We Asked Four Makeup Artists To Create Looks Based Off Their Emotions

You know what’s hard? Accurately articulating the sheer batshittery of this year without using catch-all phrases like “I don’t know, I just feel anxious” (which is both not descriptive and a little defeatist). 

Sometimes, it’s easier to show rather than tell. Such is the sentiment of a handful of makeup artists on Instagram. Lately, they’ve started breaking free of outside influence—shifting away from rules that outline how makeup is meant to be “pretty” and “practical.” They cover their faces in gems, paints, and the occasional leaf picked from the garden. To them, makeup isn’t about conforming to what’s “wearable,” it’s about stepping out of the grid and into something that’s engaging, inspiring, and even political. In the process, they’ve created a special place for hoards of underserved people looking for a visual outlet that doesn’t include five-color smoky eyes and Ardell Demi Wispies. 

We asked four artists to choose a single day in a two week period and create a makeup look based on how they felt waking up that morning. The results were all over the map, but there’s a few things each artist had in common: They all used makeup to lift their spirits and to express something that couldn’t quite be put into words. 

Ali @sweetmutuals, 19, Georgia, USA

Emotion: Whimsical

May’s work manages to feel current and nostalgic—all at the same time. It’s Euphoria meets Clare’s and for her, it ties deeply to mental health. “I’ll have days where I just don’t want to do anything but I know that makeup will make me feel less stressed so I get up and do it,” she says over the phone. “That’s how much makeup is therapy for me.”

She takes a lot of inspiration from desi culture, but finds it particularly stimulating to subvert the narrative. “Desi makeup is very problematic,” she begins. “If you think about desi wedding makeup, it’s all about making yourself lighter, making yourself look as white as possible, and avoiding bright colors anywhere but the lips.” She incorporates bindis into her work often—not to reclaim it necessarily, but to show that you can be a desi girl in your own way. “There was a phase when white girls would go to festivals and wear bindis, sure, but I really want to show the desi community that we don’t have to go the normal route of desi makeup,” she explains. “I think if there are more desi girls embracing their natural skin and all the hairs on their face, it would be a more accepting community.”

To that end, May Tahmina rarely wears foundation, opting instead for a touch of concealer so that her natural skin can peek through. “My head’s absolutely scrambled here, there, and everywhere. I just woke up and felt like shit,” she says of the day she created her look. But the sun started coming out and she knew that taking photos of her work during golden hour would send a positive jolt through her system. 

She pulled out her favorite turtleneck and used it as inspiration for her eyes. The vibe was “butterfly fairy” so she grabbed some colorful liners and started drawing. She finished off the eyes by carefully dotting teeny crystals onto the butterfly wings and brushing up her brow hairs with Elmer’s Glue on spoolie. “I know it sounds stupid, but when your outfit matches your makeup it makes you feel so good,” she says. “Feeling good about yourself, it’s the best feeling ever. You can’t compare that to anything.”