Glisten Up! is so excited to kick off our brand new blog series, Influencer of the Month, with our first influencer, Ria Kelly (@fairy.freak). We ask ten hard hitting questions and get the tea on this passionate Cancer! Ria is a talented, young make-up artist from the UK and we got the opportunity to take a deep dive into all things Fairy Freak as they discuss pride, mental health and what inspires them as an MUA. Let’s get right into it shall we?
Ria, welcome to our Influencer 'Deep Dive' - what do you want the world to know about you?
I’ve dealt with a lot of mental health issues over the years, anxiety being my biggest issue to tackle. Makeup has always been my safe place and has made me feel like I have an alter ego that I can express through makeup! My anxiety has improved so much since making this my full time job and I’ve gradually learnt to become confident enough to express my art on the internet and teach others. I’ve also met so many amazing individuals that inspire me everyday!
And your star sign?
I’m a Cancer!
You were a part of our campaign for our Pride Liner last month, what does pride mean to you?
Pride means a lot to me as it showed me not to be afraid of who I am and who I love. So many people on the internet showed me I can be out and proud and still have the career & life I dreamed of. Although there is still work to be done regarding equal rights of LGBTQIA+ community, I’m now finally living happily with my partner. They are my absolute world and wouldn’t be where I am today without them. I recently came out as Queer whilst my Partner identifies as Non binary.
You always serve unique and flawless looks, what inspires you as an MUA?
I adore lots of artwork with the use of fun techniques! There are so many amazing art pieces that use the simplest of tools to create eye-catching art and that’s what I love to do when creating looks! I also take a big portion of inspiration from funky patterns and illusion art through Pinterest! Anything rainbow catches my eye and want to recreate immediately haha
We heard through the grapevine that you've got a collab coming out soon with us- What was it about Glisten that made you want to do a collab in the first place?
OMG I’m so excited! When Glisten first reached out I thought it would be the perfect collaboration. Wet liners have always been my fave product to use as they’re so easy and versatile! I started experimenting with using 2 liner brushes to create looks around the time the split liners came out and well, they’ve been my fave product ever since! Being able to create a palette that reflects my personality combined with Glisten being such an inclusive brand to all has made this dream become reality and I couldn’t be happier! This palette is super personal to me and I hope everyone loves the product!
If you could sum up this new palette for the people reading, in three words, what would they be?
Hmm, three words is tough haha let’s see… Vibrant, creepy & cute!
You're so slick with your application, do you have any tips for any budding MUA's out there?
I would say patience. I learnt by perfecting my application through sitting down and trying different techniques until I felt comfortable to move onto my eyes! I find drawing looks on paper beforehand can give you an idea of shapes and colours. It’s all about control and stability. Picture learning to draw or write when holding a pen but it’s a brush instead!
Do you have an OG Glisten Product that you just can't live without?
Cola & milk wet liners are staples for sure.
A non-Glisten product?
Lottie London freckle tint!
And finally, what is your go-to pizza topping?
Now this is a very unpopular choice of topping but I actually really enjoy spinach! Spinach & ricotta pizza is my fave!
Spinach and ricotta? We are with you, Ria! We are so grateful we got the chance to sit down and learn more about this rainbow Queen. Not only are they incredibly skilled at make-up, but also a huge inspiration in all that they have achieved personally. You can keep up to date with what Ria is up to on their social media @fairy.freak and obvs, if you are as excited about this upcoming collaboration as we are, subscribe to our newsletter here and follow us on instagram here for regular product updates.
What do you think about our IOTM? Tag us @glistencosmetics.
by Erin O'Neill
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