I’m so thrilled to finally post these photos! Jay asked me to be a part of his series The Muse in 2019, where he photographed 6 different muses each with their own theme. Mine was ‘CYBERPUNK’, so as you can imagine I was obviously thrilled to participate.
I got to use my own wardrobe for this shoot, which is always something I find super gratifying (I do tend to purchase items I think will photograph well).
Metting Lawrence and shooting with him was the start of something beautiful! I instantly loved his pragmatic and confident approach to shooting, and his clear creative vision and ability to articulate it through direction is a skill any photographer should aspire to develop. I was so excited to then bring Lawrence on board to shoot ꫀꪻꫝꫀ᥅ꫀꪖꪶ by ⟢ ∵ 𝒷𝒶𝒷𝒾𝑒 𝔠𝔩𝔲𝔟 ∴ ⟣ ⁎ ∗.
This shoot day was actually organised by dear friend and LONER Kenta204 for his new press shots, and he graciously had a crew of the LONERS attend to take some of our own photos as well as some merch pics.
It was great to model the LONER apparel drop alongside Forrest, and I was able to grab some flashy LinkedIn photos for my business digibabe.studio as well. Such a productive day of content creation!
A big thank you to photographer Lawrence Bernt for the great day of shooting!
Tell us a bit about yourself! How long have you been creating art, and how did you find yourself working specifically with digital art?
Oh hey, I’m Natasha, but I’m mostly known as Tash. I’m an independent Illustrator and Graphic Designer from Melbourne! From a young age I was always the creative type, I was the one in class that would always doodle on their textbooks instead of listening to the teacher! After leaving high school, I knew I wanted to pursue something creative and so I studied Graphic Design. I was taught so many new skills, which really lead me into a passion for illustration and creating my own brand. After taking a year or two to find where I wanted to be creatively, I decided to dive into something new, and so I bought myself an iPad. Ever since, I have been drawing digitally and it has significantly helped me with finding my own style!
Your work is undeniably adorable, from your pastel colour palettes to your super cute renditions of everyday objects. Do you like to think of your work as frecklpoke as an escape from reality where you can create your own magical world? Or maybe an internal reflection of your personal preferences?
Oh, I’m blushing! Thank you! I’ve always loved cute things, seeing bright colours within artwork truly brought me joy. Put simply, I wanted to create that feeling of joy for others too! My work as frecklepoke is basically a world I wish existed. By incorporating daily objects I love adding my own twist of magic and a pop of colour! By creating in my style, I feel like I can escape into my own colourful little universe.
What would you say are the elements that are integral to your work as an artist, when you decide you want to sit down and work on a new piece - whether that’s your tools, your mindset, your environment, etc. - ?
I think the most important element is having a clear mind, cleaning up the space around me seems to get the creative juices flowing. I also feel that the constant pressure of social media is always in the back of my mind, so I make sure that i’m sitting down to create something for myself and not based around if others will like it. I find that sketching on paper helps the ideas flows, with digital art I feel like I am constantly attached to a screen so sketching up ideas on paper is a fantastic way to take a break from a screen!
There’s a thriving scene of super-cute indie art online, though a lot of it is based overseas in the US, Europe and Asia - what does it mean to you being a Melbourne-based artist, and do you feel like there’s much of a presence or audience here for your style of artwork?
I really appreciate bringing this kind of style around me. I think that if i can continue spreading my joy through cute art, then maybe more people might become aware of it! I believe with the right messages, any audience can grow and I’d love to achieve that someday!
You stock a bunch of gorgeous items on your Etsy store, including prints and stickers but also enamel pins. Where else can we hope to see your art in the future - maybe an apparel line or a giant wall mural?!
The ultimate goal would be to create a big and colourful mural somewhere in Melbourne! Sometime in the future I would also be keen to set up some art stalls whether it be at conventions or just a local market. Oh, and I would absolutely love to release some super cool clothing!
There are a huge number of benefits in buying from these vendors, not least of which is reducing your impact on the environment by opting for reusable rather than disposable masks. You can also avoid contributing to what is likely poor working conditions in unsafe factory settings, big corporates who are already capitalising off of the pandemic, and support local and ethically made small business at the same time.
So without further ado, here are some choice creatives right here in Victoria who deserve your coin;
Self described as ‘PG rated fetishism, pink until you pop’, Penny Drop items are unique and standout artworks in and of themselves. I’ve been a long-time fan of Penny Drop and the talented designer behind it, and actually have my own mask from here. 3x, 2x and 1x layered options available in a combination of fabrics including wool and denim, and best of all - fun prints like eggs and sad cats to capture your iso essence.
