This month is a busy one for SZA. Next week, she’ll be found performing songs from GNX album with sweeping Grammy Award winner Kendrick Lamar at the SuperBowl. And last night, she won Best R&B Song at the 67th annual Grammy Awards for the lead single on her Lana album, “Saturn.”
To compliment her win (and predict her next look), hair stylist Devante Turnbull rejected all inspirations—making her beauty look exclusively her own.
“We didn’t have a specific reference,” Turnbull tells ESSENCE. “Instead, we just wanted to stay true to her big natural hair look while spicing it up with some color,” he says, dying her a cherry red wig (just in time for Valentine’s Day) which replicated her natural texture.
“I started by sectioning the hair and spraying Bb.Curl Reactivator Moisturizing Hair Mist all over,” he says, using scrunching and finger coiling techniques to define her curls. “Once the hair was prepped, I worked a small amount of Bb.Curl Light Defining Styling Cream through the mid-lengths and ends.”
Shaking up the Bb.Curl Defining Hair Mousse, Turnbull says he applied a “golf ball-sized amount” and used scrunching and finger coiling techniques to define and shape her curls.
After applying a few drops of frizz-reduction oil, “I then blow-dried the hair using a diffuser, scrunching as I dried to maintain volume and texture,” he says.
To finish the hair, a thickening texture spray was scrunched in to break up stiffness—resulting in “effortless texture with volume to die for.”
To complete the look, her short, square French tips were detailed with multi-colored Om symbols—an homage to her recent 8-day Samyama meditation program in India. As for makeup? According to artist Deanna Paley, the look was all about a perfectly primed base and airbrushed skin.
“We opted for shades that complement her beautiful burgundy locks for a look that is timeless and chic,” she says in a press release, using a collection of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty products. From pink peach highlighter-blush to pale pink lipstick (in the shade “Liv It Up”), SZA took over the night in a light, yet grounded beauty moment.
“Working with SZA is phenomenal. Her authenticity makes the process feel natural and meaningful,” Turnbull says. “Whether through lyrics, visuals, or performance, her artistry resonates deeply with people, making it a truly fulfilling experience.”
