87BEAUTY
hat is beauty
all about for
you? More
than anything,
I think
it’s feeling
comfortable
with yourself.
It’s falling
in love with
what’s different about you and being happy about that.
You turned 60 last year. Have you always been comfort-
able with yourself? No, no, no. It’s something that you
grow into. I think as a young black woman coming up in
the projects and wanting to go into the entertainment
business, you’re looking at images on television, in film,
on commercia ls, in maga zines, that sor t of th ing , a nd
they don’t feature, you know, your features—so you’re
straightening your hair, perming, doing all these things
to you rsel f to fit in with th is st a nda rd of beaut y. But ,
thankfully, it’s changed dramatically over the past two
to three decades, which is freeing and wonderful to see.
Yes, seeing diverse representation is so important,
especially when you’re young. I think the idea of beauty
is opening up; there’s no one standard—like if you see
Dove commercials where the [women] are not size 0.
I’ve never been a size 0. Growing up, you may tend to
think your hips are too big, your lips are too large, [ but]
these things all come around. Things have changed,
because it’s human opinion. You have to be cognizant of
that and appreciative of what’s beautiful and unique
about you. A carbon copy has no soul.
How do you care for yourself? It ’s const a nt. La st week it
was about getting the yearly physical and mammogram.
My doc tors tel l me t hat my physiolog y, my ma keup,
thrives on being physical. I’ll go jogging or walking.
Yoga is usually a little slow for me. I prefer to lift
weights or run on the treadmill, maybe do Pilates.
Let’s talk glam: Do you love getting ready for an event?
I’ve been working with the same makeup artists and
hairstylists for years, and I’ve pretty much always been
happy to sit in the chair and close my eyes. I’m not going
to put a straitjacket on them. A [fashion] stylist will
have ideas and things for me, and I’ll try on the whole
rack because it’s fun. You catch a vibe, a feeling.
How are you at doing your own makeup? I try to wear
a s l it t le a s I c a n. I g rew up wit h my mot her t a k i ng me
to a dermatologist. I think my mother and her siblings
dealt with marks and acne scars—especially as an
African American, your skin is so sensitive and scars
so easily. So from ninth grade on, every six weeks [we’d]
go to the dermatologist to clear my skin out. I knew it
was a sacrifice for [my mom] because she didn’t make
that much as a civil servant. But it was really important
to her. It ’s a l l about ma k i ng su re you r sk i n a nd
complexion are top-notch. —ANGELIQUE SERRANO
“I think the
idea of beauty
is opening up;
there’s no one
standard.”
ANGELA’S
MUST-HAVES
Pat McGrath
Labs Mothership
V: Bronze
Seduction
Palette, $125;
patmcgrath
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Sturm Eye
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molecular-
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Line
Interception
Power Duo,
$360;
laprairie
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Rihanna Mattemoi-
selle Plush Matte
Lipstick in Griselda,
$18; sephora.com.