Stylist, artist, designer behind Filfy Rish and all-round creative firework Hayley aka Moosedoll has made some of the coolest upcycled masks on the market. She’s not taking new orders for now, but I had to include her on the off chance she opens up for orders again - they’re all one-offs, zero waste and upcycled. And just look at the Pocari sweat one. Just look at it.
What happens when high-quality, handmade labels start making masks? Cute and genuinely comfy stuff, that’s what. Buttonfox face masks are made completely adjustable and are sized to accomodate any different face shape, with 3 layers and the outermost made of a deliciously soft and fluffy-looking polyester minky. Get to know the team of two better by tuning into their Twitch channel and watching them work their handcrafted magic on these made-to-order masks.
Not for the faint of heart, these masks exist to bring a little extra sparkle into the day-to-day mundane routine of quarantine. Ariane Bingham’s zero waste studio uses fabric offcuts from previous collections to create these unique sequinned masks, as well as some more intricate Steampunk-inspired designs. Snag yourself a matching set while you’re at it, so your wardrobe is ready for festival season once it makes its (eventual) return.
Design by Jude focuses on ethically made unisex garments, featuring organic textures and beautifully draping layers and silhouettes. Similarly, their face masks are premium minimalist designs made in all-natural fibres, with options to customise to your unique face shape for the perfect fit. If you’re looking to go the #MonochromeMelbourne route, modern artisan fashion by Jude is the way to go.
With design concepts focusing on the intersection of nature and futurism, R E M U S E garments are natural, flowy and ethereal in their fit - so it’s no wonder their face masks are similarly stunning. Made with 100% natural fibres and GOTS Certified Organic Cotton thread, a standout feature of the brand is their commitment to using plant-based textiles and being ethically hand-dyed right out of their Collingwood studio.
Melbourne Art Director Suraiya Lorenz is creating face masks with an oxymoronic twist - they have a zip running through them. With all proceeds going towards the COVID-19 Victorian First Nations Mutual Aid Fund, Sue’s Zip It Face Masks were conceptualised around the idea of listening and learning from First Nations people who have been affected for generations by the systemic effects of colonisation. They also come with a luxe velvet drawstring pouch - adorable.
What was your first creative foray - how did you enter the world of art?
I think I’ve spent my whole life resisting entering the world of art actually. I’ve been making and drawing since the get-go, having two incredibly creative and curious parents. I tried to do biology in uni but they convinced me to at least do graphic design. I did graphic design because I thought it was more ‘real’ than fine art. I think in the last year I’ve accepted that art is in my soul (or whatever) because all I ever want to do is create.
What’s your favourite medium to work with, and why?
I’d say gouache because whenever I see art made with gouache I feel all excited. But I haven’t used it enough to be sure. I’m going to say any pen or ink because when I have to make marks that I can’t erase or change, my art is at its most dynamic and energetic, and it always ends in something I love. That’s how I approach my digital art mostly, avoiding erasing or changing anything if I can. Also a bold outline is so graphic, which is a huge component of my stuff.
What’s your typical set up when you decide you’re going to sit down and work on some art - do you have certain music you like to listen to, something to put you in a particular frame of mind, etc?
I’m susceptible to over-think things, so once the ‘I wanna make something’ spark hits my brain I try to act on it as quickly as possible. I hardly ever plan anything I make, I prefer to Marie Kondo it - if an idea sparks joy and feels right I just do it. That means usually I’m sprawled on the couch with my iPad or sitting in my studio with the necessary paints strewn about. Once I get my sketch down I do partake in quite a bit of lofi-hiphop-beats-to-chill-study-sleep-to while finishing the piece off.
What made you start Sippy, and what is your ultimate goal with the label?
Sippy was sort of born from that resistance to the art world that I mentioned before. Even in my own purchasing habits I only buy art if it’s on something useful - a t-shirt, a key ring, a tote bag. I can’t fully accept buying art for its own sake (although I think that’s slowly changing). So it was my doubts about selling art outright combined with loving the idea of creating a brand that would represent the essence of me. All my aesthetic preferences, all products I’d want to buy, something that made customers want to go out and be creative themselves. Pretty self absorbed, but I love my own taste.
My ultimate philosophical goal with Sippy is to be inspiring to others. Other than that I’d really like to pay my rent with things that I’ve made.
A bit of a philosophical one…how has art informed the way you live life overall?
I think it’s made me endlessly curious. It took me so long to get a unique ‘style’ because as soon as I saw a different art style I wanted to try it. That curiosity applies to pretty much everything. Other than that it’s made me absolutely accept that if I want to do something new, I WILL be bad at it to begin with. That’s not to say it isn’t annoying as hell, but I have accepted it.
