We may be familiar with the luxury makeup brand Kevyn Aucoin Beauty, but what do we know about the man who founded it? Celebrity makeup artist, photographer, author, and LGBTQ+ activist, Kevyn Aucoin has often been revered as the greatest makeup artist of our time due to his illustrious career working with some of the biggest names in the business. Defined as a “true artist” by Janet Jackson, we’re delving into how Kevyn Aucoin forever changed our perception of beauty.
At the height of his career, MTV praised Aucoin as a “true visionary and master of his craft with the ability to transform a woman’s face like no other.” But it wasn’t just his distinguished eye and raw talent that had him booked up months in advance—it was his infectious laugh, endearingly humble personality, and unshakable work ethic that allowed stars such as Courtney Love, Cher, and Madonna to trust him implicitly with their faces.
During a 1992 interview conducted by Fashion Television, the Louisiana born artist revealed that his motive behind pursuing makeup artistry in New York was to combine his passion for art with his drive to support gay civil rights. Aucoin’s deeply rooted values of empowerment, originality, and inclusivity were clearly reflected in his approach to makeup—rather than striving for uniform perfection, he opted instead to bring out the naturally exclusive beauty and uniqueness found within the imperfections.
This was best translated in his first launch as Revlon’s Creative Director with ‘The New Nakeds’ collection featuring the first-ever selection of yellow undertone foundations to hit the mainstream market. And by using a variety of brown-based neutral tones for lipsticks, eyeshadows and blushers, he single-handedly altered the cultural aesthetic for generations to come—becoming a pioneer for naturally enhanced beauty.
Aucoin then went on to sculpt the faces of numerous supermodels including Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, and Christy Turlington, but it wasn’t until he started working with fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi where the real risk-taking began, and thus the iconic pencil brow emerged.
“There was a time that we decided together that everyone needed to look like Carole Lombard and have really skinny eyebrows,” recounts Mizrahi during an interview for the documentary Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story. “And the next thing I knew, he [Aucoin] was plucking everybody’s eyebrows.” According to Mizrahi, this could’ve prematurely ended Cindy Crawford’s career for good, but thankfully it had the opposite effect because of her new eyebrows. “And then everybody started tweezing.”
According to celebrity makeup artist Erin Parsons, we may not be completely done with them yet. In an interview for Bustle, Parsons explains, “I’ve been working with Bella Hadid a lot recently and we’ve been on this super skinny brow kick, but delicately done and not overly pencil-thin.” The supermodel has additionally been sporting a number of 90s throwback trends, including kohl-rimmed smokey eyes, peachy nude hues, and naturally sculpted, ethereal skin—all of which are trademark Aucoin. “Kevyn invented so many things that we look at today as stuff that just exists,” reminisces Mizrahi.
A trend that was deemed the ‘turning point of the makeup world,’ contouring fast became the most sought-after technique after Kim Kardashian tweeted her sculpting secrets in 2012. Since then, every prolific makeup brand has brought out their own highlight and contouring ranges to meet the demand from makeup artists, influencers, and consumers alike. But did you know it was Kevyn Aucoin who first popularised the once drag-exclusive art of transformation? Kim Kardashian West’s makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic certainly knows it, as he pays homage to his mentor and inspiration by revealing, “this man changed my life.”
And it’s not only the beauty industry he’s influencing either. Key makeup artist Tom Pecheux paid tribute to Aucoin’s 1991 Linda Evangelista Allure cover for Moschino’s Milan Fashion Week SS17—taking inspiration from the smokey eyes to the tailored brow, but mainly focusing on the best-selling MAC Cosmetics lip pencil shade ‘Spice.’ Linda Evangelista was the first to spill the beans on the wonder shade—causing mass sell outs over the 90s—but it was Kylie Jenner’s confession that put the peachy nude pencil back on the sold-out list.
Aside from accidentally reinventing generations, Aucoin also bolstered the role of makeup artist to celebrity status by integrating himself into pop culture—befriending the likes of Gwenith Paltrow, Whitney Houston, and Winona Ryder along the way. “Kevyn opened the door for many makeup artists, such as myself, by making us a visible and vital part of the beauty world,” relays Amanda Seyfried’s makeup artist, Genevieve Herr.
Producer of the LTL:KY documentary, Bronwyn Cosgrave credits the legendary artist as the sole reason why makeup artists launch their own beauty lines today, explaining how he paved the way for today’s successful industry leaders such as Dame Pat McGrath, Scott Barnes, and Patrick Ta.
“I’m really hopefully part of a movement that is about individuality and about people celebrating their uniqueness”
Kevyn Aucoin 2001
I don’t want to be tolerated, I want to be celebrated.” — Kevyn Aucoin, 2001.
Words by Vinona Baines, Graphics by Victoria Zhao
