For Yvonne MacInnis, Makeup Isn't About "Just Being Pretty"

Yvonne MacInnis, left, at work. She is the Global Educating Artist for Marc Jacobs Beauty

Scrolling through Yvonne MacInnis' Instagram feed is a visual smorgasbord: The makeup styles are so varied, with MacInnis often using her own face to showcase makeup like it were a painting, unafraid to shock, inspire, or potentially even disturb someone's sense of polite society. That's MacInnis' style - complex, varied, artistic, even at times political. She uses makeup as the platform for it all.


Q: You work on various mediums of visual art and not just makeup. Do you consider yourself focused on one area or do you not put yourself into a particular category?

MacInnis: "I think there is something to be said for being a 'Jane of all trades.'  I've always pushed myself to flex all my creative muscles - especially the ones that don't feel so comfortable - because that usually means you're learning something. While I feel it's important to strive to develop your own style, that doesn't mean you have to pick one creative outlet. I think your work is the sum of all your creative experiences."

Q: Your makeup style seems to say "screw the rules." You just go for it, not worrying about what's trending right now. How has that instinct guided your career?

MacInnis: "I've always been a 'break the rules' kind of girl, in life and in art. It makes me feel alive to prove that what isn't supposed to be can actually be your most rewarding experience. It is important to learn the rules and fundamentals, because even in breaking them it gives you more control for a successful and aesthetically pleasing result. I also have an attraction to things that are different, organic and not too planned or contrived. So I show up to the rebel party every time."

Q: When people pursue a career in the arts, there are often many fears. It's not a clear path, and each artist has to figure out how to navigate it. Did you ever wrestle with those fears and how did you harness them?

MacInnis: "The only conflict when I was first starting out was that I was scared I wouldn't be inspired to create art on command if I made my gift of creativity a career. I was scared to be a sell-out. I think the light bulb finally went off when I connected my passion to my purpose, and that is inspiring girls and boys to understand that makeup isn't just about being pretty. I realized what an impact my art and creativity could have on the world, which keeps my proverbial creative inspiration cup pretty full." 

Q: Body makeup is a whole other game and typically not understood by makeup artists who focus on the face. What's something that's unknown or misunderstood about body art? Sometimes it's about concealing "flaws" and sometimes it's using it as a canvas for art.

MacInnis: "Exactly. These are two completely different forms of art. It would be like comparing Michelangelo to Picasso. The one thing you must know is that the scale is different so it's necessary for your perspective to broaden. When you're working on the face it's up close and you're working in small details. A body painting is a much larger scale, so you'll start using larger brushes bigger motions and looking at it as if you were standing on the other side of the room for it to come in to balanced perspective."

Q: What's the biggest advice you'd give to anyone starting out in the makeup industry?

MacInnis: "Respect the process. It's more important to find out who you are as an artist then to re-create something that someone else is done. Looking inward in any area of life can only yield understanding and ultimately success that is more long-term than getting on board, so-to-speak, with the trend happening at any given moment."

Q: Are there trends in the industry right now that you particularly love or that disappoint you? Do you ignore them?

MacInnis: "I just think it's interesting that we are treating this decade of trend in makeup as if we've never experienced trends before. People are having a hard time navigating this new digital landscape because, yeah, things are moving faster than in the past. However, what I have to say is that this: As with any trend, it is a sign of the times. Think about the 60s: I'm sure nobody loved to use false lashes the first time they were done, but by the end of it everyone was wearing them and triple stacking their lashes. And when people look back they'll recognize Instagram makeup as what people were doing in this time. It is amazing because all of us who work in the industry have jobs. Let's not forget that this is the most respected time for us as makeup artists to do what we love. When I started out, nobody cared who the makeup artist was.  Now Instagram is giving us a platform to do so much more with our art. So for that I'm grateful. Aesthetically, I'm drawn to something a little bit more free-form, organic, and deconstructed then a very severe makeup, but that's just my artistic preference."

Q: What was your proudest moment as an artist? For many, it's something very public. Some artists will say it was a personal accomplishment that never saw the light of day.

MacInnis: "I would say two things happened just this year that made me feel very accomplished: One was working the Super Bowl halftime show with Lady Gaga and her dancers alongside an incredible team of artists; the second was working New York fashion week under the supervision of Diane Kendal, a legend in the industry and someone I've certainly looked up to for many years. It's always exciting when you can check off the bucket list goals I had since I was a little girl growing up a very small town outside of Halifax, Canada aspiring to do these exhilarating and inspirational things." (Since the interview, MacInnis won first place in the Face Competition held by the Makeup Show.)