Tell us about the inception of Zeal - how did you first start making music?
I started making music back when I was like 13 (I think) and I had just been introduced to the modern electronic music world (electro, dubstep, etc). I kept researching so much because I was so intrigued by all the new sounds and ideas being presented by the people making these genres, it was all so new and refreshing to my ears, information overload. The Zeal project started a few years after that. I had a few different projects before that were completely different to now, but the Zeal project initially was just me trying new things without my identity attached to it, and I kept it pretty personal for a bit. Zeal was born out of my love of just trying new things and striving to blend all my tastes/interests, after a while it ended up becoming my main focus because everything I put out is a direct link to me.
Zeal is a musical project with an equally heavy visual aspect to it. Do you often begin with a visual aesthetic at first, which then inspires your music? Or maybe the other way around?
Initially this project wasn’t visually tied to the music at all, I started the project to just explore but after time I became so obsessed with the imagery and the idea of creating this universe that blends all the types of music I create. I think it's super important to create this connected web of visual ideas that tie my release together and the narrative of it all. I tend to leave visuals and videos running on one of my monitors whilst creating music now - I have this thing called Wallpaper Engine that has an anime compilation running on all my three screens whilst I do stuff in the background, I find the sudden rush of imagery pretty inspiring. I think I used to find images off Google and do quick edits of them whilst making stuff to have a visual there for me to hold onto as a mental note; now I have this web of ideas where I can make stuff and already know what ideas I can tell Reka, my graphic designer, to tie to it and share the ideas with Nathan who makes all my videos.
You’ve collaborated with a number of friends and peers, including recently having Boy Soda on your track Time 2 Go. How important is collaboration in your creative process - is there a way you decide when a project is going to be solely for you to work on, or is there a stage in the process where you think about bringing someone else in?
Collaboration is like a really super cool way to express ideas but it’s also personal as well because it’s sharing apart of yourself with another person. I love the experience because I feel like it strengthens friendships. Actually in recent times with everything that's been happening, collaborations have been done over Zoom and Discord, and it’s a really new and cool way to work with another person. You’re both in the comfort of your own homes with your setup/personal space but you can both talk and share audio of what you’re working on in real-time, then send the parts over and combine it all.
I generally start almost all projects by myself and I think most projects have some type of collaboration involved, whether it’s just a friend fixing something in the song, Sleep Moon playing guitar in sections or involving a vocalist/rapper. My creative process usually starts with making the chord progression (at least with Time 2 Go and Tomorrow this was the first thing I did), I really like beatsy music like Nujabes so I love the idea of creating a progression you can repeat throughout the song and then add layers that complement it and add to it. When I am working with a vocalist, I like to get a rough demo but not finish the instrumental. I like to show them a rough structure of my idea, share my thoughts on what they could do, then ask them what they think and if there's anything they would change on it. I don’t like to just feature artists, I want them to have a say on things and help make the result more authentic for both of us. Boy Soda and I actually went back and forth on Time 2 Go so much, we just kept wanting to refine it and make it the best we could.
You have one song, one artist, and one album to pick that changed your life - go!
Oh damn! These questions are always soooo tough but I will give this my best go!
Song: Okay one song is way too hard for all time but I think Skrillex - Kill Everybody, this song changed my listening tastes forever! I discovered everything I am into now because of this discovery in 2011, I was just so shocked and intrigued by all these foreign sounds which caused me to spend countless hours just digging through the internet looking for the next new and exciting sounds.
Artist: Madeon for sure! I discovered Madeon via Pop Culture back in the day, all the stuff he’s done from such a young age with launchpads was so inspiring. It was inspiring to see someone use this device and make it very much an instrument for the people of the future! He’s just constantly grown and evolved his sound whilst also developing his madeon world and lore which has deeply inspired my ideas and need to create a world as well!
Album: The 1975’s ‘I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It’ (very long title I know): this album was all I listened to when I was 18/19 on repeat on my iPod. It transcends a pop album and really shows you how they’re not just a pop group/boy band, but have very clever production and lyricism that defies the genre they’re popped into (no pun intended). This double album managed to capture so many of the genres/styles the group has, and definitely isn’t a pop/radio safe album, so respectable from a group of this size to put this record out!
For newcomers to your work, where would you direct them for the quintessential Zeal experience - do you have a certain project or music video you’ve worked on that captures what you bring to the table?
Song: Reminiscent I feel is a very underrated track of mine, it’s not got a visual video but it’s a track of mine I started in 2016 and released the following year on my birthday. I really wanna do a remastered version for shows but I really still to this day love every idea I put in that song. It’s the beginning of the current era of Zeal; Reminiscent, Tomorrow and Time 2 Go are all part of a three-part story of Past, Present and Future, so Reminiscent is the core piece that links the other two together.
