Breaking The Binary: Indian Makeup Artists Are Making Beauty Trends Their Own

There is no question that beauty and skincare content creators have taken the world by storm. From launching their own beauty brands to walking red carpets, these creators are taking their audiences through their explosive rise to fame. Using makeup, fashion, and beauty, these content creators have told it like it is, expressed themselves authentically, and found a loyal audience that is here to stay.

While the main audience and creators for beauty content are women, that is slowly changing. With beauty brands becoming more inclusive, we are seeing more people of other genders participating in beauty and skincare trends online. The beauty industry has been especially successful in incorporating the queer community into its fold. While there is still much progress to be made in terms of inclusion especially when it concerns large, multi-national brands, smaller creatives online have truly taken makeup and made it their own. Gone are the days when using foundation was a non-negotiable to cover every single flaw, and when you couldn’t pair a detailed eye look with a bold lip. The vibe is very much one of self-acceptance and self-expression.

These up-and-coming creators have truly taken beauty trends and styles and made them their own. Unconcerned with external validation, they have truly thrown the rulebook out the window, are flexing their creative muscles, and breaking the binary one at a time.

I. Samhita Sharma
For artist Samhita Sharma, her canvas is her face. What started out as a lockdown hobby and a childhood experiment, is quickly becoming a full-fledged career. Her super unique looks have garnered her a following of 20K+, which is no easy feat. She says, “People ask me where would I wear such makeup and they just think what I do is outrageous. But creating these looks just calms me.” Her looks are editorial, and give inspiration to other young creators to start with what tools they have and grow from there. For someone who started out with just one makeup palette, she has been able to show her talent and prowess in creating avant-garde looks. She has also won the Parcos Most Buzzworthy Content award and is quickly gaining recognition for her out-of-the-box looks.
Follow her here.

II. Shaurya Batra
Toronto-based artist Shaurya Batra works with beauty giant M.A.C as a makeup professional. He writes in a recent post, “My makeup and sexuality are two different things but they both combined together define who I am.” From creating content for himself on his Instagram to now creating makeup looks for other people together with a brand like M.A.C, Shaurya has come a long way since he started just two short years ago.
Follow him here.

III. Avishka Pokhriyal
For someone that started posting beauty content only a year ago, Avishka’s content is fresh and stays completely true to themselves. From experimenting on their hair to creating gorgeous makeup looks, Avishka uses their platform to advocate for the queer community, as well as to point out the negative aspects of queer social media, like pinkwashing and rainbow capitalism. Along with being a staunch activist, they also show off their creativity in their intricate eye looks, a true haven for eyeshadow and eyeliner enthusiasts. From their fab golden hour pictures to tattoo adventures, the era of Avishka is drawing closer every day.
Follow them here.

If you enjoyed reading this, we also suggest:

Redefining The World Of Beauty With Coco Balluci’s Gender Bending Looks

Beyond The Binary: Artist Joan Explores Gender Identity & Expression

How Indian Brands Are Creating Representation For South Asian Identities