Alicia Keys' Beauty & Style Tips

Make the Cut

“When I first met Alicia a few months ago I immediately suggested she cut her hair to chin length,” remembers hairstylist Ward Stegerhoek. “She hadn’t met me before and sort of raised an eyebrow. But then she smiled and said, ‘let’s do it,’ and we’ve been working together ever since.” The perfectly angled cut invites sleek styling, notes Ward: “Too many people in music do too much hair, too many colors and extensions. This look is simple, effective and within your own world.”

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Build a Belt Wardrobe

When asked about his favorite fashion trick, Keys’ stylist Wouri Vice has a one-word answer: “Belts!” The reason? “They can change the dynamic of any woman’s body and give definition simply by their placement. To have a wide range of belts in your wardrobe does wonders.”

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Brush Up on Skincare

“Alicia takes really good care of her skin and gets regular facials,” says makeup artist Dotti, who created this luminous look for the Girl on Fire album cover. “Sometimes I use the Clarisonic brush on her skin before makeup, and Alicia has one, too. It gives it a good clean, gets the circulation going and makes the skin alive-looking.”

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Elevate Your Look

“The right heels are a game changer,” says Keys’ fashion stylist Laura Jones of her favorite little trick that makes a big impact. “One of my favorite events I dressed Alicia for was the 2012 Grammys,” where she wore Christian Louboutin’s transparent ‘Bis Un Bout’ pumps.

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Flatiron Like the Pros

“When you flatiron hair in big sections, only the front and back of each section gets heated, not the middle,” says Ward Stegerhoek, one of Keys’ favorite hairstylists. “I prefer to make the sections really small—about a quarter of an inch. It may take a bit longer to do it this way but the results are much sleeker and longer lasting. For frizz-prone hair, like Alicia’s, I’ll make the sections even tinier around the hairline and front.”

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Set Makeup With Bronzer

Instead of setting Keys’ makeup with traditional loose powder, makeup artist Ashunta likes to use bronzer, applied with a large powder brush. “This makes Alicia's skin have that golden glow without looking masked with makeup.” Then, to lock in the look and give a dewy finish, Ashunta pats the face with a damp sponge.

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Scrunch Your Curls

Hairstylist Tippi Shorter has a signature method for styling Keys’ curly hair. “I apply a cocktail of leave-in conditioner, gel and cream. They all have their purpose to keeping her curls defined, shiny and frizz free. Before drying her hair, I scrunch her hair with t-shirt material; this helps to dry hair without snagging her curls like a traditional towel would do.”

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Paint a Multidimensional Mouth

To complement the menswear-inspired Givenchy tux that Keys wore to the 2012 Met Gala, makeup artist Dotti focused on creating the perfect red lip. “I used three different shades of red, layering and blotting with tissues for bold intensity of color,” she says.

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Communicate Your Confidence

Stylist Laura Jones dressed Keys for the 2012 Billboard Awards, where the singer wore unusual, eye-catching earrings and body jewelry. “Alicia knows what she likes and is great at communicating this so it takes a lot of the trouble out of putting a look together. It's all very seamless.”

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Take a Fashion Risk

“Alicia is very courageous and she loves fashion,” says stylist Patti Wilson. “We created this look for the American Music Awards where Alicia wore a sequin suit with a cropped lace bustier top, little black leather gloves and a red hat with a veil. There was even a little black bird on the hat—only Alicia could carry something like this off and make it fabulous! It was so chic, kind of retro, but so modern and fresh at the same time.”

Fun fact: “I remember the makeup artist called me minutes before Alicia went out on the red carpet and asked me, ‘Quickly Patti, quickly—what color should her lips be?’ I wasn’t there and all I remember saying is ‘Match the hat!!!’”

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Embrace Your Icons

When fashion stylist Edward Enninful is prepping Keys for a big event, he begins with intensive research. “Find out which women embody that style inspires you. For Alicia, we looked at Sade, Jody Watley, and Kate Moss and kept images that we loved.”

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