“I didn’t realise it for the longest time but my existence as a non-binary person who flows between expressing themselves in a typically ‘masculine’ way right the way down to living a full fantasy as an ethereal being that doesn’t care for gender at all, is a form of activism in itself.  Because of this – I feel that activism is a way of life for me. It is survival. It is ensuring that others like me feel seen and counted and heard and respected. Makeup comes into this a lot for me. I always felt I could express myself through my clothes but there’s nothing like painting on a stunning eye or a subtle golden glow – that really takes it to another level for me. 

I actually started my makeup journey properly this year. The BLM protests were happening and it was the most painful thing seeing the way people that look like me, could have been me or any of my family members were being treated. I wanted to speak but didn’t know how and honestly, felt quite nervous doing so. I thought about things I could do to help me feel better about actually using my voice as opposed to my writing and doing makeup just felt natural. I was painting on my strength and while doing so, speaking out against the injustices, aggressions and microaggressions that I and people like myself have faced for years. Makeup and activism go hand in hand for me. They’ve both helped me feel better and more confident in myself, my voice and sharing that with the world.”

We’re really excited about this campaign because it’s important to always push boundaries and have positive representation in the media. There’s so much negativity in the world but it’s important to see people who are making it a better place.