Actor and former theater makeup tech sophomore August Biestek (he/him) has always had a passion for makeup. In fourth grade, he started cosplaying — dressing up and imitating the likeness of fictional characters from media he’s interested in. Like Lopez, he finds lots of inspiration on the internet, using a variety of makeup styles to express himself.
“I’m inspired by a lot of different looks, such as gyaru and drag. I think experimenting outside of typical, everyday makeup is something that really inspires me. It’s very fun,” Biestek said.
Gyaru is a Japanese fashion subculture that imitates western 2000s styles, including bold makeup, thick eyelashes and eyeliner, light-colored lips and white eyeshadow. Drag is an exaggerated makeup style originating in queer culture with an emphasis on contour and color.
Every year, Biestek attends the Emerald City Comic Con in cosplay. He has attended other conventions but primarily attends ECCC because making a costume and buying tickets is expensive. In the months leading up to a con, he spends his weekends practicing the character’s makeup. This year, he plans to cosplay as Kirie Goshima, the main character from the horror manga series, Uzumaki.
“I usually do specialized makeup looks depending on the character I’m doing,” Biestek said. “Last year, I had more of an alternative look, and then this year I’m doing body paint to make myself look different.”
At school, Biestek acts in theater, though last year, he was a makeup tech. While he’s always enjoyed practicing on his mom and his friends, he said his skills seriously improved when he started to do makeup for actors last year.
“I mostly do guys’ makeup,” Biestek said. “So I focus on base, which is primarily foundation, concealer, if they have it, and then contour. Sometimes I will also do eyeliner and eyeshadow if they want.”
Biestek’s collection of makeup products include traditional makeup from Sephora, body paint and special effects makeup from Sunset Makeup. For those on a smaller budget and a time crunch, he recommends buying cosplay and SFX makeup from Amazon or local Halloween stores. He said he prefers doing cosplay makeup since he has more creative freedom with that than with theater makeup.
“Since I’m doing it all myself, I have more time to perfect the look that I’m doing, and I can kind of go all out,” Biestek said. “For theater, I have to get it approved by the makeup head and by a few other people. Also, there are time restraints, because makeup is definitely not the highest priority thing when running a show.”
He considers cosmetology to be an interesting option after high school and appreciates the intersection between art and makeup, but he said he probably won’t pursue it. Biestek continues to find joy in the versatility and freedom of makeup art and cosplay. “Being able to do makeup and make yourself look totally different is a really interesting expression of art,” Biestek said. “It’s really fun to me. It’s like Halloween, but all the time — whenever you want.”
