This creative 19-year-old proves that art and makeup aren’t mutually exclusive
You’ve heard of honeydew, now get ready for @honeydon.t – the conceptual makeup Instagram that you didn’t know you needed (but that you 100%, without a doubt, most certainly need).
Meet Helen Marie, a 19 year old student from Colombus, OH who is here to declare makeup as a form of art and self-expression in its own right. Marie first got her start doing makeup in early high school, and has since been executing truly daring, creative, out-of-the-box looks.
Not only do Marie’s looks encourage us to ditch our comfort zones, they also urge us to challenge the way makeup is often dismissed in the realm of art, and to view makeup as something more than just aesthetic enhancement.
Marie may be young, but she isn’t about to let society’s conventions limit her artistic liberty. We spoke with the student and artist about crystal tears, maintaining individuality, and glitter gloss.
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When did you begin experimenting with makeup? What inspired you to do so?
I began using makeup in high school, started with a felt eyeliner and that was it!
I honestly just felt like my face was kind of a blank canvas, and I wanted to paint it. I’ve always been artistically inclined, so my liner was on point and everyone told me. I guess I was like, “Hmm, maybe I’m not bad at this. Let me try some fun stuff.”
I started experimenting with glitter, eye gloss, colored mascara and the rest! This was before I had an Instagram, so I wasn’t really sure what was trendy: but I knew what I liked!
What purpose does makeup serve for you?
Makeup for me is usually just to compliment whatever craft store goodies I have glued to my face! I do love makeup of course, but I think makeup itself is limiting when it comes to texture.
On an average day, I’m serving Sephora. On a good day, I’m serving Joann Crafts.
Where do you get the inspiration for your looks?
My inspiration is the world around me and most of all, myself. It sounds stupid but in reality most of my looks are based off of things I see, and my brain immediately thinking about how can it be served. Obviously I’m still inspired by other artists, but there is no one person, one aesthetic, to whom I can accredit my “art.”
Inspiration is everywhere.
Conceptual makeup or conventional makeup?
Definitely conceptual! I love seeing looks based off of something.
And even before conventional makeup, I love things that just look dope, no concept, no glam, just fun to look at. I don’t see the locals getting out of the “IG makeup” anytime soon in reality, but I do see this type of conceptual makeup getting mainstream attention. My crystals tears look was all over Tumblr and on several makeup pages, but mostly on art pages and that’s what I want; is this to be seen as an art, not just as cosmetics.
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What is your go-to everyday makeup look to try?
My go-to is super glowy, heavily blushed skin with some sort of graphic eye. My brows don’t get almost any attention anymore because I’ve began to embrace my natural nonexistent brows and I’m loving it. Lips are the 90s way with a almost black crisp lip line, and some glitter gloss.
What are your favorite products?
Mac cream blushes are a dream! I Love L’Oréal telescopic mascara. And I’m a lip gloss phonetic: Glossier, L’Oréal, tbh any lip gloss as long as my lips look drenched!
Where do you get those little face jewels you rock so well?
Joann and Michael’s! They’re Swarovski so they’re very high shine, I only get them on sale though, obviously.
Do you ever receive backlash for your edgier looks?
Not really. Most of my followers are big art enthusiasts so they get it, but the locals just avoid it!
Did you ever get into watching YouTube tutorials?
I do watch YouTube, but nothing makeup related. I feel like makeup on YouTube is just so boring! Like, it’s the same tutorial over and over and over just with a different Morphe palette – like, no thanks (laughs)!
But, I love podcasts, comedy and commentary videos, (Cody Ko, Danny Gonzalez, Drew Gooden, and Noel Miller). I will be on YouTube in the coming weeks and will be doing a bit of makeup related stuff but mostly just making good videos of some sort.
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What do you currently aspire to?
I honestly just want to inspire people. I do want to be an artist for sure because art is such an important outlet and can be life changing. But, it’s not really my primary goal anymore. I love doing my thing on the ‘Gram, but I really just want to travel and help children and adopt a bunch on orphans and turn my house into the coolest day care on the block.
We love it.
For more of Helen’s iconic looks, check out her Gram.