Music Video: Well I only have one visual piece/film out, all the rest of my songs I have uploaded on Youtube I just made gifs and looped them haha, but I think Time 2 Go’s video which is coming very soon is something you need to all see! Nathan managed to perfectly capture the energy of that song whilst also only using older footage we had taken in the past 6 months or so. Originally we had lots of ideas including filming with Boy Soda but all our plans got cut short due to Covid-19, worsening before we released the track/during the planning for the release, so we had to improvise.
How long have you been doing your music for, and how did you get started?
I’ve always been super passionate about creating/playing music, I’ve dabbled in almost every instrument and sung since I was a kid but I started producing my own music at around 15/16 years old.
The first “mixtape” I ever made was a hardstyle/electronic/hiphop mixtape under another name (yep I know, interesting to say the least...)
“THE ASSASSIN” was the first Yubbarii release I put out and it honestly came about out from sitting at home simply just wanting to create music.
Your work as Yubbarii is super haunting and melodic - what's your creative process like, in terms of writing, creating and recording your work? How have you found it differs to your work with Algor Mortis?
My creative process is essentially just playing around with different sounds, beats and ideas until I find something that I dig. Then I’ll usually write lyrics after the instrumental is done and tweak anything that needs to be altered.
I have always been interested in spiritualism, mysticism and all things of the sort, so I also try to incorporate that and express that through music.
My Yubbarii work is insanely different in so many ways to Algor Mortis.
I’ve always loved a huge range of music, so being able to be apart of creating heavy music and fronting a death metal/beatdown band, as well as also producing my own mixed electronic music is absolutely the best of both worlds for me.
How did Algor Mortis come to be?
I’d been “seriously” trying to get a band happening for at least 5 years and Algor Mortis came about when a few friends and I decided to fuck around with the whole death metal/beatdown idea and maybe put some stuff out.
It happened pretty quickly but I’m super grateful it did and to actually have our self titled demo out there already is wild.
Biggest inspirations artistically?
I was brought up/surrounded by all kinds of music - my mum was always playing Eurythmics, Enya, Blondie, Stevie Nicks, Moby, The Cranberries (just to name a few).
To narrow it down, my biggest inspirations and musical influences for Yubbarii in particular would be Crystal Castles, Björk, Clams Casino, Moby, Dj Krush & Dj Shadow, Annie Lennox, Portishead, Zomby (but honestly, the list is endless).
Which track of your own stands out to you the most, and why?
I’d say probably, “Like A Forest” as it was one of the first tracks I ever put out and I remember being so nervous but genuinely stoked that people even checked it out- in hindsight it’s mediocre as hell, but still a cute memory.
A more recent song that really stands out for me is “Rites Of Hecate” I honestly can’t even pinpoint what exactly it is that stands out but I am just generally really happy with the song itself.
Where do you hope to take your work, both solo and with your band, in the future?
I just genuinely hope that Algor Mortis can continue to put out sick music and play shows, and that Yubbarii can get out there a bit more and hopefully find an audience of people who dig it as much as I love making it.
All in all just to be able to work with other artists and make good music.
I am currently working on a new Yubbarii release and am super excited to get it out there, it’s a really diverse and cool album- there’s the usual ethereal/witch house sound but also some darkwave, synthwave, DnB, UK garage type beats and hiphop stuff too, featuring a few other really cool independents Australian artists.
Shooting for Nixi Killick was a pleasure as expected - I was given the creative reigns again for hair and makeup, and arrived to a bubbly Nixi and Denver hoarding treasure chests full of incredible accessories and garments. Augmented reality activated as is Nixi’s growing trademark, this capsule collection Lightning Sunrise features neon-electric mismatched animal prints with cutout panels in always-comfy silhouettes. I swear, something magical happens when you put on a NXK outfit - you can feel your inner spirit come alive. Thank you to the awesome Tai and Fil for being so fun to work with as well! I loved living out my technicolour cyberpunk goddess dreams.
AGSA (
The Art Gallery of South Australia)
Walking into AGSA, just beyond the doorframe of their ongoing collection, a stretch of red mesh peers from an archway atop a set of steep stairs. At least, it looks like red mesh from afar. Edge closer and see Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota’s uniquely immersive work Absence embodied, a piece commissioned specifically for the gallery space. Drawing conceptually from the complexity and nuance of human nature, getting lost in the seemingly endless threads isn’t hard to do; particularly with the structure calling to mind a spider’s web, thanks to it’s mass of taut strings coming together to create larger, overarching, natural curvatures.
