AceShowbiz - Mary J. Blige doesn't "hide" behind make-up and accessories anymore, after learning to believe in her "own beauty".
The R&B singer and actress built up a reputation for her boundary-breaking make-up looks, such as the black lipstick she sported in the video for her 1996 single" Not Gon' Cry", and the blurred cover of her 1992 debut album "What's the 411?" - which saw her wearing a hat to conceal the top part of her face.
However, the "Mudbound" star is adamant she has long moved on from disguising herself.
"On the 'What's the 411?' album, I was hiding. You couldn't see my eyes, and I had a hat on. I always wanted to wear dark lipstick or anything that hid me - glasses, a hood, whatever it was. I never believed in my own beauty," the 48-year-old recalled in an interview with Refinery29. "Black lipstick was armour for me. Every time you'd see me, I had a lot of stuff on because I was hiding. I'm not hiding anymore."