Roxanna Floyd, Celebrity Makeup Artist and Fashion Fair Creative Director, Dead at 49

by Grace Gold (Subscribe to Grace Gold's posts)
Posted Feb 2nd 2010 at 3:25PM

Celebrity makeup artist Roxanna Floyd. Courtesy Photo

Celebrity makeup artist to mega stars like Whitney Houston, Halle Berry, Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill, Roxanna Floyd died at home on January 28th at the age of 49. While her family is still yet to release details, reports say the beauty expert passed in her sleep.

"Roxi" – as the makeup artist was known – began her career as a Macy's sales associate, studied makeup at the Robert Fiance Beauty Institute, and then worked her way into a freelance artist career where she landed Yoko Ono as her first celeb client. After Ono's personal recommendation, Floyd's career blasted off.

In a career that spanned over 60 Essence covers and more than two decades in Hollywood, Floyd was best known for her effortless blending of color on African American skin tones.

"I fondly remember meeting Roxanna Floyd the first day I worked for Essence magazine. We were working together on a beauty story and as I began doing makeup on my model, I remember Roxanna pulling me aside to give me advice on the "look" that the client preferred. She had a maternal quality that made you listen and ask for guidance," Celebrity Makeup Artist Sam Fine tells Essence.com.

Known for transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary, Floyd was sought out by Whitney Houston for her comeback-album world tour. Celebrity hairstylist and Houston's go-to hair dresser, Tiffanie Dixon, worked with Floyd on the "I Look to You" tour. Celebrity hairstylist and Houston's go-to hair dresser, Tiffanie Dixon, worked with Floyd on the "I Look to You" tour.

"Roxanna 'Roxi' Floyd was one of the strongest and most spiritual women I've come across in a great while. Roxi was a pillar of strength to me," Dixon, who has worked with Floyd for past four years, told Black Voices. "We just finished a shoot together last week, and Roxi worked her magic. Makeup artistry came so natural to her. She looked at a person's face like a canvas. We have suffered a great lost in the beauty and fashion industry, and she will be greatly missed but never forgotten!"

More recently, Floyd was tapped to makeover beauty brand Fashion Fair as their Creative Beauty Director, and the brand – which specializes in shades for women of color - released a statement today.

"We are truly overwhelmed by the unfortunate news of Roxanna Floyd's untimely passing. Not only was Roxanna our creative beauty director, she was a friend...a sister...she was Fashion Fair family. She possessed a wonderful gift of creating, accentuating and transforming beauty. Her innovation, creativity and flair will be missed – but her legacy and spirit will continue to live."

Floyd is survived by her husband, Rick. E Ramos and her mother, Alberta Floyd.

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