Janelle Monae Is Newest Face of CoverGirl

First Pink. Now Janelle Monae. The pint-sized singer is the newest face of CoverGirl. Just weeks after Pink was confirmed as a rep for the brand, Monae is also getting in on the cosmetic fun and will be an easy, breezy, beautiful CoverGirl.

Monae, 26 and a Midwesterner, is beyond stoked about the endorsement deal, saying (quotes courtesy of Vogue), “Growing up and trying to find myself as a woman and experimenting with makeup, I’d go buy magazines. I’d see Tyra Banks [in the CoverGirl ads] and I’d think,’ Wow, she’s beautiful.’ It never looked like she had on too much makeup. There was just something clean and classic about her face.”

As you can see in the photo spread, Monae shows off her unique, androgynous style, pairing menswear attire with red lips and pompadour hair. She even shared her makeup philosophy, saying, “I take a minimalist approach to my wardrobe and I do the same with my makeup. I don’t look at [it] as a mask. I don’t overdo it.”

Her beauty preferences? Glowing skin, natural lashes and bright lip color. The lips are what draws you in, so Monae chooses “a bold [shade] of red or pink—something that pops—brings the whole look together.”

Monae is perfect to rep CoverGirl because she does her own makeup before most of her major performances, which is nearly unheard of. Most divas employ a glam squad to get ‘em camera and performance ready, but not Monae.

She is already fond of her new brand’s Lash Blast Mascara. She said, “I keep my eyes pretty simple but I like to make [my lashes] a little darker and thicker.” She’s also feeling the Lip Perfection range, too.

She is taking her contract and role as a brand ambassador seriously, since she knows how beauty ideals can be misrepresented in magazines and advertising. “I believe in the idea of every woman finding their own beauty superpowers. I want to help redefine what it means to be a strong woman in the music and fashion worlds,” she said.

Do it up, girl!

Watch the Janelle Monae ‘Tightrope’ Video