Tracee Ellis Ross’ Eyeshadow Matched Her Dress At The NAACP Image Awards & It Was ’80s Perfection

At the 51st NAACP Image Awards — a ceremony that "celebrates the outstanding achievements and performances of people of color in the arts, as well as those individuals or groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors," as its site explains — Black-ish star Tracee Ellis Ross took home the "outstanding actress in a comedy series" award on Feb. 22 — for the fifth year in a row. And as she stood on stage dedicating her win to famous black women who came before her (Cicely Tyson, Nina Simone, and her own mother, Diana Ross to name a few), her look was giving flashbacks to a certain bygone era as well: the '80s. The detail that took it over the top? Tracee Ellis Ross' purple eyeshadow — which just so happened to match her dress, too.

It'd be hard to contest Ross didn't intentionally channel the colorful decade for the star-studded event. For starters, her Christopher John Rogers Fall/Winter 2020 eggplant, velvet gown with billowing sleeves (double! Shoulder! Padded!), deep-v neckline, and cross-cut slit had all the makings of an '80s prom dress sans the tacky, outdated parts. But even with a dress worthy of Princess Diana's closet, it was the actor's makeup —especially her metallic purple eyeshadow — that made the ensemble.

Makeup artist Vera Steimberg stamped the star's eyelids with a bright purple and slight shimmer to play off the color and subtle iridescence in Ross' dress. Going for a hue-to-hue match with a color like purple is a tough task to pull off, yet Steimberg effortlessly recreated the '80s trend. But she didn't stop at matching a bright eyeshadow to an outfit; no, she continued her nod to the pop-y decade with a bright coral lipstick swiped across Ross' lips.

And if the velvet material, matching metallic eyeshadow, and coral lip combo wasn't gloriously unexpected enough, the star completed her time-warp look with asymmetrical diamond earrings by Djula.

While no one brought the '80s to the modern stage quite like Ross, she wasn't the only celeb who got the purple memo for the night; singers Lizzo and Rihanna both donned the color as well. Lizzo went with a pastel iteration of the hue across her eyelids while Rihanna wore a vibrant, cascading-ruffle Givenchy dress from the brand's Spring/Summer 2020 line.

Ready to ride the purple wave? Ahead, three shadows to get you on Tracee Ellis Ross' level.