Aoife Cullen Is Empowered By Wild, Subversive Beauty

In line with the London-based make-up artist, “bizarre” and “stunning” are synonyms.

“‘Bizarre’ and ‘stunning’ imply the identical factor to me,” says Irish make-up artist Aoife Cullen, who is predicated in London, England. “Generally individuals will touch upon a put up that I’ve captioned ‘bizarre’; they’ll say ‘It’s not bizarre; it’s pretty!’ and I all the time make clear that ‘bizarre’ is a praise; it’s not a derogatory time period.”

@aoifeartist ⭐️ thank u for the inspo ryou.roki (on ig) #weirdlipcombos #editorialmakeup #makeupartist ♬ rewind – .

Cullen, who goes by @aoifeartist on Instagram and TikTok, has amassed a mixed 450,000 followers on the platforms and change into one of many faces of the “weird-girl-makeup” motion on-line. “I actually take pleasure in unconventional make-up,” she says. It reveals. Her “bizarre lip combos” sequence on TikTok is a fan favorite; it has racked up a whole lot of 1000’s of views because of the make-up artist’s sudden use of colors like silver, blue, inexperienced and gray on her pout paired together with her signature ultra-skinny brows. Her inspiration sources embrace a magical fairy-tale pond and a multicoloured plant species referred to as Begonia kapuashuluensis. “I’m additionally actually impressed by style runways and the world of drag,” says Cullen. “I’ve all the time been drawn to that kind of otherworldliness that comes via. It’s very thrilling for me.”

“‘Bizarre’ is a praise; it’s not a derogatory time period.” — Aoife Cullen

Along with her eccentric signature model, one may assume that Cullen acquired her begin in a equally unconventional means, however she truly labored as a retail make-up artist for Bobbi Brown for six years. “Clearly that was very completely different, aesthetically, from what I do now,” she laughs. “Nevertheless it was a very good place to start out. I did really feel a bit of like a black sheep, as a result of there wasn’t a lot room to be artistic, however I acquired a great deal of expertise. And I nonetheless, to today, use a number of the methods I realized there — issues like color matching and dealing with completely different pores and skin sorts and tones.”

A lot of Cullen’s criticism of conventional magnificence is because of its historical past of concentrating on ladies’s insecurities in addition to its tendency to cater to the male gaze. “Make-up was initially created to ‘resolve’ a so-called imperfection,” she says. “It wasn’t essentially for the advantage of ladies however for the advantage of how ladies are seen. I’m undecided we are able to ever absolutely escape that.” However Cullen is thrilled to see modern-day women and girls not following the foundations, together with getting in on the weird-girl-makeup motion. “It’s empowering to play with make-up and be linked to your femininity in that means however break all the foundations of how a lot make-up you need to put on and the way you need to put on it. I believe we are going to see increasingly more individuals making an attempt to maneuver away from the male gaze and doing issues for their very own confidence and self-expression.”

@aoifeartist make-up for colouring exterior the strains all the time 💙 #editorialmakeup ♬

A main instance of it is a TikTok that Cullen posted in 2022 through which she swipes a stripe of blue liquid pigment on every eye and blinks, permitting the product to smudge above and under her eyelids, leading to an summary, graphic look. The feedback learn “tbh no,” “let’s be actual” and “operating out of concepts?” Cullen says that she’s come to count on this when one among her appears to be like takes off on social media, reaching far past her personal group of supportive followers. “When one thing goes tremendous viral, it brings a number of aggressive feedback, particularly from males who simply don’t get it,” she says. “I believe my following is 98 per cent ladies, so it’s uncommon for males to wander onto my web page, however after they do, they’ll often put up one thing misogynistic. It doesn’t occur too typically, although.”

As for the way forward for the weird-girl-makeup circle that Cullen is a beloved member of, she is worked up about its rising recognition. “Discovering my group was fairly tough,” she says. “Even simply two years in the past, artistic make-up wasn’t the norm; it was nonetheless all about Insta-glam. Now, individuals are rather more open-minded.” As for the future-future? Cullen says that when you’re a weird girl, you’re a bizarre lady for all times. “I’ll undoubtedly be that outdated girl sporting a great deal of eyeliner and lipstick — as a result of that’s precisely what you’re advised to not do.”

Forward, the sweetness necessities Aoife Cullen swears by.

Weleda Pores and skin Meals Authentic Extremely-Wealthy Cream

“I’ve been utilizing this for years, and I’ll by no means not use it. I adore it for myself; I adore it for picture shoots. I actually purchased 10 tubes simply yesterday.”

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About-Face Matte Fluid Eye Paint

“These eye paints work for everybody. They’re so versatile.”

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Jecca Blac Forehead Seal & Block

“I exploit these most likely each time I do my make-up. They’re for concealing your brows.”

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Supergoop! Glowscreen SPF 40

“That is my favorite base product for no-makeup days. It’s actually sheer with a little bit of shimmer.”

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27 87 Genetic Bliss Eau de Parfum

“That is such a novel, gender-neutral scent.”

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This text first appeared in FASHION’s Summer season 2024 concern. Find out more here.

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