How did you get into makeup?

It kind of started that I was just watching makeup youtube videos and thought, “Oh this is cool. I’m going to see if my mom can get me makeup at the drugstore and I try that.” Freshman year I joined makeup crew for the fall play and it ended up being fun and I enjoyed it. I ended up doing more intricate makeup and it spiraled into this passion for making weird things on my face.

What is your favorite makeup creation?

I’ve done a lot of character makeup and I did it a really long time ago, but one time I made myself a female terminator. That was my favorite because I got to do glamour, but also do this cool metal effect and make it gory on the side so I got to really pull everything together.

How long does it usually take to create those kind of characters?

It depends on the character that I am doing. I do the hulk, so I will paint my entire self green which can take about two hours. If I am doing a look for the first time and I am experimenting with a bunch of stuff, then it will usually take 1-2 hours just because I am taking my time. Once I’ve gotten a look down, like I do the joker a lot because I go to conventions a lot, it will only take an hour-ish. It’s a long time, but it’s an enjoyable hours. It’s a stress reliever.

What is your daily makeup like?

I’ve struggled with acne a lot, so I used to wear makeup a lot to cover that and because I like doing that. This year, I’ve kind of stopped doing my makeup because you have more time in the morning. You kind of also grow in yourself and let people see your bare face. It’s kind of uncomfortable the first kind of days, but it ends up being okay because no one really cares.

Any advice to aspiring makeup artists?

Keep experimenting and keep doing makeup. If you don’t like the way it turns out, either just wipe it away because it’s temporary or keep building because you can create something really cool–that’s how a lot of my favorite pieces have started. I keep going and find something that you love to do. Some love glamour, and some love gory-special effect makeup. So, find something you love and do it because it’s fun.

What has been your biggest challenge as an artist?

It can be expensive to be a makeup artist. Sometimes when I  am stressed out I do makeup to not stress out. One of the toughest things is to get outside of your comfort box. For me, I usually do characters so I will try to stick exactly to what the character looks like and because I am such a perfectionist if it doesn’t look exactly like the character I feel like it’s bad. So I’ve learned to step out of my box and be okay with everything not being perfect, and that has led me to some of my best works.

What is something you’ve learned as a makeup artists?

I’ve learned a lot of specific makeup techniques. For example, I have learned that skin conditions are very visible and important to note. In life, I’ve learned that makeup is temporary and you can use it to express yourself.

What, if any, ways has CHS supported your makeup passion?

For one of the spirit days I did an entire skull makeup on my face for the holiday spirit days, but I walked through the hallways and no one looks at you weird because everyone at CHS is weird in their own way. People were dressed in easter bunny costumes and I was walking in the hallway looking like a dead creature. Honestly, it’s been cool to do whatever I want and not get judged to much it because CHS is so big. Then, the theatre department has really aided in the shows have allowed me to do such cool makeup for all of those shows.