The people are bringing back colour; highlighters on ears, bold blush, and pure, unfiltered fun! After years of pushing the beige minimalism agenda and the reign of the “clean girl” aesthetic, the girls have quietly been rebelling by painting their faces even while the trend told them not to.
Now, the rebellion has gone mainstream. More people are picking up their brushes again, embracing shimmer, sparkle, and play. Our timelines are alive with creativity, and honestly? We’ve missed this kind of beautiful chaos.
Let me introduce you to my favorite artists and maybe, put you on to some looks to recreate to fill our lives with some fun once more!
Raoúl Alejandre
Originally from California and now based in Los Angeles, Raoúl Alejandre approaches makeup as more than surface beauty and sees it as a deeply expressive, multi-sensory medium. From childhood, he gravitated toward painting and visual art, eventually translating that sensibility into makeup. In his own words: “make-up was just one of those other mediums I picked up as a kid because I wanted to express myself.”
Alejandre’s signature aesthetic balances elegance and otherworldliness. His eyes often explore soft but unexpected colour combinations (baby blue meeting moss green, for example), while lips tend to lean toward bold or defined forms without overshadowing the overall harmony. He rejects strict “signature style” labels, seeing his creative evolution as fluid: “Right now it’s beautiful, standout eyes, but I am constantly evolving.”
His body of work spans major editorial publications and high-fashion campaigns. Alejandre has been featured in American Vogue, Vogue Italia, Dazed, W Magazine, and V Magazine, and has collaborated with beauty and fashion brands such as Bulgari, Dior, MAC, Mugler, Valentino, and H&M Beauty.
In 2021, he was appointed Global Makeup Artist for Valentino Beauty, a significant milestone that solidified his role not just as a creator but as a voice in the direction of beauty. More recently (2023), he became H&M Beauty’s first-ever Global Makeup Artist, leading the brand’s creative vision for its reimagined, vegan-leaning makeup line.
Alejandre often cites inspiration from masters across mediums: Salvador Dalí, Richard Avedon, Federico Fellini, and Siouxsie Sioux among them. He also draws influence from interior design and ambient elements— the way color, texture, and light interact in a space seeing these surroundings as part of the visual conversation when creating a look.
One standout project was his “Prismatic Stare” residency, in which he paired color draping techniques with blush and layered tones, drawing homage to photographers like Irving Penn and using fluid color transitions. Another is a creative series he made for Allure, blending beauty with themes of nature and heritage drawing on Mexican ecosystems like the monarch butterfly and quetzal plumage to inspire eyes, lips, and tableaux of color.
His philosophy centers on freedom of expression, inclusion, and pushing conventional beauty boundaries. He believes true beauty should be expansive, inclusive of those marginalized by traditional norms, and deeply rooted in authenticity.
MakeupxChelsea
Born and raised in Ireland, Chelsea Uchenna, known online as MakeupxChelsea’s fascination with beauty began at around 12 years old, sneaking into her mother’s products long before she was “allowed” to wear them. What started as a childhood curiosity quickly turned into a calling. By her early teens, she was already doing makeup for friends, sharing her experiments online, and developing the precise, skin-focused artistry that now defines her work.
Today, Chelsea stands among a new generation of beauty artists shaping the global conversation around Black beauty. Her aesthetic draws heavily from ’90s and early 2000s glam—frosty lips, blush that beams, and sharp, expressive eyes—but she reimagines it for darker skin tones. Her work celebrates experimentation and self-definition, challenging boundaries around color and texture in beauty.
Chelsea’s portfolio is as versatile as it is vibrant. She’s the creative force behind looks for Doechii, Ayra Starr, Saweetie, Leomie Anderson, and Bree Runway, with projects spanning from editorial shoots to global fashion weeks. Her collaboration with Doechii, particularly during Paris Fashion Week, captured her signature balance of technical mastery and artistic instinct; sometimes creating looks on the go, even between events.
Her artistry channels emotion and movement, drawing from music, fashion, and Black cultural expression. In interviews, she’s spoken about growing up in predominantly white spaces and learning to master makeup across skin tones; an experience that shaped her adaptable, experimental approach. Her philosophy is simple but profound: makeup should empower, not conceal.
On social media, where she shares tutorials, product breakdowns, and creative inspiration with her 100K+ followers (@makeupbychelseax), Chelsea has built a platform that merges artistry with education. She’s known for her attention to skin prep, innovative use of Danessa Myricks Color Fix Paints, and love for manga lashes, all of which give her looks their signature dimension and edge.
Featured in WWD115, 30 Most Impactful Women under 30 across Beauty and Wellness, 22 year old, Chelsea is only getting started. Her dream list includes working with Beyoncé, but her influence already reverberates far beyond her client roster. She represents a generation of young Black artists using beauty as cultural commentary reshaping how the world sees color, creativity, and confidence.
