Ahhh...push it! Push some new eyeshadows and lip colors our way, that is. Pioneering female hip-hop duo Salt-N-Pepa (and yes, they are a duo, these days) have partnered with โmass-tigeโ beauty brand Milani on a โ90s-inspired makeup collection, a new ode to the era that helped make them household names.
Suggested Reading
โThroughout their career, Salt-N-Pepa have achieved many notable โfirstsโโfirst female rap act to gold and platinum status; first female rap act to win a Grammy Award,โ said Evelyn Wang, CMO of Milani Cosmetics. โItโs been a collaboration that celebrates breaking barriers and true confidence. It was only fitting to launch during Black History Month and upcoming Womenโs History Month.โ
On the subject of history, if it feels like โ90s nostalgia has taken over in the beauty and fashion industries as of late, itโs because it has been. Among other tributes, in recent years, Kerby Jean-Raymondโs Pyer Moss has partnered with โ90s juggernauts FUBU and Cross Colours, the latter of which is also currently the subject of a museum exhibition at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles. Likewise, last year, Will Smith revisited his days as the โFresh Prince.โ And as recently as this month, Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter revived the early 40 Acres Filmworksโ vibe for H&M.
So, what prompted Salt-N-Pepaโalso known as Cheryl James and Sandra Denton, respectivelyโto make their entry into the beauty arena 35 years after they first arrived on the music scene?
โWhen Milani approached us, it just made sense to meโyou know, timeless music, timeless makeup,โ said James, adding, โSalt-N-Pepa brought fun, fashion, and femininity to hip hop. The idea of the palettes, the colors being reminiscent of the โ90s and the 8-Ball jacketsโthe โPush Itโ jacket, all coming together...you know, the [CD-inspired] packaging, the shadows being named after songs, the Salt and the Pepa, the night and the day, all in one collection, it was something we didnโt even know we needed.โ
The four-piece collectionโs packaging captures a โ90s-era Salt-N-Pepa in the aforementioned jackets, captured by legendary photographer Janet Beekman. The highly pigmented collection includes:
The Hot, Kool and Vicious Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette ($19.99): Twelve-shade eye shadow (nine matte / three shimmer) โCDโ palette with an illuminating champagne highlighter
The Very Necessary Eyeshadow & Highlighter Palette ($19.99): Multi-use โCDโ palette with 12 bold eye shadows (four soft metallics, two mattes, two bold metallics, two shimmers, one pearlized shimmer, one pearl matte) with a shimmering golden highlighter
The โPush Itโ Lip Kit ($11.99): Universally flattering red lip liner and lipstick kit
The โShoopโ Lip Kit ($11.99): Iconic โ90s nude lip liner and matte lipstick kit
โI think this collection is an expression of our image and artistry because of the colorsโbecause they are vibrant, because of the style,โ said Denton. โWith this kind of packaging, itโs a keepsake...It just represents the flavor that Salt-N-Pepa has brought to hip hop.โ
That flavorโin addition to the duoโs enduring friendship and tireless grindโmade Salt-N-Pepa the first female rap group to achieve platinum status, selling more than 12 million albums to date. But in addition to their fierce, fearless, female energy and indelible place in hip-hop royalty, when asked about the inspiration behind their made-to-mix-and-match makeup collab with Milani, James once again pointed to the era as the answer.
โColors. Colors, colors, colorsโthatโs what the โ90s were all about,โ she said, referencing the popularity Salt-N-Pepa then shared with labels like Cross Colours. โMusic always takes from the streets, and in the โ90s, there was a burst of this fashion that involved colors, and this collection is colorfulโlike the โ90s!โ
โThe colors are dramatic, and so is Salt-N-Pepa,โ Denton added with a laugh. โIt just represents who we are...we have these two amazing palettes that show the opposites that attract. We have the daytime and the nighttime; [the nighttime] is a reflection of the dramatic personality that I do haveโvery dramatic,โ she continues. And like Salt-N-Pepa themselves, โitโs just a good blend and a good mix.โ
And in the three-plus decades that theyโve endured (thanks in no small part to their still-loyal fanbase), the hip-hop pioneersโnow also momsโarenโt done telling their story, which Denton tells us will soon be captured in a biopic.
โItโs who we are; we are successful, driven women,โ says James. โWe built an amazing, strong brand, and weโre still here, you know? Weโre not a tragic music story; weโre a thriving story of women in hip hop who are fabulous and fierce.โ
The limited-edition Milani x Salt-N-Pepa collection is currently available at Ulta.com and milanicosmetics.com, launching in-store at Ulta on March 15. It will also be available at Walgreens, CVS, HEB, and Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada.
Straight From
Sign up for our free daily newsletter.