Which role does makeup play in your life?

I have had the best relationship with makeup! It Is about my identity how I want to be; I have to transform. I love how MAC makeup feels so accessible to so many people. It is about the accessibility you give the people and the kind of tools that you have transformed – especially for who they want to be and what they want to be.

Absolutely. And it doesn’t matter which kind of body type you have or what age, you can try everything. It’s very democratic.

Exactly it’s for absolutely everyone.

Do you remember your very first encounter of beauty?

It was definitely at the drugstore with my mom. I remember grabbing a red lipstick. I remember taking it home and playing with it, playing with it really badly and getting it all over my face. But I also remember one thing: I felt like “wow”. It is one thing you can put on and be a whole other person, you can show another side of yourself. Make up is never bad. So, it started for me with the red lipstick when I was eight or nine years old at the drugstore with my mom.

Does it mean makeup is more a transformation rather than just a beautification for you? Or both?  

It is more about transforming yourself into other parts of who you already are. And that is a really important thing.

Even when you choose to transform, that is also YOU.

I think beauty, to me, is being authentically yourself. It is when you are trying a product and you are putting something on your face that you want to put on your face and that you feel like that it showcases yourself. Even if you may look like somebody that you are not.

Can you name three moments or events that shaped your life the most?

I think one them was when I was nine years old, I was wearing pink, playing on the playground and I remember everyone looking at me with this weird expression, I remember being so confused about it and later I realized that people have such an issue with a boy wearing pink. That was the moment when I realized: “Wow, fashion has such a power to change the way people look at you and to change the way people look at themselves”. That was one of my big moments. The second one was coming to London. My first time going out and hanging out, going to parties, which were about everyone being the weirdest of all weirdos. Everyone was wearing neon pink eyeshadow, blue lipstick, shaved eyebrows. I felt like this is where I belong. This is my tribe.

Very beautiful and wonderful how you transformed the first irritation moment into this amazing career that you now have. But looking back, is there an advice you would give your younger self today?

I would definitely tell my younger self that I have to push it even more. There will be a lot of people that don’t understand you and don’t get it. But the more that you are authentically who you are and the more you play who you generally are – you are going to find your tribe much quicker. Really going forward with makeup and the clothing and doing the best performance. There is a group of people out there that is going to love you so much for being you. In 2020 and in 2021, during the lockdown many people deal with themselves and may think “I want to be myself. I want to be with people that share the same knowledge” – So follow your dream and go for it! Do it and don’t be scared.

This is a very beautiful message to spread. Not only advice for younger people but for everyone, basically. It is never too late. Which is your favorite product of your collection?

I love all of them. But I think it’s a mix between the eyeshadow palette and the lipstick trio. This would definitely be the thing that’s in my side pocket.