Since she emerged onto the Hollywood scene in the 1990s, it’s been hard not to love everything about Jennifer Lopez. She’s given us a lifetime of bops, like “I’m Real” and “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.” She’s starred in some of our favourite movies, from Maid in Manhattan to Selena. And, most importantly, she’s become the ultimate beauty inspiration.
Lopez’s decades-long career has come with many memorable hair and makeup moments, but for the most part, she’s got a clear formula that she sticks to: Her coveted “J.Lo glow” is proof that no amount of bronzer and highlighter is too much. Her booty-grazing ponytails and extensions prove hair hath no limits, and her signature peach lipstick is one that should be sold en masse.
To celebrate her 51st birthday this week, we’re taking a look back at some of her best beauty moments. Ahead, scroll through visible verification that even when she was just “Jenny from the block,” J.Lo was far ahead of the beauty game.
1997
Though she’s usually partial to a soft, coral lip color, Lopez rode the brown lipstick train back in the ’90s. Her brunette curls and matching lip shade would be equally striking today.Photo: Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images.
1997
Who could forget J.Lo’s performance in the Selena biopic? We especially love this Quintanilla-inspired high bun and red lip.Photo: SCOTT DEL AMO/AFP/Getty Images.
1998
J.Lo is hardly ever without lengthy extensions these days, but in 1998, she attended the 17th Annual CFDA Awards with a choppy, layered cut that you could easily take to your stylist today.Photo: Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images.
1999
Before blunt ends were all the rave in big-city salons, Lopez rocked a stunning geometric style to the 44th Annual Grammy Awards.Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
2000
The braided pigtails. The white bandana. The belly button rhinestones! This look will forever be our early aughts Halloween costume inspiration.Photo: Steve Azzara/Corbis/Getty Images.
2000
Take note from Lopez’s buzziest fashion moment ever: If you’re wearing a statement gown, a soft wash of colour on your eyes and simple hair is all you need to tie it together.Photo: Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images.
2004
According to Lopez’s longtime makeup artist, Scott Barnes, the 2004 Met Gala was the first time the singer wore a bright red lip (outside of her role in Selena). “Oribe created a Frida Kahlo-looking braid, and I did a bold red lip with a naked eye,” Barnes told Refinery29 in a previous interview. “That was an exciting moment for us — no one had ever seen her in a red lip before.”Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images.
J.Lo’s glow is more commonly associated with shades of bronze and gold, but at the 2010 World Music Awards, she showed us that metallic gunmetal eyeshadow is equally striking.Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images.
2012
Behold, the berry lip and black smoky eye combo we’ll be wearing to every function this autumn.Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage.
2013
For the 2013 Billboard Music Awards, J.Lo walked the carpet with her signature blonde hair slicked back, subtle contoured cheekbones, and a wash of mauve eyeshadow worthy of a chef’s kiss.Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images.
2014
Lopez’s poppy-coloured lipstick and dramatic coordinating cheekbones at the 2014 Met Gala is a makeup look for the books.Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage.
2017
Lopez hardly veers off her trademark pale peach lip gloss, so this punchy matte lipstick was definitely a moment.Photo: John Parra/WireImage.
2018
For the 2018 Billboard Music Awards, Lopez wore her honey-blonde hair in a wispy bob, which was a far cry from her favourite super-long extensions.Photo: Todd Williamson/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images.
2019
This, ladies and gents, is the winning J.Lo beauty combination we’ll happily attempt to master for the rest of our lives: beaming skin, full lashes, coral cheeks and lips, and a sleek ponytail.Photo: ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images.
2019
For the 2019 Met Gala, Lopez hid her hair under a diamond headpiece, allowing her eye makeup to take centre stage. Her smoky lavender eyeshadow matched her gigantic neck bezel perfectly.Photo: Dia Dipasupil/FilmMagic.
2020
Lopez arrived at the 77th Golden Globes with a beauty look worthy of its own accolade. The nominee wore a regal, structured bun wrapped in French braids, which complemented her smoky eyes and chiselled cheeks. Photo: George Pimentel/WireImage.
2020
J.Lo’s historic Super Bowl halftime show is one for the books. Not only did her Hustlers-inspired pole-dancing routine leave us cheering, but so did her bouncy, waist-length blowout and eye-catching makeup.Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
10 Of J.Lo’s Best Red Carpet Looks From The VMAs