Born in Barbados in 1988, Rihanna has been a music and fashion icon since she was very young.
With 8 released albums and endless chart hits, she’s one of the bestselling artists ever – and among the most popular cover models.
If you’re interested in fashion, you’ll probably admire her constantly changing style, risky outfits and the way she dares to push boundaries.
Here at OneHowTo we have the best tips to learn how to look like Rihanna, from makeup to clothes. Dare to be bold, fierce, and sexy all at once!
Steps to follow:
1
How to do your makeup like Rihanna:
Like most celebrities, Rihanna is known for her glowing, velvety look. While her outfits and hair have changed unpredictably over the years – even from one month to another! – her makeup style has remained more or less similar, which makes it easier to mimic it. Here is how to get Rihanna’s look:
Skin: Think bronze. Rihanna’s skin is always at its softest best, and you can achieve it by keeping your skin well-nourished and hydrated. Follow a healthy diet, establish a basic facial cleansing routine and use moisturizing creams.
Foundation: Prime your skin before applying a foundation that matches your skin tone as naturally as possible. If you’re pale, be careful not to look too orange. Apply highlighter on your forehead and the top of your cheekbones even if you don’t contour. You can use peach, warm brown or even red blush, but your best choice is to dare to use a golden shade.
Eyebrows: Unlike many other celebrities nowadays, Rihanna doesn’t draw that much attention to her eyebrows. However, keep them well-groomed and defined in a soft arching curve. If you really want to look like Rihanna as much as possible, leave a wide gap between them – be careful that it fits the shape of your face, though.
Lips: Rihanna’s lips are very full; if yours aren’t, take a look at this article on how to make them appear so. Choose a bright lipstick, in red or mauve, although you can use gloss or a nude lipstick for informal occasions. Over all, make sure your lips are very defined.
Eyes: It’s no coincidence that the warrior lion-goddess Sekhmet in The Wicked and the Divine is modeled on Rihanna. Her green eyes are always the focus of her makeup; she always wears sharp liquid black eyeliner and looks as much as a cat as humanly possible. She often wears smoky eyeshadow in brown or purple, using matte brown as a base and turning to lighter, pearly colors above. It is always very well blended, and she brings light to her gaze by highlighting the inner corner of her eyes.
How to wear your hair like Rihanna:
This is tricky, since over the years Rihanna has worn almost every haircut and color you can imagine – Zendaya must have followed her example. To make it even more difficult, most of her hairstyles are high-maintenance. However, the variety of styles also means that you’ll find something that fits your face shape and look. Her signature styles include:
- Loose, beachy waves in warm colors from golden blond to dark brown. You can achieve this look with a golden balayage.
- Tight red curls, like a disco diva.
- The asymmetrical bob she wore in Good Girl Gone Bad (2007) was especially iconic. It was sharp and black, with some colors threaded in.
If you have thin hair, do your best to get volume. Otherwise, you’re good to go with any texture or color, from pink to pitch black.
You don’t have to actually shave the sides of your head or get an extreme, expensive bob haircut. Instead, opt for sideswept bangs and mimic the style by doing a deep side part, slicking the smaller side back and pinning it.
How to dress like Rihanna:
As with the hair, you can wear almost everything in order to look like Rihanna – as long as it’s daring and unique. However, she has some iconic styles you can mimic, and luckily they range from informal, fun streetwear to decadent, ultra-fancy evening gowns.
- Channel Rihanna’s “Pon De Replay” era by wearing a youthful, street-style outfit. She used to wear boyish clothes, with baggy jeans or loose track pants and square, waist-length jackets. However, she did highlight her waist and wore tight crop tops. You can easily adapt that feminine yet sporty look with pieces you already own. A tip: Get a bomber jacket and a baseball cap with a flat brim.
- She developed an edgier, fierce look with Good Girl Gone Bad and Rated R: Animal prints, brighter colors, sheer fabric and – especially – leather became her trademarks. She also wore more high heels and strappy sandals.
- Rihanna has also worn pretty spectacular and majestic looks to important events. Her Swarowski crystal gown for the 2014 CFDA Awards and her impressive golden robe at the 2015 MET Gala are out of this world! She’s also worn full-on princess pink dresses with fur trims, as well as channeled Old Hollywood glamour. On the other hand, she’s also chosen jumpsuits on occasion. It’s Rihanna! If it exists, she can wear it.
If none of those styles are your cup of tea, don’t worry. You can wear anything and look like Rihanna as long as you have the proper attitude and moves. She also loves denim, grunge-y jackets and short, torn and well-worn shorts that give her a effortlessly cool style. As long as it’s comfortable yet sleek, it’ll make you look like her. Our particular favorite anything-goes Rihanna moment is when she stepped out in fluffy home slippers – and an excellent pastel pedicure.
There are as many iconic Rihanna looks as there are events you could attend; choose your favorite and go for it! Now that you know how to look like Rihanna, from makeup to outfit, give us some tips in the comments section.
Don’t miss our articles on how to look like Kendall and Kylie Jenner or Ariana Grande!
If you want to read similar articles to How to Look Like Rihanna: Makeup, Hair and Outfit Tips, we recommend you visit our Fashion & Style category.