Paintedbyesthr
Ngozi Esther Edeme, professionally known as PaintedByEsthr, is a Nigerian-born, London-based makeup artist whose work has redefined the language of color and blush in contemporary beauty. With a portfolio that includes SZA, Naomi Campbell, Kelly Rowland, Adut Akech, Chloé Bailey, and Tyla, Esther has become one of the most influential creative voices of our generation. Her signature is instantly recognizable; diffused blush that extends across the cheeks and temples, skin that glows like silk, and eyes or lips kissed with experimental hues. She opens up makeup to dreamlike perspectives, transforming the face into a canvas.
Born in Nigeria, Esther spent her early years surrounded by color, texture, and rhythm before moving to the United Kingdom. While she briefly worked as a nurse, makeup was always her real language. Her journey began in childhood, experimenting with her dolls and later holding impromptu “glam sessions” for friends during college. Posting her looks online helped her find her community and shape a distinctive style that displays high-fashion fantasy. Over time, this blend of cultural intuition and artistry caught the attention of global icons, turning her Instagram feed into a visual diary of transformation.
Esther’s artistic vision sits at the intersection of nostalgia, emotion, and rebellion. She often draws inspiration from 2000s video vixens, Brigitte Bardot, and drag culture, merging these influences into looks that feel cinematic yet intimate. Her use of blush is revolutionary as it softens and dramatizes at once, painting Black and brown skin in mesmerizing tones. Through her work, she pushes back against beauty conventions that once excluded darker skin tones from color experimentation.
Her career is a map of excellence and experimentation. She’s created red-carpet looks for global events like the Met Gala and Super Bowl, while also maintaining a strong editorial and social media presence where her work regularly goes viral. Publications like Dazed, Essence, and NSS GClub have spotlighted her for championing inclusivity in beauty and expanding what glamour looks like on dark skin. Despite her rapid rise, Esther remains grounded in her philosophy: there’s no wrong way to wear makeup. Her process emphasizes play; blending, layering, and letting color move freely across the face until it becomes personal.
Looking ahead, PaintedByEsthr sees her work as part of a broader beauty movement. She believes in using makeup to continue shaping how the world sees Black beauty; colorful, fluid, and ever evolving. By embracing imperfection and emotion, she has become a modern-day painter, and her canvas; the human face is her most powerful medium.
Fatimah Zahrah
Raised and Based in Lagos, Fatimah Zahrah is a rising beauty practitioner whose artistry bridges skincare, self-expression, and experimental makeup. Currently maintaining her journey as an esthetician that started nearly two years ago, Fatimah first approached beauty through the lens of skin health and self-care, viewing it as a ritual of healing and empowerment. Her love for transformation soon extended into the world of makeup, where she began practicing in April 2025, drawing inspiration from creators like Uche Natori, Mikai, MakeupxChelsea, and the expressive world of drag culture particularly icons like Plastique Tiara and The Mother Birdie.
For Fatimah, makeup is a medium of freedom; a way to challenge minimalism and celebrate queerness through bold colour and creative experimentation. She’s deeply influenced by drag artistry, which she describes as the ultimate expression of transformation, and hopes to inspire others to “put the nude eyeshadows down and play with colour.” Her practice celebrates the joy of standing out and embracing identity without restraint.
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Fatimah’s work sits at the intersection of art and science. She views makeup as both a creative process and a study in how colours, textures, and tones interact. This philosophy also fuels her interest in cosmetic science and product formulation, as she plans to explore the chemistry behind skincare and beauty products. Recently, she’s also stepped into tech, studying product management and exploring how technology can shape the future of the beauty industry.
When she’s creating, Fatimah’s playlists often set the tone with Afrohouse, Gqom, Charli XCX, and PinkPantheress keeping her inspired and moving. She’s also fascinated by where current beauty trends are heading, saying, “I kinda like where it is heading— the exaggerated blush looks, toasty makeup, bright undereyes, and the return of colourful eyeshadows. Maybe because I built my ‘for you page’ brick by brick, but there are a lot of fun and creative trends by really talented creators right now, and there’s more to come.” She’s particularly excited about indie makeup brands, adding that “they’re coming up with really cool stuff.”
Her current favourites include Kaleidos, Beauty Bay, Danessa Myricks, Samplr, and Huda Beauty. She swears by the Kaleidos Space Age Highlighter, referring to it as “the best highlighter I’ve ever used” and Beauty Bay’s eyeshadow palettes for their strong pigment and affordability. When it comes to skincare, Fatimah is currently enjoying the Haruharu Black Rice Probiotic Barrier Essence and the Haruharu Black Rice Cleansing Oil, both staples in her daily routine.
Looking ahead, Fatimah hopes to expand into editorial and on-set makeup, bringing her experimental vision to larger creative projects. Through her work, she continues to merge science, art, and identity, proving that beauty can be both expressive and intelligent, playful and profound.
