Janelle Monae : Makeup reminds me of my ancestors

Actress Janelle Monae said makeup connects her with her roots and the culture she comes from. The 31-year-old actress said makeup reminds her of the war paint her ancestors used.


"(Makeup) connects me to my roots. I come from a very strong tribe of women. My family has roots going back to Africa. I have roots in Kansas. My grandmother lived in Mississippi."

"Whenever I'm putting my makeup on, it's very therapeutic. It reminds me of my ancestors getting ready, putting on their war paint," Monae said.

The '

Moonlight

' actress said she likes to put meaning behind her

fashion

and beauty choices.

"I like to keep people guessing! If I'm reading something, I might try to do some sort of symbolism to highlight what I want to bring attention to. I could be protesting something going on in the

White House

, but sometimes it's just merely because I thought it was cool," she said.