AJ Crimson, Famed Makeup Artist for Brandy, Regina King, Dead at 27

Hollywood is mourning a great talent. AJ Crimson, a pioneer in the beauty industry and makeup artist to the stars, has died at the age of 27. Some reports note that he died after drowning while vacationing in Aruba, but his family has not confirmed such. Crimson was a makeup artist to stars such as Brandy, Lauren London, Regina King, and many more. His representative released a statement to People Magazine regarding his death. “Our entire team mourns this tragic loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with AJ’s family,” the representative said. “Our deepest sympathies go out to them. We absolutely loved AJ, truly one of the sweetest, most humble people we have ever had the pleasure of working with. We are all devastated.”

His family is also in shock. “AJ Crimson was a makeup industry leader that set a standard of beauty that was elevated, beautiful, and accessible to people of all color,” their statement read. “We as a family are heartbroken and devastated by his passing, but thankful for the lessons that he laid on each of us with his truth, directness, and leadership. We thank you all for your kind words, tweets, and posts, as AJ was an inspiration to us as much as he was a bright light to the rest of the world. There are no words that can sum up his whole. Until we meet again!”

Crimson founded AJ Crimson Beauty in 2013, a line specifically for women of color. He’d recently released a line of brushes that he was promoting on his Instagram page. He opened a store in LA in 2017. Just last year, he spoke to ESSENCE Magazine about his new line of lipsticks inspired by his favorite decade, the 90s, which was offered in Nordstrom stores and online.

His plan was to pay homage to the ladies of R&B and Hip-Hop with a line of lipsticks named after classic songs some of his favorite artists, which included Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige, Xscape and Whitney Houston. 

“I wanted to create this collection because there is nothing like ’90s R&B. The songs of that time are so iconic that they are being sampled in today’s music,” he said in the Oct. 2021 interview. “The women of the ’90s were revolutionary, beautiful, trendsetting and record-breaking!”