Hello Beauty
Hello Beauty
12 Creative Insta-Glam Looks
For me makeup is a form of art and self-expression. The thing I love most about Instagram is that it gives people a platform to share their creations and I am always in awe of the talent that exists. I have been following Monique - @moniquepowell, Nathalié - @sminkberoende and Dorota - @bdqblog because they each have their own flair and distinctive artistic style. I was lucky enough to interview the artists behind the pieces and pick a couple of my favourite looks from them.
Monique - @moniquepowell
Monique’s style focuses on intricate line work. I love how she creates unique shapes with her graphic eyeliner. There is a clean simplicity to her looks which are centred around the eyes. Below are some of my favourite looks created by her.
Now that you have seen her creativity, you can learn a little bit more about the artist herself. I was lucky enough to pick her brain about her pathway into makeup.
1. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Monique and I’m currently 21 years old. I should be finishing my Education BA this year and hope to be a primary school teacher in the future. I love doing anything arty/creative, so have a good few hobbies including drawing, doing henna, playing the piano and of course - makeup!
2. How did you get into makeup?
I remember raiding my mum’s friend’s drawers when we stayed over once and discovering her MAC eyeshadows. She saw how curious I was and took me to MAC to buy some bits. After a while of wearing basic, neutral looks to school I started experimenting in my own time with different colours and shapes etc. and somehow, I ended up here!
3. If you could only use one makeup item for the rest of your life what would it be?
For me it would have to be a brow product (at the moment it would specifically be the Makeup Obsession ‘So Fine’ Brow Pencil). My natural eyebrows are pretty non-existent so brow product is a must if I want my eyebrows to show up in a photo haha.
Nathalié - @sminkberoende
I have been following Nathalié for a while and her dramatic fantasy looks drew me in. They are truly independent art pieces, and her face is her canvas. She masters in both eyes and lip art. Here is a selection of my favourite.
1.Could you tell us a little about yourself?
My name is Nathalié, a 25 year old woman from Sweden who is very passionate about makeup and photography. I work as a journalist on a news app and it's one of the best jobs I have ever had. I meet so many interesting people through my job and I learn something new every day. In my spare time I create a lot of looks and post them on my Instagram page, @Sminkberoende. Many people think that "Smink" is my forename, but it actually means "makeup" in swedish, while "beroende" means "addicted". And that describes me quite well. I don't know anyone who loves makeup as much as I do! I can sit in my beauty room for hours playing with different colours, patterns, textures, and formulas. That's what makes me genuinely happy - especially when I come up with a creation that I'm proud of.
2.How did you get into makeup?
I think my interest in makeup started when I saw my mum applying makeup to her face every morning. I loved to observe how she could transform herself from beautiful and pretty to a glamorous and elegant woman. I started using makeup when I was 12 years old and ever since I was a kid, I have loved doing creative things like painting. As I grew older, makeup became my therapy and creative outlet. I switched out the paper for my face and used it as a canvas instead. I was never into the traditional makeup and never followed any rules, so it became natural for me to continue developing my own style.
3.If you could only use one makeup item for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Probably eyeliner - because the creative things you can create with liners are endless. It's an impactful "weapon" in the makeup world and many people haven't discovered it yet. It can transform the most boring look to an artsy masterpiece.
Dorota - @bdqblog
Dorota is another artist that I discovered on Instagram. She is a self-confessed eyeshadow addict. She is known for her bright bold colours and quirky looks. She pulls off pairing unconventional colours and wears them with confidence. Here’s a couple of my most favourite looks.
1. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
My name’s Dorota. I’m 35 (almost 36) beauty blogger (@bdqblog) based in Birmingham. I work full time in Financial Services and blog, do crazy and more daytime-friendly looks in my spare time. Single and not ready to mingle - I like to think of myself to be independent and pretty strong, just like my momma raised me to be. I love the beauty space friends I have made over the time of my activity in the community and am a huge fan of binging on TV series, Marvel movies/shows and Star Trek - big nerd at heart. I’m a mom to my beautiful 11 and 1 year old fur babies - call me crazy cat lady anytime, it’s true! My mom is my best friend and I’d do anything for her. I have a terrible sense of humour, total weirdo here but if hitting 30 taught me anything it is to love and accept myself with all my faults. Self- awareness is something I try and work on every single day. Very outspoken and social injustice is something I feel very passionate about. If I can use my small platform to contribute to changing this crazy world we live in, I will and if it loses me followers, that’s okay. I rather surround myself with people who try to do better. Hit me up to chat skincare, makeup, Marvel, books - I love interacting with my followers, and definitely have the best ones. I know everyone says that, but one look in my DM’s in the morning is enough to put a smile on my face. That’s little old me, nice to meet you!
2. How did you get into makeup?
Makeup has always been a part of me, but life got in a way and I finally got into beauty in the last year of my 20’s. I’ve gone through some health issues, and was house bound for a few months, so I turned my passion for makeup and skincare into blogging. I didn’t get into ‘Instagram makeup’ for quite some time still, but a couple of years ago, I started to try to improve my technique and here we are. I love colour, I love learning how to make what’s usually very hard on hooded eyes work for me. I crave the challenge and makeup is my therapy. If I feel anxious or sad, I pick up a brush or 10, a palette or 5 and try and push myself out of the bad place and into a beautiful world full of colour and glitter. My eyelids are the canvas and I’m so grateful that I found something in life I’m so passionate about. Sure, it takes a lot of time, especially when doing it on top of also trying to advance in my career, but it keeps me going. I need that creative outlet to thrive.
3. If you could only use one makeup item for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Anything brow related. I can go totally makeup free but need my brows. They just frame the face like nothing else. It’s a horrible question as I’d never give up my orange red lipstick and highlighter collection either. I can also give you one item I would gladly give up if I could - mascara pretty much always smudges on me. I need someone a lot smarter than me to discover a way to transplant eyelashes. Elon if you’re listening, once you get humans to Mars, do me a favour love and get into beauty!
@keyaani_
