 Roxanna "the Face Maven," Floyd, who was the longtime makeup artist for some of our most revered celebrities—Queen Latifah, Lauryn Hill, Whitney Houston and Angela Bassett, amongst others—has died. She passed away on Thursday, January 28, 2010 in her sleep at her home in the Clinton Hills section of Brooklyn, New York. She was 49.
A former actress, Roxanna was a makeup artist revered by her peers and the celebrities whose faces she made flawless—album cover after album cover, music video after music video, film after film, and magazine cover after magazine cover. A genuine spirit and a devout Christian, Roxanna was loved equally for her talent and commitment to excellence as much as for her character. "Back in the day Roxanna, Sam [Fine] and I were up for almost every music industry job," remembers Lanier Long, a celebrity makeup artist responsible for the beauty looks of Aretha Franklin, Brandy and India.Aire. "I remember that in the same breath that people wanted to book us, they used to try and put us up against each other. It didn't work. We rose above it all and our friendships endured as a result. Roxanna never had a negative thing to say about anyone, even when we complained privately about working conditions. Her work was flawless and timeless, and she had a special ability to go from film to fashion to music."
"She was a makeup historian who researched makeup from its chemistry to its production, to its application. I loved Roxanna's commitment to her art. Cosmetics were in her DNA." —Jelani Bandele
A petite woman with a rich, flawless chocolate complexion, Roxanna was known for creating beautiful, natural-looking faces that every brown girl wanted to—and more important, felt like they could—emulate. Who can forget the striking makeup looks—Lauryn Hill’s powerful brown pout or burst of eyelid colors in nearly every video and red carpet appearance for her debut CD, The Mis-education of Lauryn Hill. Or the flawless way she made Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston look in the movie, Waiting to Exhale. Her artistry consistently showed how brown beauties should be painted, and therefore celebrated. Whenever any new African American female celebrity burst onto the scene, Roxanna’s booking agency, Zoli Illusions, was on marketers and editors’ speed dial. So it came as no surprise when CoverGirl tapped Queen Latifah to join together on a makeup line she selected Roxanna, her makeup artist for more than a decade, to helm its pigment and formulation development, and steer the marketing of its campaigns. "Her iconic career is the now the bar by which we shall measure excellence in the beauty industry," says Cheryl Williams-Barnes, a two-time Daytime Emmy Award-winning makeup artist, and childhood friend, who received her start in film and television from Roxanna.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Roxanna started her career as an actress. She got a side gig as a makeup artist at a department store and, says, she "fell into" the career. But makeup, according to her long-time friend and publicist, Jelani Bandele, was a natural calling. "She was more than a makeup artist," says Bandele. "She was a makeup historian who researched makeup from its chemistry to its production, to its application. I loved Roxanna's commitment to her art. Cosmetics were in her DNA." She quickly became the go-to makeup artist of choice for modeling agency, Elite, who had would-be supermodels, Shiela Johnson and the recently signed Iman. And while she is known primarily for her work with women of color, her first celebrity client was Yoko Ono. However, she received her first editorial break in 1982 from beauty and fashion editor Alfred Fornay, while he was at Ebony magazine. And word of her talent spread.
By the 1990s, Roxanna hit her stride and set the stage for her now renowned reputation of perfect brows and flawless complexions. After years of working on lifestyle and beauty shoots for Essence, she finally landed a cover, with the rising star, Halle Berry. And each cover became iconic; showcasing effortless chic and showing why, indeed, black is beautiful. Nearly every cover of Essence magazine—think Halle Berry, Queen Latifah, Angela Bassett, Whoopi Goldberg—was created by Roxanna or equally renowned artist Sam Fine. "Roxanna Floyd paved the way for artists like me to enter an industry where few people of color existed,” states Sam Fine. "Her artistry was a constant source of inspiration; I vividly remember her work on Lauryn Hill, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah and Angela Bassett, and she will sincerely be missed."
Roxanna shared her artistry with brands such as Avon, Mary Kay, Revlon, CoverGirl and most recently, Fashion Fair Cosmetics, seeking to reach African-American women correctly with their makeup. And they were the better for it. "What I especially admired about Roxie was how she took her artistry and expertise to a higher level by becoming a spokesperson and consultant to major cosmetic companies,” explains Julia Chance, Senior Editor, Beauty and Fashion, Heart & Soul magazine. "She enlightened brands like Avon, Mary Kay, Revlon and CoverGirl on the beauty habits and desires of black women and helped them to develop products that work for us. For a brown girl like me, who clearly remembers a time when there was a dearth of makeup options for non-white women, this was exciting news."
I met Roxanna early in my career during the mid-nineties, while I was the editor for Hype Hair magazine; and worked with her throughout my career at AMBERmag.com, Heart & Soul, Girl, and interviewed her for countless other publications and periodicals. When we first met, over lunch with her dear friend and equally renowned artist, Anu Prestonia, owner of Khamit Kinks, she listened intently to my vision for the newish, small hair magazine with the pedantic name and agreed to assist in any way that she could. After meeting for an hour, Roxanna would become one of many allies in my quest to upgrade the magazine with quality images, and remained someone I could always call upon no matter which publication I was working on. Her desire to help me, someone whom she owed nothing—accomplish my goals wasn’t something out of character for Roxanna, however. Countless industry peers share similar stories of her generous spirit. "Roxanna showed me the ropes when I first got to New York," says Aliesh Pierce, who now counts Michelle Obama as a client. "Having been an actress Roxanna understood the entertainment industry inside and out. She set the standard for what it means to be a celebrity makeup artist."
But it wasn't just younger makeup artists who were touched by her graciousness. Her professionalism was unparalleled; she worked with celebrities who have had wild public personals, but she kept their darkest secrets. And while she battled her own hardships (sources confirm she was recovering from cancer), she never complained or ask for special treatment. Instead she leaned on her faith, sharing her physical hardship with only close family and friends, who gladly formed a prayer circle for her in time of need. "In the career universe I inhabit, where the worlds of beauty, fashion, journalism and entertainment collide, you meet all types but you remember the good ones most fondly," says Chance, who worked with Roxanna previously at Essence. "Roxanna’s professionalism, expertise and winning personality made her a joy to know and a pleasure to work with." Chuck Amos, renowned editorial and celebrity hairstylist provided this insight into Roxanna, his friend, who had spent the last year and a half as the creative director for Fashion Fair Cosmetics. "Roxanna Floyd graced me with so many great connections in this industry. But the best connection I was graced with was the one between her and me."
Indeed. Roxanna's touch—on the faces she’s worked on and the hearts she’s warmed—will be sorely missed.
The cause of Roxanna's death is unknown. She is survived by her husband, Rick Ramos and her mother, Alberta, "Bertha" Floyd.
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