love Cher, “Believe” was the second cassette tape I ever owned (the first was a Little Richard one because apparently, my mom thought I was 60 years old). Even better, a friend and I saw Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again in theatres a collective five times, and I went through a solid white-blonde bob season of my life based solely on hers in that movie. If I ever run for president, one of my goals will be to make Cher’s birthday a national holiday. In her honor, here is a roundup of some of her best beauty moments that I’d happily turn back time for.
Look at her. That, readers, is a woman. Mullet-era Cher is one of my personal favorites because she rocked her natural texture in that mullet-shag way that absolutely no one saw coming. She just looks cool, self-assured, and comfortable. And the key to being as chic as Cher is composure and self-confidence, regardless of what you’re wearing.
Your faves could literally never wear curtain bangs and a full fringe with waist-length hair. Name me one person who could (bet you can’t). Only Cher can, and she is pulling it off, to say the very least.
Cher in a sequins is basically as natural as bees and honey, but the real star of the show is this silver wig covered in crystals. The short bang, the delicately placed crystals throughout the hair—this is a look that requires time and precision, but is sure worth the patience and time.
Cher somehow wears pink eyeshadow and doesn’t worry about looking like she has pink eye, which is incredible. The pink eyeshadow being offset by the stunning cobalt blue sequins and with a clay-colored blush? This look is begging to be recreated. It’s simple, but not effortless.
What I would give to have an inch of the patience and time it took to create this wicked sharp negative space cat-eye. You truly could cut yourself on the sharpness of the wing, but this is a cat eye that you build out an inch at a time, because if you mess up, you’re going to have to start over. Check the greatness of the black cut crease, too—this eye look is one-of-a-kind.
I have a wig in this exact cut and style and I wound up looking like Sideshow Bob in it, while Cher is over here making this style seem like anyone can pull it off. We all can’t! I tried! But looking at this photo makes me want to try and try again, which I think Cher would appreciate.
Cher’s relationship with legendary makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin is one for the books—literally, this glossy eye is from the pages of Aucoin’s makeup bible, Making Faces. There’s so much that feels ethereal here, and so modern—the brown lip, the tinted glossy eye, the wispy eyeshadow and brown cheeks? This is the look of my dreams.
