Throughout the film, Shug Avery also has gorgeous, deep red nails—something Rasheed credits to Henson. “That was a decision that Taraji actually made on her own in terms of what color red she wanted to use,” she says. “It’s those very specific, seemingly little things, that really lean into the character be fully realized. The nail polish color was absolutely important to her character.”
The Color Purple came to screens in 1985. Steven Spielberg was at the helm as director, with Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, and Oprah Winfrey starring as Celie, Shug Avery, and Sofia. 2023’s version not only has a Black makeup department head, but also a Black director, Blitz Bazawule. “Blitz and I had length conversations and created moodboards about how the characters should look in their makeup,” Rasheed says. “He wanted our Black skin to shine like it does. So I was willed with the opportunity to be able to present our skin the way in which it shines.”
That meant stocking her makeup kit with complexion products that really “mimic skin,” name dropping Koh Gen Do, Kevyn Aucoin, Armani Beauty, Chantecaille, and NARS as favorites. And don’t forget the tattoos—something not so prevalent in the early to mid-1900s, but Barrino alone has quite a few visible ones. “tkkt”
Ser Baffo
For Rasheed, joining the crew and shaping the beauty for The Color Purple was a dream come true. “I don’t think there’s any of us that were not affected by that movie in some way, shape or form,” she shares. “It was a very heavy movie back then and I was really moved by it.”
