When Onika Maraj broke into the mainstream music scene in 2009, she came with an arsenal of alter egos to unleash upon the world — among them, Harajuku Barbie, Martha and Roman Zolanski, Nicki Lewinski — and, of course, the persona of Nicki Minaj herself. The Trinidad native (by way of Southside Jamaica, Queens) has consistently changed her look as rapidly as she spits rhymes.
But, as she graduated from underground-rapper-on-the-verge to music-industry vet, the star traded cosplay for couture, and donned more classically pretty beauty looks to match. The result has been one of the greatest celebrity makeunders we’ve seen.
At first glance, the transition from Harajuku Barbie to, say, red-carpet-posing Hollywood actor may seem extreme. But despite a radical change in image, Minaj has maintained her core aesthetic, favoring clean winged eyes, pink lips, and ultra-flirty lashes when at events. Of course, it would be foolish to count Minaj’s current vibe as gospel. If we’ve learned one thing from following the actor-rapper-singer-entrepreneur, it’s that there’s no telling what she’ll give us next.
Ahead, check out her beauty evolution in all its glory, from orange hair to more subtle pink highlights.
As an up-and-coming pop star in 2009, Minaj revealed signatures of her look: candy-pink lips (with a wig to match) and sharply lined eyes.
Dip-dyed, anime-inspired wigs were a press-tour go-to for Minaj in 2010. But her look for the 2010 American Music Awards featured a brand-new element: her own Pink Friday lipstick shade with MAC, which dropped a few days after the event.
At the 2011 Grammys, Minaj channels the Bride of Frankenstein (and a little Cruella de Vil). A precise application of glitter underliner and fluttery falsies help the complexion hold its own against the strong hair look.
Nicki brings out Barbie for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards with pink on pink on pink, and a sweet smile to match.
After she's stepped out with so many colorful wigs, a black bob in 2011 is almost shocking on Minaj. She keeps her look pumped up with anime lashes and her signature pink lips.
With hair piled in the form of Technicolor buns, plus a neon-green cat-eye, Minaj goes full Harajuku at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards.
Forget for a moment that Minaj showed up to the 2012 Grammys with a Pope-like escort and dressed as a glam Little Red Riding Hood. Once her cape is stripped away, Minaj reveals a more classic beauty look: platinum waves, complexion-brightening makeup, and simple, winged eyes.
At a 2012 event in New York City, Minaj’s Barbie girl is more refined: straight blonde locks, contour, and cheek highlight make for a played-up, but pretty everyday look.
The rapper jumps back into full hair and makeup for the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, wearing a shoulder-skimming wig of ombré curls pumped to epic proportions.
In 2014, Nicki debuted a more traditional look for the MTV Movie Awards, trading in her over-the-top wig for side-swept hair curled in loose Hollywood waves. Nude lips replace chalky-pink and lavender tones, and natural lashes edge out cartoonish falsies.
At the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, Minaj takes her newly debuted natural look into sultry territory with a micro-lined cat-eye.
The hallmarks of Nicki Minaj beauty are all here, but downplayed for the 2015 BET awards. The pink lips are glossy instead of opaque, the lashes look more natural, and the contour is lightened and softened up with rosy cheeks.
Sure, Minaj has makeup artists painting on her perfectly winged eyes, but something tells us the woman knows her way around a wand of liquid liner. Either way, she has us wanting to up our own cat-eye game.
The rapper made a hair switch for the premiere of Barbershop: The Next Cut, sporting platinum color (with just the right amount of root regrowth) and blunt bangs.
At the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards, Minaj went back to a tried-and-true classic: lots o' lashes and a classic feline flick.
In true Minaj fashion, the star arrived at Haider Ackerman's Paris fashion show in style. Who would have thought that super-sleek hair, in-your-face lashes, purple shades, and a pasty could look so damn good?
For the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards, Minaj rocked some serious inches — styling her dark tresses into long, tight pigtails.
This summer, seemingly out of nowhere, neon green hair was everywhere. In a matter of days, Kim Kardashian West, Dua Lipa, and SZA were all rocking the hue, and soon Minaj was too, popping up on Instagram to show off some slime-green locks.
Summer 2018 has been all about rainbow hair, and Nicki was quick to follow the trend with a pastel multicolored wig (courtesy of Dionte Gray) that featured dreamy lilac, pink, and turquoise tones.
Green and rainbow hair were just the beginning of Minaj's colorful summer. For The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she showed up with bright orange hair styled in a high, tight ponytail.
For the Made In America festival in Philadelphia, which Minaj headlined, she rode that orange hair straight into the sunset. Her ombré wig, designed yet again by Dionte Gray, went from pink to bright yellow to orange to damn.
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