Even Rihanna’s New Wax Figure Has Better Hair and Makeup Than Me

There are many things I do not understand about humans as a species. Close to the top of that list is why we pay tribute to our celebrities in the form of life-size wax figures that are kept in a museum that people visit, taking photos with them as if they’re the actual star. It boggles the mind, as does the lack of resemblance some of the figures bear to the famous folks they’re supposed to be. But I will say this: the latest wax statue of Rihanna is actually really impressive — especially in the hair and makeup departments.

It’s hard to capture the true beauty of someone as stunning as Rihanna, but the artists who worked on her new wax figure at the Berlin location of Madame Tussauds (which has more than 20 museums full of wax replicas around the world) really nailed the look, based on what Rihanna wore to the NAACP Image Awards in February 2020. 

The hairstyle is truly spot-on with its extra-long, side-parted ponytail and braided accents (maybe the Madame Tussauds stylist read the how-to Yusef Williams gave Allure the day after the event). And her makeup looks almost exactly like how it was worn that night, with a bold red lip and mauve-y, winged eye shadow. The statue even has Rihanna’s tiniest tattoos, like the star in her ear and the “rebelle fleur” on her neck.