A contemporary portrait that inspires me

"Beauty is about perception, not about make-up. I think the beginning of all beauty is knowing and liking oneself. You can’t put on make-up, or dress yourself, or do you hair with any sort of fun or joy if you’re doing it from a position of correction. Makeup should be fun, not fascist."

Kevyn Aucoin

Karen Elson as Elizabeth I ~ Face Forward by Kevyn Aucoin, 2000

"Kevyn Aucoin (1962–2002) was a famous American makeup artist and photographer.

He was born in Louisiana and moved to New York where he was discovered by Vogue in the early 1980s. Between 1987 and 1989 he did nine Vogue covers in a row, and an additional seven Cosmopolitan covers At his peak he would often be booked months in advance and could command as much as $6000 for a makeup session, working with hundreds of A-list celebrities. In 1993 he was hired by Revlon as Creative Director for their prestige Ultima II line of cosmetics.

During the 1990s he published a series of books (The Art of Makeup, Making Faces, and Face Forward) in which he transformed models and celebrities to make them look like other celebrities or historical figures."

Kevin Aucoin says in his book: "The part of Elizabeth I fit Karen like a whale-boned corset. It was a marvel to see her traipse around the set in her custom-made Vivienne Westwood jacquard fabric and lace-edged gown and tennis shoes. Just like in olden days! This is one of the things I like most about make-up: you can visit many different places and times, but you don't have to venture beyond the make-up table if you don't want to."

References:

• For-redheads (no date) Available at: http://for-redheads.tumblr.com/post/12144251151/karen-elson-as-elizabeth-i-face-forward-by-kevyn (Accessed: 2015).
• Kevyn Aucoin - face forward (2010) Available at: http://ana-lee.livejournal.com/222253.html (Accessed: 2015).
• Davies, J. (no date) Kevyn Aucoin transformations | period & historical | publicity stunts, videos & photoshoots | various other makeups. Available at: http://www.themakeupgallery.info/various/photo/history/kastars.htm (Accessed: 2015).