Diana Ross once said, “It takes a long time to get to be a diva. I mean, you gotta work at it.” True to her mantra, the “Queen of Motown,” who turns 82 today, has been doing just that since she was a child growing up in Detroit, going to the five-and-dime for Maybelline New York’s black eyebrow pencil.
Ross attended cosmetology school while she was in high school, practicing hairstyles on herself and taking neighbors as clients, but becoming the lead singer of The Supremes is what took her look (her coif and thick lashes, especially) and her skills to new heights. “When The Supremes went on the road, I did everyone’s hair—you know, the hot iron and rollers,” Ross said in a past interview. “I wanted to learn everything about beauty to make people more attractive.”
In the ‘60s, the charismatic frontwoman whipped through a mesmerizing lineup of looks, from a curvy, chin-grazing bob accented by kittenish flicks and heavy fringe to a towering, teased-to-there bouffant with cut-crease smoky eyes and pale lips. By 1970, with her first solo album, Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand) and number one single, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” Ross began flexing her cloud of natural curls. With her the-bigger-the-better hair, either let down or tied back and topped with accessories, iridescent eyes, and glossy lips, she perpetually brought drama to the stage, helping usher in the disco era.
1975’s Mahogany, in which she starred as rising fashion designer Tracy Chambers, was one standout, featuring her silky soprano vocals, theatrical costumes she designed herself, and that teal blue Afro. Releasing perennial dance floor favorite “I’m Coming Out” in 1980, Ross continued to not only up the ante on the volume of her mane, but also embraced the decade’s trendy saturated lids and draped blush to dramatic effect.
Since then, the icon hasn’t stopped unleashing her inner diva, continuing to grace the stage with her signature curls and bold eyes. “My ‘quick makeups’ are jumbo eye pencils, really black black pencils, and mascara, maybe blusher and a light lip gloss,” Ross previously told Vogue. She’s left plenty of room for fun and experimentation over the years, too, like her blonde pixie at the World Music Awards in 1996 and her royal purple ‘do at the 1997 BAFTAs.
Last year, Ross attended the Met Gala for the first time in over two decades (her fifth appearance total) to celebrate Black dandyism in a sparkling white gown with an 18-foot train by Ugo Mozie, featuring the names of her five children and eight grandchildren. She completed the look with a feathered hat and purple-accented makeup—the perfect foreshadowing for her second look of the night, a black-and-purple beaded gown with tulle she designed herself.
Ross’s affinity for glam is something she’s passed on to her children as well. “I spent a lot of time hidden on the floor in my mom’s dressing room while she did her own hair and makeup,” her daughter, actor and entrepreneur Tracee Ellis Ross, told Vogue Beauty Secrets. “My mom is so self-sufficient with her beauty, and I think it’s informed so much of what I believe. I feel like every person should be able to access their most beautiful self and feel beautiful in their own bathroom.” And with that, here’s a look at Ross’s standout beauty moments.
Have a beauty or wellness trend you're curious about? We want to know! Send Vogue's senior beauty & wellness editor an email at beauty@vogue.com.