AJ Crimson, Celebrity Makeup Artist for Missy Elliott, Angela Bassett and More, Dead at 27

Famed entrepreneur and self-taught celebrity makeup artist AJ Crimson died Wednesday. His death, the caused of which was not revealed, was confirmed by a representative.

“Our entire team mourns this tragic loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with AJ’s family,” the representative said in a written statement, according to Pop Sugar.

“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.”

Crimson’s family also released a statement.

“AJ Crimson was a makeup industry leader that set a standard of beauty that was elevated, beautiful, and accessible to people of all colors,” the 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.”

Crimson started his own company, AJ Crimson Beauty in 2013. According to his website, some of his clients were Fergie, Hilary Duff, Adrienne Bailon, Missy Elliott, and Angela Bassett.

AJ Crimson Beauty products have been used on the sets of TV shows such as “Scandal,” “The View,” “The Real,” “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” “American Horror Story” and VH1’s “Hit the Floor.” Crimson products were also used on the sets of hit movies like “The Hunger Games.” The brand has also been featured in leading publications, including Vogue and Glamour.

Crimson started with lipstick and glosses before he expanded his brand into a full range of products. The brand grew from eight shades of “highly pigmented, accurate, and rich shades” to 12 core foundation shades, 32 lip shades in various formulations, and two signature powders.

“My vision for AJ Crimson Beauty was luxury cosmetics with Black women in mind first. As a makeup artist, my entire career I gravitated to luxury products for my clientele,” he told Hello Beautiful in October 2020, according to People.

“Yet there weren’t always products at that level that worked with some of my more melanin rich clients. I thought it was a shame only drug store options [were] available, so I knew I had to change that.”