Christina Aguilera's beauty evolution, from rhinestone eyeshadow to her famous no-makeup magazine cover
Few pop stars from the ’90s went through as many beauty transformations as Christina Aguilera. In many cases, a widely beloved pop artist drawn to reinvention risks losing the very image that drew their following. But Xtina has somehow always been able to shape-shift without giving up the conviction of her voice or the dramatic style that put her on the map.
Fittingly, her colorful hair and clothing choices have been as wide-ranging and bold as her voice. Throughout her career, she has given us a beautiful passage into all of the big hair possibilities, the various ways you can wear a smoky eye, and of course, the many fashion contexts for glitter.
She’s been living in the public eye since her debut on The Mickey Mouse Club as a child, and she shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. In honor of Xtina’s birthday (December 18th), we’ve gathered some of her most iconic beauty lewks that truly showcase her evolution from a “Genie in a Bottle” to a “Masochist.”
1June 1998
Xtina’s got a lime green crop, lime green pants, and lime green eyeshadow. She’s also wearing braids that fan out into locs, and while she’s Ecuadorian and the ’90s mainstream was less keyed into the issues of cultural appropriation, she’s definitely been critiqued throughout the years for copping traditionally Black hairstyles.
2November 2000
Do you remember when dipped hairstyles were all the rage?! The pop star was definitely a pioneer of the late-’90s, early-2000s trend, as you can see with her pink and blonde hair. She’s also fully going in with a smoky eye, thin ’90s brows, and cut-out lowrise pants.
3December 2000
We can see a direct evolution of the pop star’s dipped hair with her bright pink shade traded in for black (and a few inches chopped off). Again, she had her signature smoky eye and razor-thin brows.
4February 2001
Xtina went for platinum box braids and this deep-cut, floor-length gown. If you look close enough, you can spot her spicy reddish-brown smoky eye and glossy lips.
5September 2001
This look Has. It. All. We’ve got the big, curly hair (with red highlights), the rhinestone-encrusted eye makeup (complete with a smoky eye), and burgundy lipstick. You owe it to yourself to take a deep breath to process all of this Xtina energy coming at you.
6October 2001
Hello, nose ring! One of the star’s many go-to accessories is her on-and-off-again nose ring. At the Radio Music Awards, she also debuted a shorter curly hairdo. As for her makeup? She kept it bold with a berry lip and deep blue smoky eye.
7December 2002
Xtina is fully working her crop top and newsboy hat combo while returning to the blonde and black dipped hair.
8November 2003
Christina pulled out all the stops for this beauty look. She had a spicy red smoky eye, baby pink lips, and a deep tan. Her hair was curly but in that crimped 2000s way.
9October 2004
The pop star is serving Marilyn Monroe and Betty Boop vibes with her mega-platinum blonde hair and pin-up-inspired ‘do. Her bright red lip and rosy cheeks give her that bombshell look.
10December 2007
For New Year’s Eve, Christina brought old-Hollywood glam to the red carpet with her curled, pin-up hair. She had a bold red lip and fluttery lashes to complete her look.
11December 2008
Our girl has baby bangs here, a rare look for the pop star! It feels fresh (especially since she threw it up in a high pony) and it perfectly complements her natural makeup.
12December 2009
It’s rare to see Xtina with a bob, but her razor-straight platinum ‘do is giving us 1920s vibes. Her makeup also has a ’20s feel with her Clara Bow-inspired lips and flapper-esque eye makeup.
13November 2012
The bangs are back with a baby pink twist. She still had her platinum blonde hair and smoky eye that she’s known for.
14December 2015
We are fully here for this curve-hugging silhouette dress, especially when paired with her deep red lip, flashy lashes, and old-Hollywood curls. She is giving us Jean Harlow vibes.
15March 2018
Her iconic PAPER cover, which gave us a whole, new, minimal look at her beauty.
16September 2018
Instead of her signature smoky eye, the pop star opted for fresh-faced makeup. Of course, she added a pop of color with her bright red-orange lip.
17November 2018
Taking a more minimal approach again, Xtina is, yet again, reinventing herself. We are loving her natural beauty.