Enter deeper into the gallery to see a focus on Renaissance-style art reimagined, with a bronze sculpture of a nude Buck (not the deer, the famed trans porn star) and a garden-variety Yayoi Kusama pumpkin (see what I did there?).
Perhaps what really shone in AGSA that day was the atmosphere that ran beyond it’s standard offering; being a Sunday, canonically of course a family day in good Christian Australia, AGSA offered a family-friendly, outdoor Sunday Session to make the best of the warm summer weather. However, with the current featured exhibition Tarnanthi taking place concurrently, Sunday Sessions feature independent film screenings and live musical performances by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Focused on giving a platform to emerging contemporary First Nations artists, Tarnanthi showcases pieces with the aim to provide artists opportunity to extend their works. With both contemporary interpretations alongside traditional creations, the diverse collection poses a strong starting point for reconnecting with traditional custodians of the land.
Thank you, Adelaide - you did not let the art lover in me down.
The interactivity is taken a step further in her most recent collection Cryptic Frequency, with the implementation of augmented reality tech. In collaboration with AR app EyeJack, garments feature imagery that trigger in-app animations and sound design - easter eggs adding a whole new dimension to style.
Fashion just became more immersive than ever.
Ah, KAWS at the NGV. A hypebeast, Melbourne art hipster and collector’s wet dream all in one.
With the continued direction of the NGV under Tony Ellwood, contemporary cool-kid art and design has become an expected staple at Australia’s most visited gallery. Off the back of such hit exhibitions as Warhol—Weiwei in 2015, Viktor and Rolf, the unforgettable Triennial (featuring works by Yayoi Kusama and those damn Ron Mueck skulls everyone posted on Instagram) and last year’s MoMA collection (Roy Lichtenstein, Dalí), KAWS seems to slide right into the equation with a nod to younger streetwear culture. The NGV is reminding us it’s still cool, fellow kids.
The exhibition itself was rather small by NGV standards - although tickets allocated an hour of viewing time, a particularly casual art fan could enjoy the exhibition in its entirety in under 30 minutes. Oversized sculptures were contained to one room, and smaller figurines housed behind glass cabinets on the way out. The idea to include an exhibition-specific store with collectible KAWS memorabilia inside the exhibition itself was a stroke of capitalistic genius. But don’t get too excited - the only product worth getting stirred up over might be the rare collectible KAWS figurines, which predictably were all sold out and listed as having prices upon request (just to make us salivate at the thought of how expensive they were that much more, I’m sure).
Yes, it’s clearly understandable that to the majority, the appeal in KAWS is in it’s exclusivity. The high price point, the limited edition nature of products. The selective collaborations. The art stands the test of time though - and beneath all the hypebeast-ery, the KAWS companion remains a curious symbol of loneliness and dislocation in a modern world.
Or, maybe it’s just a cool kid fashion thing, and I’m just reading too much into it.
Coming up? More of the same to anticipate from the NGV, with a nod to Comme des Garçons and every VCA student’s faves, Haring and Basquiat. What did you expect?
If makeup is your main gig, what’s your side hustle?
Makeup is my main gig at the moment. I am currently working at Cosmo Makeup Academy teaching makeup demonstrations on myself as well as models. In my spare time I love drawing and painting portraits, as well as experimenting more with my makeup artistry.
When and how did you start experimenting with more creative makeup looks?
I started experimenting with more creative makeup looks around early 2018 which is when I stopped painting full time. Painting wasn’t really satisfying me at the time, so I took a beauty and advanced makeup course which helped push me to be more creative in other ways.
Top palette pick?
My favorite palette is definitely the Morphe x James Charles Artistry Palette. I used to carry around a whole bag of different palettes with me, but the artistry palette literally has every color I need. I hardly ever wear neutral colors, so having multiple shades of every bright color is super useful in my every day looks.
All-time fave shade or shade-range to experiment and play with?
My favorite colors to play around with are reds and mustard yellows. I feel like a lot of people tend to stay away from brighter colors, but it’s all about experimenting and figuring out which colors work for you. Makeup to me isn’t about making myself look better, it’s about the artistry, and being able to transfer my emotions into a creative look.
All-time fave lip product?
My all time favorite lip products are the Kat Von D Beauty Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. My go-to shade is Vampira, which is a deep burgundy red. I tend to stay away from pink under toned nudes since I feel like they don’t vibe with my fair skin tone.
If you had to survive on only one makeup brand, which one would it be and why?
I’ve recently been obsessed with Milk Makeup since I’m in the process of transferring to only cruelty free/vegan makeup. I like how their brand is very inclusive yet versatile; it’s very natural but at the same time dramatic.
Who’s your major makeup icon and why?
