Imagine for a moment that you have sold hundreds of millions of records, you have toured the world umpteen times in a private jet and you have performed for princesses, fashion moguls and at Michelle Obama’s 50^th birthday celebrations. Who do you look up to? This is how it is for Beyoncé, a woman for whom releasing a traditional album with around 12 tracks is far too easy. Well, the answer is of course, Madonna.

It could only be Madonna, really, no one else comes close. And it was with this in mind that Beyoncé paid homage to the original queen of pop in her music video for Haunted. In it, Bey struts down a corridor, peering into each room as she passes and dressed in a pinstripe suit (how very Vogue), with her platinum blonde hair set into 40s style finger waves (how very Justify My Love), and a vampish, glossy dark lip (how very Human Nature).  

With her self-titled ‘visual album,’ Beyoncé has completely closed the gap between herself and Madonna, having surpassed any one genre; the album takes a tour through hip-hop, dubstep, pop, R&B and even techno.  Its bravery is off the scale. And so, while such a powerful approach to her make-up may well be out of the realms of reality for some of us, for Beyonce, it’s simply a necessary accoutrement to the main event – her voice.

"What’s quite striking about this look is its play on gender"

On me, the pairing of a blue-grey eye, lashings of mascara as well as the rich Merlot, glossed mouth rang out a little too harshly on my face which I suspect is simply down to my skin tone, the paleness of which means I cannot really carry off a lot of lip and a lot of eye together. Beyoncé’s caramel skin tone means she capably pull off both, and more.

What’s also quite striking about this look is its play on gender (another topic Madonna has previously danced around in). Beyoncé, for possibly the first time, wears a typically male outfit – a white shirt black blazer and pinstripe trousers – and walks with all the power and purpose of a head of state. It's her make-up that subverts the idea of the male and injects a potent dose of unrestrained female power.

Above all, what Madonna and Beyoncé both have in common is a frighteningly strong sense of self; they know who they are and the message they are trying to convey. And that’s something we can all learn from.

1. Estee Lauder Pure Colour in Sinister, £19
2. Clinique Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes in 10 Big Blue, £17
3. Eylure Naturalites False Lashes in 162, £5.35 at Boots
4. Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye Kajal Liner in Noir, £18

Photography: Hugo Yanguela