Lots of people do their makeup on an everyday basis, but there are some people who always take their makeup to the next level. While it may not be a traditional medium, like clay or acrylic paint, makeup is absolutely a form of art and artistic expression.
There’s no one that proves this better than makeup artists. Some of the things that they can do with makeup is nothing short of awe inspiring. And with social media, it’s easier than ever for these artists to display their art work to their fans and people who are looking to learn from their work.
If you want to get better at something, a good way to do it is to learn from the best. Makeup artists are great to follow on Instagram if you’re looking to get better at makeup, trying to get some inspiration for your own makeup looks, or you just really like looking at people’s outstanding makeup jobs.
Many of the best people in the world of makeup are members of the LGBTQ+ community, and there’s no better time to highlight queer makeup artists than during Pride Month.
Here are 10 queer makeup artists to follow if you’re looking for some new makeup inspiration!
Ryon Wu is a California based makeup artist whose makeup style can best be described as futuristic and almost technological at times. Many who view his looks describe them as comparable to those that you would find in an anime.
His looks are nothing shy of outstanding. The craftsmanship that goes into his work is clearly noticeable. While his looks may not be something that you’d opt for in your day to day makeup look, it’s undeniable that the work that Ryon is putting out is art.
Lauren Elyse is a 29 year old makeup and drag artist from the Chicago area. They have vitiligo, a skin condition where patches of skin loses their pigment, which gives them noticeable patches on their face near their eye area.
But instead of attempting to cover these patches, Lauren works them into their makeup looks. They use their makeup skills to highlight the patches, instead of trying to cover them up. Lauren’s intricate, colorful, and eye catching eye makeup looks are beautifully and carefully crafted. Drag makeup is no small undertaking, and the time Lauren devotes to their art is crystal clear.
Additionally, Lauren is acting as an outstanding role model for others with vitiligo. They are showing that these patches don’t need to be covered up and they are nothing to be ashamed of.
Deon, or Deon The Doll as he refers to himself on his Instagram, is a makeup artist and beauty influencer from Chicago. Deon’s eye looks are outstanding. The way he is able to seamlessly blend together so many different colors to create his eye looks is nothing short of amazing. I only wish I could blend my makeup that well.
Jacinda Leeloo, or @adultsdrink as she is known on Instagram, refers to herself as an “artist in a variety of mediums” in her Twitter bio. And one look at her pictures is proof that makeup is absolutely one of those mediums.
Just like a painter, Jacinda has an amazing ability to craft looks with a variety of different colors that work together and compliment each other in outstanding ways. It’s interesting to view her Instagram and see her influences from other artists. For example, she does a series on her Instagram where she does different makeup looks based on the works of Japanese artist Pater Sato, who created airbrush artwork for magazines.
The ties to Sato are clear, especially in the color choices and shapes. I’ve never seen anything quite like it before, and it’s interesting to see a makeup artist draw inspiration from other forms of art when creating their makeup looks.
Ryan Burke is a photographer and makeup and visual artist from New York. His unique skills in design and makeup come together and allow him to create looks that are completely out of this world. According to his website, the goal is “to create unique expressive characters unrelated to any particular culture, society, race, religion, or gender.”
And it seems like Ryan is successful in that mission. His makeup looks can be difficult to describe at times, but there’s no denying that they are amazing pieces of art. The looks that Ryan creates are so clean, unique, and well done, some of them look nearly impossible to produce in real life, let alone replicate.
Bretman Rock is a Filipino American makeup artist based in Hawaii. He is also a social media personality and is probably most well known on YouTube, where he has over 7 million subscribers.
Bretman’s makeup looks that he creates are fun and colorful, and he recently released a makeup collection with the makeup company wet n wild.
Malek, known as @offlinemalek on social media, is another makeup artist who makes perfect use of color when crafting his makeup looks. His eye makeup looks are so carefully done and so meticulously blended that it’s nearly impossible to not stare in awe.
I also appreciate the way he steps out of the box with his makeup looks. One look on his Instagram, published May 13 of this year, features bright and eye catching neon colors, something I would never think of trying, let alone something I could pull off.
Ryan B Potter is another makeup artist and beauty influencer who, similarly to Bretman Rock, has found his home on YouTube. As of writing this, his YouTube channel has around 74 thousand subscribers. On his channel, he posts lots of fun makeup themed content like first impressions, get ready with me videos, and makeup tutorials.
Ryan’s YouTube channel is something great because it works as a way to expand the makeup and beauty community. His tutorials are easy to follow and super informative, which is encouraging and helpful for a viewer watching who is trying to learn about makeup and get into it more.
Zackary Vang is a beauty and makeup artist who functions primarily on Instagram. He posts easy to follow tutorials on Instagram in a time lapse one-minute format, which is great for people who are looking for quick makeup inspiration.
While some of Zackary’s looks are on the bold side, many of them are more wearable in every day life compared to some of the works of other makeup artists on social media. This, combined with the tutorials on his Instagram, makes him a great account to follow if you’re looking for some more makeup looks to wear in your day to day life.
In addition to his Instagram, it looks like Zackary in the process of starting to upload videos on YouTube.
Caty, known as @catysuewho on Instagram, is a makeup artist and plus sized fashion influencer. Caty’s makeup looks that she posts on her Instagram are super fun and colorful with their use of bright and eye catching colors. Her creativity in her makeup is outstanding.
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