I had the opportunity to ask the extremely talented Ester Romano some questions about her incredible make up looks!

Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became a make up artist? What inspires you to create?

I’ve become a make-up artist by chance. I had discovered this huge interest in make-up while I was attending the University, so I was very late compared to the average of my colleagues, who usually discover their vocation in their childhood. I kept on practicing day by day, striving to get the perfect blending. I usually lose interest in things really fast, but this was not the case. I finally decided to sign up to a make-up academy after a supermarket cashier told me that my make-up was beautiful — and this still happens all the time! I didn’t want this fire to ever go out and I would have hated regretting to try to embrace this career. 

2. Did you study make up or are you self taught? What are your thoughts on art education and what kind of skills do you need to me a make up artist?

I’m a certified MUA and I’m happy with it. I was lucky, because there are so many schools made by people who have nothing to share with their students. It’s important to have a scholar instruction, but it’s far more fundamental to experiment at home. It’s possible to teach how to do art but it’s not possible to teach to be an artist. You have to bear it within you. Not all of those who study to be make-up artists are meant to be. 

3. What is the most challenging or surprising aspects of being a make up artist? Are there any disadvantages, or things you don’t like about being a make up artist or the make up industry, and is there anything you’d like to change?

The make-up industry is a never-ending source of trends and products. Buying a product with a new technology or a new finish stimulates your imagination and helps you create something new. Moreover, you know that you’re always improving and that the make-up looks that you’ll do in the future will surely be better than the one that you’re doing today. // On the other hand, I hate that many people think that this is a job that anyone can do. Also, there is a lot of prejudice and ignorance around our industry. 

4. Nowadays, the creative industry is an oversaturated market with both amazing and mediocre imagery. Does this concern you and how do you manage to stay motivated to create in such a crowded environment?

Also, do you feel like you are part of a larger community? How do you create work that both fits in whilst standing out?

We are too many, indeed. I don’t look at what others do, because I don’t care. Most of them keep on copying each other in order to be seen by big brands, and have no imagination at all. I am motivated by my own need to create. I do what I do only for myself, because it makes me feel better. I don’t do it to be seen by the brands, as so many of us do, because brands are not ready to have such a controversial identity, and most of them wouldn’t look at me and think of me as their ambassador. // I am part of the small community of artists who truly see make-up as a medium to shape emotions and don’t care about the opinion of the rest of the world. 

5. Your make up looks are extremely fascinating and they transcend the conventional standard of every day make up. What is the your creative process like when it comes to creating a look?

Do you sketch your ideas onto paper first and how do you know if an idea will be successful or not?

Also, how long can the process take and how important is it for you credit your sources of inspiration?

Most of my make-up looks are inspired by album covers. I strive to create the same atmosphere, consistency, colours and shapes of the artwork and the music too. The way I “feel” music is solid in a certain way. I can feel it cold, hot, sharp, smooth, white, blue, glittery, fluid, electrical, etc. // The eye is my favourite body part. It makes a statement out of itself. The final picture of the eye art is a combination of make-up and glance. I never sketch onto paper, I find it useless. I hate face charts as well for the same reason. I never do drafts. // The process of figuring out a look can be instant or eternal. Sometimes I look at a picture and immediately know how to create a make-up out of it, and sometimes I get an idea after years. // I will always credit my sources of inspiration, it’s respectful and honest. I’ve been copied so many times and not being credited is frustrating. 

6. As well as creating stunning looks, you also teach! How did this opportunity come about and how does being a teacher help you to better understand your own practice? 

Thank you! I’ve been given the opportunity to teach in the same academy I attended thanks to my strange looks! I teach my students how to be inspired and how to do make-up. The second one is far easier than the first one. I find it obvious and sometimes trivial, but I discovered  that being inspired by something and recreating it as a look can be very difficult for some people. // The fun part of teaching is realising that the things that I strived to do as a student are now easy and manageable. 

7. Additionally, you also spend time creating different make up looks for clients. How does creating work for clients differ from the work you create personally and what do you look for in a client? 

Do you have an advice for other make up artists who may be looking to build a stable client list? 

When you work for a client, your taste comes after the client’s. This can be very frustrating sometimes. If you want more clients you have to follow the trends. If you’re like me and don’t really care about trends, well, I have some bad news for you…

8.  Make up is quite a transient art form. and, no matter how amazing the look, it will have to be removed at some point. Does this sense of temporality effect the ideas you create and do you ever think about this when creating a look? Also, how important is documenting the process of your make up? Is it important to show your failures as well as the successes? 

Sometimes I feel like I love a look so much I would never remove it, but I love make-up also because it’s ephemeral. I get tired of things rapidly, as I said before. Photos are the way to make things immortal. // Failures are more important than successes, they teach so much more. 