Most of my looks are based off of Pat McGrath. My favorite style of makeup is editorial/avant-garde, and she is the epitome of that. I am constantly looking at runway makeup looks for inspiration and am always mesmerized by the way she is able to interpret colors and shapes.
What’s your signature, go-to look?
My go-to look would be red eyeshadow with huge winged eyeliner, smoked out under eye, straight eyebrows and a dark lipstick.
What’s the most annoying trend in makeup to you?
I’ve never really been annoyed by any makeup trends. I feel as though makeup doesn’t have any rules and I love seeing makeup artists create unconventional looks. A lot of beauty influencers I see on social media look like clones, so I feel it’s better to stand out, whether it be creating ridiculous looks or not.
What’s your most favourite look you’ve done to date?
My favorite look that i’ve done would have to be a recreation of a doll originally done by @xhanthi on Instagram. I experimented with pastel colors and even made my own hat out of newspapers and pages from a book. It definitely challenged me as an artist and creator.
Is there a person or a time that inspires the way you do your makeup? An era, or a muse?
An era that constantly inspires me is the 20s and 30s dramatic smokey eyes and thin expressive eyebrows. I also adore makeup brands from the 70s such as Biba Makeup.
How do you feel social platforms like Instagram and YouTube will continue to influence makeup artistry in the future?
I think social platforms will always continue to influence makeup artistry because we are constantly being influenced by each other’s art. Whenever I’m in a makeup rut, I will go onto my Pinterest app and get inspired by certain colors or shapes. I also love recreating artist’s drawings/paintings and challenging myself in that way to create a three dimensional art piece.
What’s your “why” - why do you do what you do with makeup?
I love using makeup as a creative outlet because I tend to have a lot of emotions that I put into my looks. Whether I’m feeling sad or upset, I always turn to makeup to put myself in a better place. It also makes me feel productive because I just turned my negativity into a beautiful work of art.
Shooting with Jesper was so fun, natural and easy - he asked me to style myself for this shoot, and of course, those are always my favourite shoots to begin with. Maybe the timing was serendipitous, but having felt somewhat uninspired by fashion lately, this turned out to be a style story I was super proud of.
Eclectic 90s, Tokyo-inspired rave wear was the narrative, with a nod to Delia’s catalogues and unintentionally a homage to thrift shopping as well (three quarters of the garments worn in this shoot were thrifted).
Homegrown style was the focus here, with the emphasis placed on what it means to interpret and create your own unique identity through fashion rather than consuming a store-prepared look.
I love that this was an important element to Jesper, and that it was why he said he reached out to me!
It is such a huge honour to work with this incredibly talented photographer and be able to showcase to you these works.
If makeup is your side hustle, what’s your main gig?/ If makeup is your main gig, what’s your side hustle?
Makeup is both my main gig and side hustle. I am a senior in high school so it could be my main gig, but to me they are about the same. Hopefully makeup can officially be my main gig!
When and how did you start experimenting with more creative makeup looks?
Officially August 27, 2018 but it was a progression that started around 2013.
Top palette pick?
I would have to say the Mehron Paint Palette! You can make it as subtle or as bold as you want, and since I also work on canvas using acrylic and oil, I feel like I can control it better as it’s paint versus eyeshadow.
All-time fave shade or shade-range to experiment and play with?
I love blue or minty green! Pastel colors also always amaze me.
All-time fave lip product?
If you had to survive on only one makeup brand, which one would it be and why?
Fenty Beauty! I’m biased, but she’s the first to come out with the most shade ranges in foundation and I stand by that!
Who’s your major makeup icon and why?
I don’t have a major makeup icon but the thing that really inspired me was seeing beautiful black women in magazines with bold lipsticks and eyeshadow, it made me feel proud to be myself.
What’s your signature, go-to look?
My bare face and some lip gloss!
What’s the most annoying trend in makeup to you?
Blackface.
What’s your most favourite look you’ve done to date?
I’m really proud of my Nike look!
Is there a person or a time that inspires the way you do your makeup? An era, or a muse?
My mom inspires me. She is my reason for being, she gives me so much hope and love! She’s my best friend.
How do you feel social platforms like Instagram and YouTube will continue to influence makeup artistry in the future?
Instagram is how I got all my followers/recognition. I feel like that, and Youtube, brings you to so many influential people which then brings you to some life changing events.
What’s your “why” - why do you do what you do with makeup?
I want to be a role model to black people. Black women who aren’t like your stereotypical women or are secure about their skin. I want to be a role model to black artists and black creatives. I feel like there will never be enough black artists, so I am here to inspire my black community and say that it’s okay to be you.
