Kelly Rowland no longer cares about outside opinions. After dedicating 26 years to an industry closely associated with beauty, Rowland has discovered that her own perspective matters most. Fittingly, on Sunday at Beautycon, Rowland discussed self-acceptance with President and CEO of Essence Ventures, Caroline Wanga,
Wanga opened the conversation by asking how Rowland reconciled with not always seeing herself reflected in mainstream beauty. To this she revealed that she is “still in the midst of” resolving this. “I think that we constantly are,” she added.
Then, the conversation shifted to the topic of hair. Rowland revealed her hair journey was fortunately positive. While growing up in Tina Knowles’ beauty salon in Houston, Rowland discovered early on that her hair was a means to explore herself.
Rowland and Wanga later reflected on how being darker skinned black girls led to hesitancy around trying out certain lipstick shades. Rowland talked about how she’s evolved from this, thanks to the help of makeup artists who encouraged her to try bright colors. She then transitioned into reminding the audience to embrace their uniqueness. She used the analogy that we’re all part of a beautiful garden—each of us a special flower that makes it complete.
Rowland concluded the conversation with an affirmation that left the audience in awe. “I don’t have to compare myself to anybody because I am one of one,” she said. “It is important to not shrink for anybody. Be the best version of yourself that you can possibly be. Show up for yourself first, not the world.”