9. Would you say your looks have a certain style? If so, how would you describe it?

 Additionally, do you think its important for an MUA to have a certain style or are the best MUA’s chameleonic and diverse? How do you make sure that your audience can tell that a look is ‘yours’?

I think they have a mark more than a style. They are all recognisable as mine, but they’re also different from each other. I think the best make-up artists are chameleonic and have their own style at the same time. The audience recognises your touch and your soul, and this is common to every kind of artist. 

10.  Do you consider make up to be an art form and what are your opinions on those that say that make up (and the wider beauty community) has a negative impact on society

I certainly recognise make-up as a form of art, but not all make-up is art and not all of those who do make-up are artists. // When I hear people saying that I close my eyes and ears and pretend to be dead. Prejudices are dictated by ignorance and dullness, and I think I’m clever enough to keep my distance from such people. 

11. One interesting aspects of your work is that you sell t-shirts with your make up looks on. This is something very different and makes me think about the way that make up can be disseminated into the wider artistic industry. What inspired you to consider mixing make up looks and merchandise and have you ever thought about collaborating with a fashion brand or clothing company to create a clothing collection?

I always loved to wear T-shirts of my favourite bands and I created my own clothing and accessories shop because I think that the looks that I do are more like graphic installations than simple make-up looks. I never thought about collaborating with a brand because I never thought that a brand would reach out to me. 

12. With the popularity of make up soaring , can anyone be a make up artist? How can those who do not know anything about make up distinguish the good artists from the bad ones? 

As I said before, no. Not everybody can be an MUA, just like not everybody can be a writer. You have to be inspired. // Ignorance is all around us and many people can’t recognise good from bad in any field. Unfortunately, they tend to see the number of the followers as an incontrovertible mark of quality. 

13. What is your favourite look you’ve created so far? Why?

I think my very favourite look is the one inspired by Muse’s Knights of Cydonia. It’s material, tridimensional, perfectly suiting the artwork and the song, in my opinion. 

14. In your opinion, what make a good piece of art? What was the last image/piece of media that captivated you and what was it about it that left an impression on you?

When I see a good piece of art, I think: “I wish I did that”. I love macabre art, dark atmospheres, and I’m always impressed when I see a good drawing, because I can’t draw at all. // The last content I saved on IG is this one: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLyc0kRFgxh/?igshid=danbi5q86gn9 I can feel its vibes so well.

15. How often do you consider the viewer when creating images? Do you create work for yourself or for others? Would you still create if you didn’t have an audience?

For sure I would still create, because I do it for me. // I try to predict the reaction of the audience when I create something. Sometimes they like works that I personally hate and dislike works that I love so much. 

16. How often do you search for inspiration and do you ever feel pressure to create work as your career has progressed? Who are some of your favourite artists to follow?

Being uninspired is the worst feeling for me. I am always searching for inspiration and I do it among music, products or random stuff like food, soap and literally anything that has an interesting texture. My very favourite artists to follow are @lindahallberg, @greta_ag, @lavieencosmetiques and @bonkersmakeup. They’re all great visionary MUAs.

17. What do you think it means to be a successful artist and how do you measure the success of your work? How much credence do you put into social media stats such as likes and follows?

A successful artist is one who gets recognition for their work. My work is not very recognised. Sometimes I feel like I’m completely useless and my work is only mere therapy for me. // Likes and follows on social media are the fuel to carry you to recognition. Sad but true. 

18.  Have you ever considered the future of the beauty community and how you could take your make up to the next level? Is Instagram really a good platform for creatives and would you ever consider taking your images off screen and exhibiting work in a gallery or producing a book? How would you like to see the make up community develop over the next few years?

I would literally LOVE to exhibit my works in a gallery, that would be a dream come true. Also, the very best dream that I have is to be the actual cover of some music album. I would die to see this happen. // My make-up works can reach the next level only if I keep practicing and don’t give up. I’d love to have some professional equipment to take my pictures (I only use my phone camera and some editing apps). // I don’t care very much about the destiny of the make-up community, as I don’t feel I really belong to it. 

19. What do you like to do when you’re not creating and what do you think your work says about you?

I like to take very long walks outside, and I enjoy to drive as well. I also love to spend time with my best friends and I wish I could spend some time with my family too, but they all live far from me. // My work says so much about me. I don’t like to talk very much, I prefer to create and let my works speak my mind. My works say that I want to be different and I don’t want everybody to like me, because I’m tough. If you don’t like my works you can never like me. 

20. Do you have a question you’d like me to ask the next person I interview?

I don’t like to ask questions, I can’t answer this one 

21. What are you currently working on and where can people find more about you and your work?

I’m keeping on creating music inspired make-up looks and I’m currently working in a shop, because my work as MUA isn’t enough to pay my bills. // You can find me on Instagram as @ester.Roman.o and my online shop is here: worthwearing.org/store/ester-romano/