10 Brown Girl Beauty Icons Who Will Blow Your Mind

Shades of delight, Cocoa hue...

1. Sade and her signature red lips.

Tracy Sigler on Flickr / Via Flickr: imheavyduty

Bold red lips, slicked-back hair and oversized gold hoop: That's exactly what comes to mind when you think about the Smooth Operator powerhouse.

To copy her signature quiet-but-bold red lipstick, layer MAC lipsticks Media, and Cyber together.

2. Sadhana Shivdasan and the Sadhana cut.

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Sadhana swept India and beyond with the wispy micro fringe phenomena, which was actually inspired by Audrey Hepburn's look in Roman Holiday.

In an interview, she said, "Nayyar Sahab (a movie director) had seen the Hollywood actress Audrey Hepburn, who used to have a fringe. He brought a picture of Audrey Hepburn and showed it to our hair stylist. The idea clicked as the fringe worked wonders and became famous as Sadhana cut.''

3. Lupita Nyong'o and her perfect skin.

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In an interview with Arise Entertainment 360, Nyong'o said that she had a skin disorder growing up, and her mother went to great lengths to find a remedy. "I remember she took a trip to Madagascar and came back with all these alternative, medicinal herbs and stuff. They didn’t smell so good but I think they worked some magic."

The ebony-skinned stunner's skincare routine is simple, "I wash my face and I use kukui oil," she shares with E!. "A natural oil from Hawaii… its really soft and hydrating."

4. Diana Ross and her lush lashes.

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Ross says she didn't always have her makeup professionally done.

She said in an interview, "It (professional makeup) started right after some of the touring days, right after we started having hit records and started doing television specials, and they would hire a makeup person for us. But before then we would do our own makeup. I would create my own eyeliner—lots of eyelashes. I would create my own look that I thought was right for me…It was a wonderful, playful time, and fashion, beauty, and clothes became a part of the image of who the classic Diana Ross was.”

5. Gabrielle Union and her black-don't-crack flawlessness.

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If you needed any proof that Gabrielle Union hasn't aged, she was 29 when the movie Bring It On came out. Now she's 42.

In an interview with Elle, she said, "The best anti-aging secret weapon, is that in my mid-thirties I started drinking a gallon of water a day. It's made a tremendous difference with my hair, skin, and nails. Everyone is always like, 'What did you do differently than everyone else? Why are you aging so slow?'

6. Solange Knowles and her fierce hair.

Fashion Gone Rogue / Via fashiongonerogue.com

Chances are there are two things you'll notice first when Solange ever decides to grace you with her heavenly presence — her outfit, and her hair. She's done everything from rockin' long box braids to free-flowing 'fros and every time she looks amazing.

7. Bipasha Basu & and her perfectly threaded eyebrows.

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Basu spilled her beauty secrets to Vogue India, "My morning beauty regime starts with drinking four to six glasses of water and eating almonds soaked in water overnight. I never step out without a sunscreen, it’s crucial to avoid UV damage." she said. "At night, I massage almond oil around my eyes to nourish the delicate under-eye skin and keep it line- and wrinkle-free. I also avoid wearing heavy make-up when I’m not working.”

8. Lauryn Hill and her history-making locs.

VOGUE / Via vogue.com

When the world met Lauryn Hill in the 1990s, she not only blew them over with her vocals, she also transformed the way dark-skinned women looked at themselves. The brand of striking beauty with dark chocolate skin, and topped off with natural locs was hardly acknowledged, and embraced before her.

9. Erykah Badu and her everything.

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There is nothing not to love about Erykah Badu's sense of style and her take on beauty. When asked what beauty advice her mother gave her, she said, "My mother told me I was the best. She told me I was the best when I was about 8-years-old, and that was a very powerful message."

10. Misty Copeland and her pearly whites.

Muppet Wikia / Via muppet.wikia.com

There are many things beautiful, and powerful about ballerina Misty Copeland. Her incredibly strong legs (she goes through a pair of pointe shoes nearly every day from dancing eight hours daily!), her incredible drive, and her general badassery all together.

Maybe it's just me and my unwavering obsession with teeth, but this girl has some amazing chompers! In case you were wondering, she swears by Crest Whitening Strips.