The new rules of makeup according to Raisa Flowers The avant-garde artist wants beauty to make a statement again

In an era where the clean girl look and the no-makeup makeup seem to be the standard, make-up artist, model, DJ, and club kid at heart Raisa Flowers is on a mission to bring fun back into make-up. Known for her provocative looks and bold artistry, Flowers has collaborated with icons such as Paloma Elsesser, Rachel Zegler, Alton Mason, Rosalía, and Precious Lee. Fearless, experimental, and undeniably creative, she thrives in the realm of avant-garde. nss G-Club spoke with the visionary artist about her beauty manifesto, self-confidence, the concept of perfection, diversity, and the minimalist world of the contemporary beauty industry.

Interview with make-up artist raisa flowers

What does beauty mean to you?

Beauty means a lot to me. I grew up with a mom who was very passionate about it. I’d say beauty is truly powerful because it can change your mood and make you feel good about yourself. When you do your hair, put on makeup, you feel on top of the world: it’s an incredible power. I love doing makeup or having makeup done. I love beauty, I love doing my hair, nails. For me, beauty is really important. It’s everything. I enjoy studying it, exploring it, trying new things. That’s what beauty means to me.

Let’s talk about some of your older work. The looks you created on yourself, and the way you used contact lenses and bright colors, are truly beautiful. Do you enjoy experimenting with looks?

I love having fun with contact lenses. I see them as a form of expressing my identity. I don’t do it as much as before, but only because I’m always working or doing things that normally don’t require it. But it’s an important part of me. I introduced colored lenses into my work a long time ago, and many don’t know it’s one of my signatures. I have piercings, which sets me apart from many others in the beauty field, and I enjoy experimenting with my look. I have many more ideas in mind, and I’m ready to bring them to life. I’m grateful that people around the world are interested in what I do and appreciate it. That means a lot to me.

If you had a beauty manifesto, what would your first commandment be?

Always believe in yourself. People worry too much about what others say and think, but beauty is yours. It’s how you choose to present yourself to the world. People need to realize that it also comes from self-confidence. Not many understand this, but they don’t have to. You just need to be yourself.

What is a truth about beauty the world isn’t ready to accept yet?

That there are many ways to express beauty. Some people don’t understand those who use makeup or fashion to express themselves. People judge too much those who are different and need to learn not to. Just because someone has piercings or wears colored lenses doesn’t mean they’re not a good person. Even when it comes to diversity, it’s not as broad as it seems: representation is limited and covers only a small percentage of the many kinds of people that exist in the world.

Yes, more is needed in both makeup and fashion. For example, Latinx people are underrepresented right now, and that’s dangerous, especially now with Trump and his anti-immigrant agenda.

As a woman of color, I feel this every time I’m in spaces where I feel different or like an add-on. So while I do my work, I just want to focus on what I’m doing, expressing myself in this way. I hope people realize that many aren’t represented or that there’s false representation, but I hope things will change eventually. I hope to be part of that change.

Which beauty rules do you love breaking?

All of them! I think everyone should do whatever they want with makeup. Everyone talks about clean beauty, but not everyone is interested in that aesthetic. I wear a lot of makeup. I love a face full of makeup, lots of blush, defined lip contour, lip gloss and red lipstick. I adore heavy, messy mascara and very dark eyes. I love shimmery grays. Right now my look is roughly the same, but I also experiment with new things. I look different. I have piercings. About 98% of the time, I’m the only one at work with piercings. I love breaking beauty rules simply by existing in an industry where few people look like me. I love being different and expressing myself the way I want.

What do you think of trends?

I don’t like following them. I know about them because I study makeup and the beauty industry, but I also like breaking rules. I don’t want to do the same things everyone else is doing. I always want to be different. For example, I’ve been using contact lenses in my work since 2014. Many people have started using them only recently. I feel like I’ve been at the forefront of trends for a long time. Maybe people don’t realize it because everything revolves around Instagram. But I know for sure I’ve been ahead for a long time and I will continue to be, because I want to be progressive in my work and what I offer the world.

In your opinion, what is the most radical thing a makeup look can do today?

Have fun! Be badass! I think being cool or trying cool things is simply experimenting with colors. People don’t really use color and makeup as much as we see on Instagram and TikTok, but it’s very trendy. I mean: in everyday life, I want to see someone going to work with blue eyeshadow or something different, you know what I mean? Everything has to be so formal, so corporate. And of course, now that we have a conservative president in America, I think people should just do what they want and have fun. It’s very important to be yourself, experiment, and have fun with makeup. If you go to the office, you don’t always have to do the same boring things. Try blue mascara. Try whatever you want, maybe a red lipstick. People are afraid to try because society makes us feel like we all have to be the same and everything has to be a certain way. But it doesn’t have to be like that.

We can try new things not only to understand ourselves better, but also to be freer. In this regard, is there still room for the word perfection in your beauty philosophy?

Well, I try to achieve a kind of perfection in my work. And every time I do something, I always find a detail that isn’t right or criticize the negatives because now that I have professional experience, I have a sharper eye. But perfection isn’t realistic. We need to be honest. The world makes us so obsessed with perfection that I can’t even allow myself a moment to say, “Oh wait, I did a great job.” Sometimes being a perfectionist isn’t healthy. It’s mentally exhausting, stressful. It makes you overthink and very introverted, and I don’t want that. For example, for me, skin is really important. I’d like it to be perfect or appear perfect, but is it realistic to expect it always to be? No. Some people have breakouts, others have this or that. It’s really hard, but I do my best to deliver the highest quality work possible. I want people to feel their best. And I believe that’s perfection.

What are your sacred tools in makeup?

My integrity. I’m the kind of person who wants to do things that represent me. Things I feel in my soul. I don’t try to do anything that feels foreign to me, because then I would feel guilty. I want to feel good about what I do, and if I feel bad about something I did or it feels wrong, then I know I made the wrong choice at that moment, and those are the moments when I need to be aware of what I’m doing. I try to maintain maximum integrity, and I think it’s important for an artist. Because many people don’t have it.

What do you want people to see in your work?

I want them to see me. I want them to recognize my style. And I know they do. They can identify my work when they see it. They say things like, “I knew you did that.” And I respond: “Oh, you know my work?” And they say: “Yes, of course I know your work.” And I love that it represents me in this way and reflects the kind of artist I am, because I want to be an artist who shapes society.

How would you like makeup to be perceived in the next decade?

I want it to be more personal, but I feel people aren’t really creative. The beauty of the ’90s was fascinating, beautiful, interesting, and different. Looking to the future, things seem to have become boring. And I’m not just talking about social media, but also magazines. Everything is no-makeup makeup, too minimalist. I think things could be more interesting. I want to see fun and exciting things in the makeup world. I want to see different things. I want to see this in brands too. For example, being more innovative with their products and offering more colors. Not everything has to be pink or nude. I remember so many different cosmetic brands from long ago. I want to be able to go into a store and say, “Oh, look there. That colorful palette I love.”

How do you see the future of beauty?

I want to create spaces where people like me and those who are different from me can feel good, can exist freely. I don’t want to be seen only as the different one, but as an artist creating powerful, expressive makeup that pushes boundaries. I love what I do and I want to continue being creative and expressing myself through my work. Like Pat McGrath, whom I admire greatly because she continues doing amazing and truly interesting things. I want to be like that when I’m older. I admire her because she is a great artist and always ready to reinvent the beauty industry. We are a bit different, but I love her approach to beauty. I love her experimental mindset and I want to do the same. I want to inspire the new generation with beauty and freedom of expression.