It’s time to give the spotlight to up-and-coming makeup artists Violet and Marlyn Ocampo as they are taking over, one avant garde look at a time.
Everybody loves a glam moment. But a fresh face with hand drawn graphics, chunky glitter, or the use of vibrant and colorful eyeshadow just hits different. Whether it’s Halloween or a themed event, creative makeup is definitely a way to stand out from the crowd—Alexa Ilacad and Awra Briguela did just that. Last Halloween, they showcased their iconic costumes on social media, and everyone was astonished by not only their looks, but the production design and makeup artistry as well.
These local celebs don’t just wake up looking that extra though. Behind the scenes is a creative force; an artist that connects beauty and expression together to make magic. It’s all thanks to makeup artists like Marlyn and Violet Ocampo, for transforming a blank canvas to a fascinating beat.
NYLON Manila had an exclusive interview with two of these up-and-coming makeup artists to explain the process behind Awra Briguela and Alexa Ilacad’s Halloween looks.
Both self-taught, Marlyn and Violet Ocampo started their love for makeup like any other beauty enthusiast; growing up watching their mother apply makeup, and taking inspiration from beauty vloggers during the golden age of YouTube. They started from the basics: base makeup application, learning how to draw on eyebrows, understanding the structure of the face to apply contour, and so much more. Through time, they managed to gain skills by collaborating techniques that they learned. Although they rarely practiced on each other’s mug, they acquired their shared skills through practicing individually.
After learning the basics, the sisters were able to find their own artistic style. Having been exposed to the queens of Drag Race was the beginning of their artistic journey.
MARLYN OCAMPO
Marlyn was an expressive child, and just like us, she had an emo phase, which started her love for experimenting with graphic liners. Through lots of practice on herself, she branched out with avant garde looks, heavily influenced by the things around her; from people, paintings, illustrators, fashion, and much more. In 2017, she joined the NYX Face Awards PH and won first place.
AWRA BRIGUELA AS A BRATZ DOLL AND SPACE ALIEN
Two looks are definitely better than one, and we’re all amazed by Marlyn’s execution of both. Her secret to achieving hand-painted Bratz eyes, and Awra’s blue head to upper-body look was by using water activated pots and pans by local beauty brand, HeyHue. She also fancies using stage and theatre makeup.
Marlyn started both looks by sketching out the eye design on Awra’s face, used HeyHue for the blue base, and applied cream contour and highlight to emphasize the shadows. One of the most important steps was using a technique called baking, using powder to set the areas that were applied with cream products for a long lasting effect.
VIOLET OCAMPO
Violet is the name, and her unforgettable and eye-catching hair color is the same. Like her little sister Marlyn, Violet had a creative upbringing, due to having been exposed to family members who shared their love for art and music. It’s clear that she was encouraged to express herself freely, from makeup, down to her clothing.
As the ate, Violet was the first from the two to experiment with makeup. She gets inspiration from nature; water, fire, earth, and the galaxy.
ALEXA ILACAD AS CORPSE BRIDE
Corpse Bride was Alexa Ilacad’s dream Halloween costume. Of course, Violet delivered, and then some. Despite working together for the first time, she was able to execute Alexa’s requests and in a matter of an hour and a half too! Having mastered drag makeup techniques, Violet glued down her brows to her face, as to have a smooth and even base, and used HeyHue to paint her body blue. She then baked her body to set the makeup, a technique both sisters do to keep the products from budging.
Marlyn and Violet are proof that makeup goes beyond technique. It’s artistry, a form of self-expression. Both sisters have mastered painting the face by honing their combined skills and executing looks through what inspires them on the daily. Let these women be your source of inspiration to grab that vibrant palette, or play around with a few graphic liners. Explore different products and use them beyond what they’re originally for. You might just fall in love with avant garde makeup like these two. After all, with makeup, the limit does not exist.
Related: Makeup Artist Jelly Eugenio Talks About How He Made *THAT* Bloody Shoot Happen
