Ciara one-two-stepped her way into our lives over two decades ago and she's been giving ever since. I remember wanting to be just like her as I entered high school. She was beautiful, talented and an all-around five-star chick. From her style to the way she just seems so effortless, she was all that I wanted to be. To this day, she is still goals. Ciara once said about style, "I believe a person's style is an expression of who you are - way more than dancing."
In December of 2020, she created The House of LR&C, a fashion house that intersects fashion and philanthropy and that's when my love for the ATLien grew stronger. Ciara stated in a press release:
"Fashion has always been my avenue for creative self-expression, and throughout my journey, I've always been looking for a brand that's a one-stop-shop, from investment pieces to budget-friendly items."
The fact that she is using her platform to create a line that can be a woman's best friend in fashion speaks to why she deserves multiple bouquets of flowers. So we are going to do just that. Ahead, find an assortment of Ciara's most memorable looks which makes up one hell of a style evolution.
2005: 10th Annual Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards
At the Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards, Ciara opted for a black satin suit with black open-toed heels. At this point in the game, the singer was still figuring out how to make her mark on the carpet but it was still very fitting for the year 2005.
2006: 48th Annual Grammy Awards
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Fast forward to 2009, you see Princess Ciara draped in a beautiful and delicate white gown. This was also a monumental night as she won her first Grammy for Best Short-Form Music Video for "Lose Control," featuring Missy Elliott & Fat Man Scoop.
2011: 53rd Annual Grammy Awards
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By 2011, our favorite dancer realized her love for high slits. Ciara wore an Emilio Pucci Spring 2011 dress featuring cutouts and an extra-long train to grace the red carpet.
2012: MTV Movie Awards
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Is it us or do we see Ciara stepping into her grown and sexy bag on this red carpet? She brought the heat to the carpet in a red, hot Balmain dress paired with the nude Christian Louboutin 'Pigalle' pointed-toe pumps. It's a timeless look that could be worn in any era.
2014: 56th Annual Grammy Awards
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The year is 2014 and the singer is expecting her first child with rapper, Future. We remember being so excited to see her on the carpet with her adorable bump. The pregnant star stole the show in a custom Emilio Pucci gown and her simplistic beauty made for a perfect ensemble.
2015: American Music Awards
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Reem Acra never looked as good as it did on the R&B beauty during the 2015 AMAs. She was a presenter this night and if we recall, we had just fallen in love with her new relationship with Russell Wilson. They made their pro-BAEte at the White House State Dinner earlier that year and we have been stanning ever since.
2016: Billboard Music Awards
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As the co-host of the 2016 Billboard Awards, Ciara had to bring it. She did so in a metallic chain dress designed by Phillip Plein. The sheath-style dress accentuated every curve and gave a new meaning to the side-boob. These Casadei Blade Sandals were also all the rage back then as strappy sandals had a chokehold on red carpets.
2017: Vanity Fair Oscar After Party
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The Vanity Fair Oscar after-party is one of the biggest nights in Hollywood. All of the biggest and brightest stars gather after the Academy Awards to have a party comparable to a night spent with your favorite people eating In-N-Out burgers and drinking Veuve Clicquot while indulging in deep conversations.
Picture Ciara strutting down the not-so-red carpet in this plush velvet, oxblood Jovani Signature gown that perfectly shows off her burgeoning baby bump. She did that. She and her hubby were welcoming their first child together and this was a perfect way to make memories of a beautiful union.
2018: Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports
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Ciara is not like regular moms; she's a cool mom. And this is shown to be facts on the 2018 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Sports carpet where the star rocks a Maison Margiela getup with her baby boy and baby girl in tow. We know Ciara to have a boyish-chic vibe since her introduction to the music scene so this is very on-brand.
2019: MET Gala Celebrating Camp: Notes On Fashion
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This look from 2019's MET Gala will go down in history. The Dundas gown is stunning but this hair defined the moment. Interestingly enough, Peter Dundas was once the creative director of Emilio Pucci, an obvious fave of Ciara's. So when she chose this Dundas frock for the Camp: Notes on Fashion theme, it was serendipitous. Her larger-than-life hair was the winner of the night. Diana Ross had to be proud.