So overjoyed to work with another all-female team of talented, inspiring creative women! Photographer Ellisha Kriesl’s vision for this shoot was to embody the depth of feeling in a broken heart - that vague pain in the back of your chest, a despair so unique to the feeling of heartbreak. At least, that was my interpretation of it! Thank you to this incredible team for having me on board.
PHOTOGRAPHER: ELLISHA KRIESL
DESIGNER/STYLIST: SIDNEY NEVILLE
HMUA: PEGGY STASINOS
If makeup is your side hustle, what’s your main gig?
Makeup is my side-hustle but I don’t care about any job like I care about makeup. I work as a desk-girl for a local salon and that’s my main source of income, but I spend all my emotional energy on my Instagram and art. I would love to be a freelance artist in the future, or even be able to support myself off of Instagram alone. For now, my art comes at my own expense.
When and how did you start experimenting with more creative makeup looks?
I started experimenting with more avant-garde looks in the summer of 2018. I haven’t been doing it for very long, but it’s the only thing that got me noticed in the currently over-saturated beauty scene. Like any social media marketing guru will tell you: keep doing what works! There really was no “how”, it’s just a matter of deciding that you want to stick out in the crowd. I had shaved my head in the spring of 2018, but I wasn’t satisfied by that fleeting taste of freedom. I want every artist out there to know that they don’t need to follow the wave if it doesn't make them happy. You don't need to be pretty, talented, or confident to be an artist. I want everyone to know that the only thing stopping them from doing something unique is themselves. You are me before I made the decision to do my thing.
“I want everyone to know that the only thing stopping them from doing something unique is themselves”
Top palette pick?
My top palette pick would have to be the Coloured Raine Vivid Pigment Palette. It has the best pigmentation of anything I’ve ever used and no patchiness whatsoever.
All-time fave shade or shade-range to experiment and play with?
I don’t really have a favourite shade range or colour family because I go through so many different phases with my makeup. One day I’ll be pining over yellows, the next day pinks, and so on and so forth. I generally don’t wear nudes or neutrals because they don’t inspire me as much.
All-time fave lip product?
My favourite lip product will probably always be gloss. Anastasia glosses have always been a favourite, and Colourpop glosses are a close second. Someday I’m going to own every Pat McGrath product in existence, starting with her lip glosses.
If you had to survive on only one makeup brand, which one would it be and why?
That’s such a good question! If I had to pick one brand I’d be so sad. I would have to choose Image Skincare products. They’re the only brand of skincare that has been truly good to my skin. I am a total skincare freak because ever since I was a kid I’ve had like, the werrrrrrrst dry skin. Image skincare is made completely of plants, all pure plant ingredients. This isn’t sponsored, I’m just desperate to be hydrated.
Who’s your major makeup icon and why?
I don’t have a singular artist who inspired me, and I don’t think I could ever put one of them above all the rest. Jackie Aina taught me that activism and the beauty community have to go together. Billie Eilish taught me that beauty is about what you can make others feel. Marie Dausell taught me that there are rules to be broken. Nicki Minaj taught me that femininity is ferocious. Emilia Fart taught me that beauty is honest.
What’s your signature, go-to look?
My signature look always includes thick, sharp eyeliner and feathery brows and eyelashes. Of course, we can’t forget the gloss.
What’s the most annoying trend in makeup to you?
The most annoying trend in makeup, to me, is that we dump on women for playing with trends. It’s a trend in the community that we belittle others (primarily women) for not having all their “T”s crossed and “I”s dotted. We cheer on every white boy who picks up his mother’s lipstick while we rag on trans artists, queer artists, gender non-conforming artists, and we constantly cancel non-white artists if their hairline is crooked, if they’re too loud, or if they don’t perfectly mirror straight, white, cisgendered artists. My least favourite trend in makeup is that LGBT+, non-white and impoverished artists are left out of the ‘community’.
What’s your most favourite look you’ve done to date?
My favourite look to date is probably one of the first three looks you see in my feed. I am constantly learning and growing as an artist, so I can't really pick a favourite. I have a lot of emotion towards each piece because they all remind me of what I was going through at the time.
Is there a person or a time that inspires the way you do your makeup? An era, or a muse?
“I have a lot of emotion towards each piece because they all remind me of what I was going through at the time”
This is so difficult to choose! I am so in love with makeup as an extension of fashion. I’m so grateful to live in 2019, ‘cause like, we can see every era of fashion and choose which one we like the most, but we don’t have to experience the painful bits of history. I don’t have to live in nearly as much fear for my life as a queer woman would have had to in the 60s, 70s, or so on. I can dress in my own personalised expression of an era like the 20s or 40s, but nobody has cut my throat and dumped me in a river for living as a strong-willed woman, a queer person, or the sort. I do suffer from disabilities but I’m from a privileged, middle-class family so all my needs are met, my prescriptions are filled, and my doctor visits are covered. There is no better time to be alive other than now (for middle-class Americans with little to no life experience).