Amam Azike
Amam Azike is a Lagos-based multifaceted face painter whose work blurs the boundaries between makeup and art. Trained in law but deeply drawn to visual expression, Amam has carved out a niche for herself through creative, non-traditional, and editorial looks that often verge on body art and illustration. Her work embodies an experimental approach to beauty— one that thrives on environment, transformation and self.
In 2023, her work was featured on Promonews as the makeup artist for Cruel Santino’s Beautiful Nothing featuring Gus Dapperton; a testament to her growing influence within Nigeria’s visual arts and music landscape. Though she maintains a modest following of around 2,000 across social platforms, Amam has cultivated a loyal and engaged community of admirers who recognize her as an intriguing figure in Lagos’s creative underground.
Amam draws inspiration from her daily surroundings— textures, shells, colors, and fleeting moments that often find their way into her artistic interpretations. Her makeup is less about perfection and more about communication; a canvas for exploring identity, intimacy, and imagination. As she continues to merge her artistic instincts with her creative production, Amam Azike stands as one of Lagos’s most intriguing artists.
Zara.fx
Chizaramekpere Okoye is an 18-year-old makeup artist whose creativity bridges fantasy, transformation, and identity. Based in Lagos, Nigeria, Zara has been fascinated by makeup since she was four or five years old, captivated by its power to reinvent and express. What began as childhood curiosity has grown into a vibrant form of self-expression; one that fuses her love for color and character into experimental looks.
Her style, which she describes as editorial visual FX makeup, combines the refined techniques of editorial beauty with the theatricality of cosplay, drag, and special effects. Each look becomes a transformation; a way for Zara to step into another version of herself, a different “font” of her identity. “My makeup style involves me transforming myself into another version of me,” she explains. “I draw inspiration from editorial looks, but I’m more heavily influenced by cosplay, visual FX creators, and drag.”
Zara’s artistry is rooted in admiration for those who came before her; the pioneers who dedicated themselves to pushing creative boundaries. That same dedication drives her own work. “The commitment and passion they have for their work made me feel more confident, inspired, and motivated to create,” she says. “I pray to do the same for others one day.” Her playlists are just as diverse as her influences, flowing from R&B, jazz, and indie to afrobeats, rock, and even orchestral compositions, all fueling her creative rhythm while she works.
Beyond aesthetics, Zara’s artistry is a declaration of self-acceptance and Black expression. She hopes her work encourages others to feel comfortable in their skin and to make choices grounded in self-love rather than insecurity. Her creations celebrate the beauty of Blackness, queerness, and individuality offering an invitation to express without apology.
Although she currently practices mostly on herself and occasionally, friends, Zara dreams of creating immersive projects that merge makeup, costume, and photography directing full visual stories where her imagination takes center stage. Alongside her sister, she co-runs a growing creative brand called Eyoko, which she envisions expanding into a space for free artistic exploration. “I’ve always felt I was brought to this world to create,” she says. “That has been my dream for as long as I can remember.”
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When it comes to trends, Zara celebrates the rise of alternative Black creatives shaping new beauty narratives. “The alternative Black queens are moving mountains,” she notes. “Black culture has its roots in creativity and since that’s what the world is lacking the most, Black culture is here to replenish it.” Her favorite brands reflect her love for expressive color and affordability: CPD Beauty for blush, Ushas for accessible glam, and Juvia’s Place for their vibrant pigments.
Zara.fx stands as part of a new wave of Nigerian makeup artists using beauty as art; transformative, affirming, and limitless.
August
August is a London-based makeup artist and creative director whose work sits at the intersection of art, fantasy, and beauty. Known for their transformative, nature-inspired looks, August brings a painterly sensibility to makeup; each face becomes a living canvas where texture, pigment, and imagination meet. With over 70,000 followers on Instagram, their artistry has captivated a global audience drawn to the surreal, soft, and deeply expressive world they build through colour.
As the Artistry Director at Samplr and founder of the August Mobile Beauty School, August has created a platform that merges education, community, and experimentation.
Their style defies minimalism. August leans into luminous skin, painterly brushstrokes, and botanical motifs that reference both the fragility and resilience of nature. From “moth orchid” inspired looks to abstract renditions of light and shadow, their work balances technical precision with emotional depth.
Beyond aesthetics, August’s approach to makeup carries an intentionality that speaks to authenticity and empowerment. Their artistry invites people to see beauty as something fluid— something to play with, rather than conform to. Through their platform, August continues to influence how a new generation views creativity, self-presentation, and the transformative potential of colour.
In conclusion, these artists, alongside many others are challenging and inspiring a new wave of beauty; urging you to get funky, dip your brushes in colour, and let your imagination run wild. It’s a call to play, to create, and to find joy in the art of expression.