2020: Vanity Fair Oscar Party
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It might be safe to say that the mommy mogul loves showing off her baby bump at the premier Vanity Fair event. Wearing Ralph & Russo, the "Level Up" singer made this sheer sequined number look like the ensemble of angels. It screams ethereal goddess and the styling of her hair brought it all together.
2021: 27th Annual ELLE Women In Hollywood Celebration
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Looking heavenly in white, Cici donned a Mônot Spring 2022 gown to ELLE's annual event celebrating the achievements of women in entertainment. This year, like many events, was a comeback from 2020 which means the stars shined super bright in their high-fashion garments. Ciara stunned us all in this Ready To Wear piece by Lebanese designer, Eli Mizrahi, dramatized by a thigh-high slit and "gone with the wind fabulous" cape.
To get your fashion fix and to stay up to date with the latest trends, check out the xoNecole Style section here.
Featured image by Toni Anne Barson/WireImage
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During the Los Angeles tour stop, which spanned three dates on May 21, May 23, with the finale on May 24, xoNecole had the opportunity to test out the glosses included in this soft launch, as SZA revealed in a statement that "this is just the start of other lip products, including plans to launch stains, liners, and creams all inspired by SZA's “infamous layered lip combinations.”
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So, what is included in the first Not Beauty launch?
The current Not Beauty products available are lip glosses that come in three shades: In the Flesh, Strawberry Jelly, and Quartz.
During my visit to the first LA Not Beauty pop-up activation, I not only had the chance to purchase all three glosses but also took a peek inside the blow-up log tent. Inside, fans got to experience SZA’s love for nature and her fascination with bugs, which are prominently featured in her performances for this tour. At one point, she even had human preying mantis prancing across the stage y'all.
There were blow-up photos of the beauty that is SZA for fans (myself included) to take photos, but in wooden-like tree trunks were a deeper dive into some of the ingredients featured in her products and their benefits.
For example, the glosses feature Hi-Shine Lip Jelly and Shea Butter as key ingredients and some of the listed benefits included are:
- Shea Butter - “A powerhouse ingredient, offering both functional and nourishing benefits.”
- Hi-Shine Lip Jelly (featured in the In the Flesh shade) - “Formula glides on with perfect adhesion to the lips without stickiness).
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What are in the products?
Featured in an orange package, with images of a bug and flower on the side, the back of the box reads: “It’s NOT BEAUTY, it just works. Developed by Solána “SZA” Rowe.
As someone who never leaves home without a good lip gloss, I loved how compact the wood panel packaging is. Perfect to slip into my purse, or in the case of the show at SoFi Stadium, into my pocket when I’m not carrying a bag.
Because I’m a sucker for a good black and brown lip liner and clear gloss combo, I decided to wear the Quartz flavor on night one of the Grand National Tour LA stop, and it did not disappoint. I’ll admit, it’s light weight feel made me nervous because it felt like there was nothing on my lips. However, when I checked my lips in my compact mirror several times throughout the night, I was shocked to find that my gloss was still intact. I only reapplied once out of the habit of looking cute and applying my gloss, but not necessity.
Here are some of the ingredients featured, but not limited to, in the Quartz flavor.
- Polyisoubutene
- Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea)Butter
- Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil
- Tocopherol
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Lip prep
I’m a simple girl who loves to stay true to her roots. So ahead of the show, I stopped by a local Inglewood Beauty Supply store and grabbed a Black and Brown shade lip pencil for just under $2 a piece.
Shading the outline of my lips with the black pencil first, I used the brown to lightly fill the inside of my lips before applying my Quartz Not Beauty shade gloss.
How to apply
There’s truly no right or wrong way to apply lip gloss (in my opinion), with this being a brush applicator sort of product, I simply untwisted the top and swiped the gloss around my top and bottom lip generously.
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Results
Again, my Not Beauty Quartz product stayed on my lips from the start of the show, which began with a fire DJ set from LA’s very own, Mustard, to the conclusion when Kendrick and SZA reunited on stage to send us home to their duet, “luther,” featured on the rapper's GNX album.
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