We are currently in the midst of a Missy Elliott renaissance and, honestly, we couldn’t be more pleased. Just last week, it was announced that the legendary rapper will receive the Video Vanguard Award at this year’s MTV VMAs. Back in June, she became the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
And now, fresh off a collaboration with Lizzo on the rising star’s track “Tempo”, Missy Elliott has dropped a new EP Iconology – her first musical project since 2005’s The Cookbook. Alongside the EP, Missy gifted us all with a video for lead single “Throw It Back” which – as the name suggests – pay homage to old school Missy style while keeping it fresh and current. The video is packed with playful beauty looks from bold lipstick colours to jumping rope with braids. Here are the best beauty moments.
No doubt the defining moment of the video, in an instantly-iconic scene we see Missy with super-sized braids that are being used for Double Dutch jump rope by her dancers. The yellow-accented braids are accompanied by purple lipstick, glittering pointed nails and gum. Iconic.
Wigs snatched
“I'ma snatch they wigs 'til I see that scalp,” raps Missy as she snaps her fingers and her dancers’s wigs are literally snatched from them. The now-bald dancers are not phased for long though and continue to dance and look fierce in their matching mint suits which are complemented by barbie pink lips and eyeshadow.
Teyana Taylor
Teyana Taylor makes a cameo appearance at the beginning of the video as the curator of the Missy Elliott museum and she is absolutely rocking a cropped vinyl cape with matching wide-brimmed hat and Roy Lichtenstein lips.
Technicolour hair and make-up
Throughout the video, Missy sports a variety of colourful hair and make-up looks. There’s the bubblegum pink braids which are paired with a pink suit, pink lips and pink eyeshadow with a contrasting blue metallic lid. There’s the blue lipstick which complements the blue tracksuits worn by Missy and her dancers. And there’s the yellow eyeshadow with lilac lips that accompanies Missy’s silky sleek hair in the school gym. A queen.
