Jennifer Lopez Walks Us Through 15 of Her Favorite Beauty Moments
This year is Allure's 30th Anniversary, and we're celebrating by looking back at iconic moments in beauty from the past three decades. You can read more articles like this one here.
Everyone is kind of obsessed with Jennifer Lopez. You can count the number of fans the multi-hyphenate has accumulated during her decade-spanning career: On Instagram alone she has over 140 million followers, making her one of the top 20 most-followed accounts on the app.
Outside of social media, her expansive career — which includes acting, dancing, singing, and business-owning — has made J.Lo one of the most photographed women in the world. When that's the case, the public record is like a scrapbook of your life. As with any personal photographic history, there are highs, lows, and moments that are just "strong and wrong." But, as it's J.Lo's own scrapbook, we decided to let her break it down. Here are 15 of the star's most memorable looks from the past 30 years.
A version of this story originally appeared in the March 2021 issue of Allure. Learn how to subscribe here.
PictureLux /Alamy Stock Photo1/15In Living Color (1992)
"This is my first publicity shoot for the Fly Girls on In Living Color. I remember thinking that the clothes were so cool. I felt like I had arrived, to be honest. My hair was my natural, curly hair."
Jim Smeal/Ron Galella Collection2/15Anaconda Premiere, Los Angeles (1997)
"I was kind of new to premieres. I was just finding myself, my own style. I loved that dress. I remember it was way cut-down low. Little did I know how low I would go later in my career! I had to sew it up."
Scott Gries3/15Bamboozled Premiere, New York City (2000)
"It was a Gucci jacket. I was very into Gucci at the time. I still am. And it just became my signature look, very monochromatic, basic, sexy. I loved my hair then. The whole look was fashion and the Bronx — my two sides.”
Today Show: Spencer Platt4/15Today Show Summer Concert Series, New York City (2001)
"Everything had 'J.Lo' on it! I was branding before I even knew what branding was. I wanted it on my shirt, my earrings, everywhere. I had no idea it would last like it did. I just thought, the album is called J.Lo so I have to have 'J.Lo' everywhere."
Allure Cover: Michael Thompson. Allure, 2001.5/15First Allure Cover (2001)
"'That skin! That body! Those moves!' That’s so funny. I remember back then, Allure covers were really close-up. No one else really did that. I didn't know how it would turn out, but I loved it. Paul Cavaco did that shoot. He's Latino and has just done so much for Latinas in the industry. A big shout-out to Paul. I love him."
Frank Micelotta/Imagedirect6/15Academy Awards, Los Angeles (2002)
"This would not be my favorite hairstyle. I'm glad Oribe liked it, or maybe he was just trying to defend himself, God rest his soul. I love him so much. Versace had made me a beautiful custom gown, and I thought I was going to have [a hairstyle] that was kind of like Priscilla Presley, but also like Maria Callas. I was so stuck to the idea. I think Oribe was more afraid of it. That night, he was like, 'I'm not sure with the dress...' And I was like, 'Nope. We’re going to go with it.' Strong and wrong. Wrong and strong."
Scott Gries7/15Backstage At TRL, New York City (2002)
"I loved TRL. It was like a second home for me at that time. This was part of my J.Lo sweatsuit line that I had started. I was big into — obviously, still am — hoops and hats. And I was like, 'I'm not going to wear sneakers. I'm going to wear heels with it!'"
J. Vespa/Wireimage8/15Academy Awards, Los Angeles (2003)
Dimitrios Kambouris/Wireimage9/15New York Fashion Week (2008)
"That was two weeks before I gave birth, so I was ready to pop. My nose was ready to pop, my feet. Everything was ready to pop. I loved being pregnant. I would love to do it again. I remember right after I gave birth, two weeks later, right after this picture, I was like, 'When can I get pregnant again?'"
Getty Images10/15The Met Ball, New York (2015)
"The Met Ball! [The theme was] Through the Looking Glass, China. Yeah, so [Donatella Versace] made me a dragon dress. The red carpet is the most fun. Walking through with all the big dresses and the high heels, I think for the women, is very uncomfortable. And finally, when you sit down, you don't want to move."
Dan MacMedan11/15Grammy Awards, Los Angeles (2019)
"I love this outfit. I remember [Ralph & Russo] had done this amazing show, and they had used all these great hats. And I was like, 'Oh, my God, I have to have that hat.' I remember, I'm walking into the Grammys and Katy Perry comes up beside me. She was like, 'You're the one who got that hat! It better have been you.'"
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images12/15Hustlers, New York City (2019)
"This was a great Ramona look for the time period. We had a good time. When I produce a film, I like to have a good feeling on the set. And the girls were great. And it felt really good to [film in New York City]."
Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Image13/15CFDA Awards, New York City (2019)
"One of my favorites. I was getting the Fashion Icon award that year, and [Ralph Lauren] kind of encompassed everything I was in one outfit and all the things that I loved — the sparkles, the color, it’s sporty and glamorous. I had just filmed Hustlers, so I was in super good shape."
Jeff Kravitz/Filmmagic14/15Super Bowl Halftime Show, Miami (2020)
"This is exactly what I'm comfortable with onstage. I need to have a mane, I guess, because I'm a Leo. I like to have my hair out and loose and big. I don't like a lot of cumbersome clothing onstage. I want to feel like I just have workout clothes on, like a onesie."
Iamkevinwong.com/MEGA/GC Image15/15Leaving Her Office, Los Angeles (2020)
"People are sending a lot of masks right now, and I guess they see that I like to coordinate with my outfits. I like the sparkly ones, the different color ones."
