The beauty industry is becoming more inclusive and accessible daily, opening its doors to allow whoever desires to indulge in its space. Social media has arguably become one of the biggest stepping stones for those who wish to showcase their beauty artistry, offering them exposure for their work and ways to connect with potential clients. At present, #beauty holds over 518 million posts, an increase of 22 million in the past year. What lies beneath this hashtag is an endless realm of talented creators pushing the boundaries of beauty and creating looks comparable to works of art. To highlight some of these creators, BeautyMatter has rounded up a select few standouts:
Lochie Stonehouse: A New Zealand native, Lochie Stonehouse is an independent makeup artist with a bold multidisciplinary approach to beauty. The creator initially began his career in the field at a MAC Cosmetics counter, working for six years with the brand. After leaving this position, Stonehouse was appointed the Director of Artistry for L'Oréal Luxe, where he oversaw internal education and artistry for brands including Yves Saint Laurant, Giorgio Armani Beauty, and Lancôme, among others. After stepping down from L'Oréal Luxe in 2020, Stonehouse now works as an editorial artist and independent contractor and has worked for publications including i-D and Highsnobiety with talents such as Billie Eilish and The 1975.
Stonehouse uses Instagram to showcase his captivating artistry. Stonehouse's work never disappoints, from subtle spring-inspired makeup looks for singer Lorde, to designs that push the envelope featuring dolphin-shaped eyebrows and safety-pinned lips. The creator's work often features elements adhered to the face, including pearls, gems, and piercings that complete striking looks. While many reference the face as a blank canvas for makeup, Stonehouse takes this one step further, replicating popular art styles on the face. Notable examples of this include Keith Haring–inspired scenes painted across the eyes and a full face transformed to replicate a church window, with an elegant angelic religious persona in the center.
Eichi Matsunaga: Based in New York, born in Tokyo, Eichi Matsunaga takes nail designs to the next level, creating accessories and 3D sculptures that sit on the end of many-a-famous clientele fingers, including Nicki Minaj and Lily Allen. The creator has worked with numerous brands and established editorial publications, from Vogue Tokyo to Opening Ceremony. The artist is not afraid to break boundaries within the category, producing looks that local nail salons would never dream of creating, which is arguably what helped him rise to such popularity.
Matsunaga's work heavily involves the use of 3D printers, which help to create the accessories the artist adheres to in many of his designs. The elements include objects that would not typically be found on nails, including chandelier-esque finishings, large diamantes, and netting. On top of adding elements to the nail, the artist also creates accessories for the hand that match the nail design; this is because he often gets bored of the same designs and finds interchanging hand accessories a fun way to spice up his creations. An example of these hand accessories was shown when the artist worked alongside Swarovski, creating nail looks for the brand's SS19 show. These included gem-encrusted rings and decorated floral disks that lined the fingers, all made using Swarovski crystals.
Brithani Phatal: The Vietnamese-Canadian makeup artist's work is bold, striking, and thought provoking, and generally follows a theme of anything goes. Phatal’s career in beauty began when they realized how easy it was to change up their appearance with makeup once they felt bored of the norm. Now residing in LA, the makeup genius has a range of impressive collaborations under their belt, from high-fashion shoots with Diesel to working alongside Instagram model Princess Gollum.
The creator believes they were "put on this earth to empower and heal through fantasy." Fantasy is a common theme within Phatal's work, with an Instagram feed filled with many creative characters, from goblincore looks with striking eyes and protruding false ears to eyebrows gelled into bold sections with gems hanging off them, reading "I love Jesus." Other standouts include an interstellar-inspired full face featuring hand-drawn clouds and space-like elements in soft purples and pinks, complemented by an aquamarine turquoise lip.
Ryo Narushima: To some, hair is simply what grows on our body, but to wigmaker and hairstylist Ryo Narushima, it's much more. The artist's passion for hair design began when he was growing up in Japan, suffering from health issues that prevented him from going outside, leaving him to only be able to "close his eyes and fantasize." During this time, the stylist learned to love the surreal world, which is heavily reflected in his work.
While hair is often styled to shape the face, Narushima often rejects this ideal, creating looks that entirely mask the face using hair decorated in striking patterns, including rainbow-hued cheetah skin. Animal prints are a common theme within the artist's work, with other styles including a candyfloss-pink full head, with hair styled into the shape of cat ears, and finished with rosy-red leopard spots. Nostalgic styles also take their place among the creator's work, including punk-inspired sharp mohawks that stand erect in different directions, to classic ’80s curls with a Narushima twist that sees them molded into a crown shape around the head.