How do you feel social platforms like Instagram and YouTube will continue to influence makeup artistry in the future?
Social media will probably always influence makeup and art in the future. It is, unfortunately, a billion-dollar leg of capitalism that simultaneously supports the privileged at the expense of foreign nations and people. The marketing side of social media is relatively new, and with that comes a lot of trial-and-error and rapid changes. How the future may look, I can hardly imagine. Right now it’s seriously looking like I might need to step up my TikTok game.
What’s your “why” - why do you do what you do with makeup?
There is a quote from a favourite book of mine, Slaughterhouse-Five, that reads “Why you? Why us for that matter? Why anything? Because this moment simply is. Have you ever seen bugs trapped in amber? [...] Well, here we are, Mr. Pilgrim, trapped in the amber of this moment. There is no why.”
Why does anyone do anything? Well, probably because it feels to them like the right thing. It moves you, it frees you; there is no why.
If makeup is your side hustle, what’s your main gig?
Working retail! Which is the worst and I hate it, but something's gotta pay the bills.
When and how did you start experimenting with more creative makeup looks?
I've been playing with face paint and FX makeup since I was 14! I can't remember exactly why I started, but I'm sure it had something to do with social media.
Top palette pick?
Sugarpill's Pro Palette (you get to customize and pick the shades yourself)! Sugarpill has such bright, pigmented and fun colours, plus they are cruelty free and most of the eyeshadows are vegan!
All-time fave shade or shade-range to experiment and play with?
Red, always! Red finds it's way into so many of my looks.
All-time fave lip product?
Nyx Cosmetics Lip Oil. Hydrating, looks like gloss, but isn't sticky at all (and cheap). For lipstick, again, Nyx Soft Matte Lip Creams (Monte Carlo is my go-to red)!
If you had to survive on only one makeup brand, which one would it be and why?
Colourpop! They have everything, they're cheap, but the quality is amazing. They also have unconventional shades and products, and those are the brands I usually love the most.
Who’s your major makeup icon and why?
She's not so much a makeup icon but Nadia Lee Cohen gives me SO much inspiration. I also love Frances (@beautyspock on instagram) she is gorgeous and her looks are dreamy as hell.
What’s your signature, go-to look?
I'd say my style is still evolving, but for now my go-to is 50s, pin-up style versions of anything. The hair and aesthetics of that period are very timeless to me!
What’s the most annoying trend in makeup to you?
I'm really about artists doing whatever they like - makeup is meant to be fun! But I have noticed that the artists who get the most recognition are those who Facetune their pores, skin texture, eyeshadow, highlighter, and rip-off smaller artists without crediting. Brands also eat it up for some reason? In 2019, I want unconventional, creative, genuine, absurd, and colourful artists from ALL walks of life to be in the spotlight.
“In 2019, I want unconventional, creative, genuine, absurd, and colourful artists from ALL walks of life to be in the spotlight.”
What’s your most favourite look you’ve done to date?
Any of my twin looks - but probably the angel/devil, and the house look! My favourite looks are always the ones where I wasn't sure if it would actually turn out how I envisioned it, but when they do turn out, it's that much more satisfying!
Is there a person or a time that inspires the way you do your makeup? An era, or a muse?
I already touched on this accidentally, but again, the 40s, 50s and 60s! I love the big curls, the scarves, the makeup, and I love that now in 2019 I can use the inspiration I get from these iconic aesthetics towards my own artistry.
How do you feel social platforms like Instagram and YouTube will continue to influence makeup artistry in the future?
I hope that in the future there's a shift from the neutral, natural glam makeup we're always shown to fun, colourful, unconventional makeup. I'm already watching the small unconventional makeup community grow, so hopefully I'm not too far off! There are so many talented, creative artists on these platforms who deserve 100 x more recognition! Makeup is not just makeup anymore, it is art - and we should all recognise that.
What’s your “why” - why do you do what you do with makeup?
I've always loved art and being creative, whether it be drawing, makeup, painting etc., but using my own face and body as a canvas is truly "my thing". It is something that makes me so happy, gives me purpose and keeps me motivated. Pushing boundaries with makeup is important to me, incorporating fabric, newspaper, and fun wigs into my looks is a way to show people that you can use anything to be creative. I hope I can inspire people to bring a little more weirdness and colour into their lives and the world by doing so!
“Makeup is not just makeup anymore, it is art - and we should all recognise that.”
