Sixty-one years ago today, Whitney Houston was born. Raised in Latest Jersey with a family stuffed with stars—her two-time Grammy Award-winning mother sang backup for Aretha Franklin and cousin Dione Warwick was a ‘60s pop star—she turned to Chaka Khan records to dial up her angelic notes. Taking a page out of her book for each vocals and wonder, Houston scored a brief modeling profession under Wilhelmenia after being scouted at a performance at Carnegie Hall. Nonetheless beautiful she was: “Too fussy for me,” she told ESSENCE in her 1990 cover story. “You stand there in front of the camera and just grin.”

Now, looking back, the scout had an actual eye. In 1984 (a yr before she released her self-titled debut album), Houston performed with Jermaine Jackson in Latest York wearing a brief cut afro and sculpted fuschia blush which matched her glazed lipstick. On the Grammy Awards in 1988, her full eyebrows sat above gold eyeshadow and signature smokey lash line. Into the ‘90s, her shorter version of the Diana Ross “Twiggy” lashes were combined with the smoked out purple makeup, turning the look into her signature on the United Negro College Fund dinner.

As her afro became more bouffant, she began to experiment more with wigs: an asymmetrical bob on the ‘99 MTV’s EMA Awards and her historic blonde updo on the inaugural BET Awards in 2001. Leading as much as her final years, she attended Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy Awards Party like a Golden Girl with bronze-toned hair and makeup to begin the night. Despite her premature passing in 2012, Houston’s angelic beauty will remain ingrained in history (and our hearts) until the top of time.

In memory of her divine birthday, have a look back at Whitney Houston’s most iconic beauty moments of all time.

Introducing fuchsia makeup

Whitney Houston performed with Jermaine Jackson in Latest York wearing fuschia makeup and a decent smokey eye which become her signature look.

The long-lasting white headband

The then 21-year-old foreshadowed the white headband she wore at her 1991 Super Bowl performance.

No-mani manicure

With the naked nail trending today, Houston was years ahead pairing her no-mani manicure with a Jheri curl-like hairstyle.

Picture perfect beauty

She posed in gold eyeshadow with deep lipstick on the thirtieth Annual Grammy Awards, which she won Best Album and Female Pop Vocal Performance.

Short clumped lashes

She added short clumped Diana Ross “Twiggy” lashes to her signature fuchsia lip and blush combination with smoked out eyeliner.

Hall of Fame lipstick moment

On the twenty first Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame, she replaced her usual purple lipstick with red to be inducted into the hall.

Wigging out! The bob-ish pixie

Between an asymmetrical bob and pixie cut, Houston paired her short hairdo with a glazed red lip, tonal purple eyeshadow, and chocolate blush.

Pigments, pigments, pigments

She paired her bouffant hairdo with pigmented lipstick and eyeshadow at a personal party after a Madison Square Garden performance.

Chaka Khan-coded pageant Queen

In a pageant Queen beauty look, her hair resembled the static volume of her idol Chaka Khan on the thirteenth Annual American Music Awards.

Purple under eye

As a substitute of on her lid as an eyeshadow, she opted for purple eyeliner on her bottom water line while the highest remained a smoked out black.

A Whitney Houston classic

Of probably the most historic moments (aside from her Super Bowl performance), Houston’s dirty blonde wig and larger-than-life personality took over the first Annual BET Awards.

Deep MTV tones

On the eighth Annual MTV Movie Awards, she wore her usual purple and red makeup combination but in a deeper tone than usual.

Short cut and red lip combo

Houston sat with Janet Jackson on the 71st Annual Academy Awards in a red lip next to muted makeup tones.

Golden Girl hair and makeup

She attended Clive Davis’s pre-Grammy Awards Party like a Golden Girl with bronze-toned hair (and brows) and makeup.

Touched by an angel

Her vocals reached heaven at a Madison Square Garden performance, which she wore her classic beauty look to.

Brown mullet charm

She attended the United Negro College Fund’s tenth Annual Telethon party in a brown mullet cut, which we see trending today.

An inspiration to Black girls

Houston hugs her young fans at a show within the UK, pulling their beaded braids and butterfly clips into her asymmetrical bob.