All Hail Alicia Keys' Colorful New Braids
Alicia Keys has become something of a bare-faced champion for individual, “imperfect,” and unique beauty. She’s been real about unrealistic beauty standards in a way that celebrities (used to) seldom articulate, but hey, that’s our girl with the big voice and the strong words. We love her feminist ideals because of course we do, but there’s another arena that Keys has been slaying in lately that deserves our attention.
Yes, we’re talking about her hair, but honestly, we don’t think she’d mind because a) Have you seen Alicia Keys’ new braids? They deserve discussion and potentially their own Instagram account and b) she’s posted three photos on Instagram of the colorful update. You don’t commit a whole row to a look unless you want folks to take note. Well, we took note—notes, technically. Now let’s discuss: Keys’ new look is exactly how we’d picture her take on unicorn hair.
It seems like almost every celebrity has gone some silvery, soft shade of sorbet or rose gold this summer and fall. It’s a pretty look for sure, but monotony gets boring, even when it comes in pastels. So when Keys went all kinds of day-glow neon firebird back in July, it was really just…fun. The appeal was in how vivid it was, kind of like Keys herself. Her styling choices too made the shade seem made for her. Check out all the ways she wore it before the deeper shades of unicorn took over.
While the fantasy creature hair color trend can be exhausting, Keys’ approach is very much “grown ass woman with gorgeous hair that could potentially share a dreamy color with a one-horned mythical creature.” Yes, her hair is the color of the most delicious cotton candy you’ve ever eaten, but it’s not one bit twee. There no trace of the glittery infantilization that’s too sweet to stomach sometimes. Alicia Keys’ braids have won the unicorn hair trend because there’s always a winner, and honestly, it’s Alicia Keys more often than not.
Related Stories:
–Alicia Keys: “I Think It’s Beautiful When a Woman Is Comfortable Not Being the Norm”
–Why It’s So Important That Alicia Keys and Alessia Cara Didn’t Wear Makeup at the VMAs
–Alicia Keys Responds to Critics Blasting Her for Going Makeup-Free