Forever embellished in chiffon, lace and swathes of velvet, Stevie Nicks is best described as part rock star, part romantic gypsy. Her iconic music career was pieced together from a patchwork of impressive talent and a penchant for the rock and roll lifestyle, which she embodied in spirit and style. From her time onstage with Fleetwood Mac to an extensive solo career, her 140 million album sales and 13 Grammy nominations speak volumes for how influential Stevie was as an artist and icon.
Stevie's Rock and Roll Legacy
“My whole life is a rebellious moment.”
From her youth, Stevie was a magnet for the drama synonymous with the rocker brand of fame. Her time with Fleetwood Mac garnered a reputation for enduring a series of tumultuous love affairs, unsurprisingly with fellow musos (drummer Mick Fleetwood, The Eagles’ Don Henley and songwriter J.D Souther). Paired with her success, Stevie had a penchant for partying that resulted in a few health scares. Despite this, a unique beauty that separated her from the (at least seemingly) polished posse of female-led bands of the time – The Carpenters, The Seekers – and bold presence, she was not, and is not, a polarising figure. Playing literally to the beat of her wild drum is, evidently, a recipe for a lifelong fan base.
Stevie's Iconic Fashion Style
“By the time I was five, I was a little diva.”
Stevie’s fashion inspired a movement of women dressed head to toe in ragged chiffon and heavy platform boots (it’s rumoured she owned 25 pairs). Her look originated from a moment, at just 18, she experienced a Janis Joplin concert. Stevie spotted a girl in the audience wearing what she described as a ‘mauve-y pink chiffon skirt, high cream suede boots and ribbons throughout her hair’. Stevie admitted that when she saw her, she knew that look was it. From there she evolved her personal style into the style icon we know to love, and had her working later in life with designer Margi Kent.
Stevie's Skincare Secrets
“I’ve got my dad’s beautiful skin…”
… Stevie famously told Elle UK. She admitted that from the age of thirty she was rarely in the sun due to her ‘party all night, sleep all day’ lifestyle. While going sans sunlight is great for the skin, little sleep and partying is not. To counteract this, Stevie loved to soak in any myriad of expensive, luxe products she could get her hands on. Her favourite, Crème De La Mer . Stevie was also an advocate of never sleeping in makeup, as well as a little facial massage each day- perfect when you’re applying skincare.
Stevie's Favourite Beauty Products
“[With beauty products] brand doesn’t really matter to me, as long as I see something I like - Chanel, Clinique, Lancome, Revlon…”
A lover of luxury beauty wise, Stevie opted for brands she loved in colours adored. A palette of soft browns and golds played up her doe eyes, of course framed with lashings of mascara. We love Chanel Inimitable Intense Mascara and Les 4 Ombres eye shadow pallet in TisseEssentiel . Pinky mauve was her signature lip – pay homage to the ‘70s and rock Revlon’s Berry Couture.
Stevie's Signature Hair
“I had my hair streaked when I was in the tenth grade, and I got into a lot of trouble for it…”
As famed as her whimsy style was,so too were her thick, dirty blonde cascades. While her wild mane was part genetics (and possibly part slept-in volume) you can achieve a similar look with gritty volumising product and a good tong. Try Kerastase VIP Volume in Powder Spray in the roots, and loosely tong sections using GHD Curve Tong before brushing out. Skip serum and don’t be afraid of a few fly aways.
Stevie's Approach to Fitness
"Being able to take care of myself is something my Mom really tried to instil in me…"
Stevie admits she does light exercise to her favourite music, using different songs to time herself on different machines. A few of her favourite include the treadmill and the power plate (those one’s you see in shopping centres that shake you around while apparently burning calories). We might give it a try…
Story by Emily Algar
