This text was originally published 12 October 2018:

From digital artists to photographers, body sculptors and hair stylists to makeup and nail artists, in our Highlight series we profile the creatives tearing up the rulebook of their respective industries.

Malina Stearns is a self-described “make-up artist freak queen” who likes to play with blood and customarily make people look creepy. Growing up in Venice Beach, she’s at all times been interested in all things dark and scary. “I actually have this memory from Halloween after I was about six or seven, my mom painted my face like a scary witch. We went to a celebration where my three best friends were all dressed and painted as pretty princesses. At first, I felt like an outsider but quickly realised that being unique is more desirable to me.”

The incident clearly stuck. Now 32, Malina is a totally fledged make-up artist who specialises in fantasy and horror. Understanding of a makeshift FX lab she arrange in her house, her gory, nightmarish looks and penchant for spooky prosthetics have seen her work with everyone from to Petra Collins to Princess Gollum within the Smashing Pumpkin video for “Solara”. She even recently sold some prosthetics to Cindy Sherman. Here we refer to Malina about her obsession with the occult, her personal relationship to beauty, and why she likes it when persons are afraid of her.

Where does your interest in horror come from?

Malina Stearns: Growing up I used to be at all times interested in dark fantasies. By the point I used to be 10 or 11, I used to be worshiping the women from The Craft and doing spells at sleepovers. By the point I used to be a teen I got into punk and was dying my hair hot pink. I feel all of the beauty inspiration I used to be influenced by as a toddler was pretty weird.

What’s it about make-up that appeals to you?

Malina Stearns: I really like the concept of transformation. I got into doing make-up early on. I remember being the one 12-year-old at camp wearing black eyeliner. I feel I just at all times enjoyed the art in make-up. I never really used it as a tool to make myself feel pretty. I take advantage of it to create.

Where did you hone your craft? Is it something you learned or is it more instinctual?

Malina Stearns: I feel the primary time I actually began to completely get into make-up was after I was living in Portland a few years ago. I used to be involved within the queer nightlife scene and at all times serving some crazy make-up looks. My friends that were musicians and DJs began asking me to color their faces and I realised it was something I actually wanted to contemplate as a profession. After I moved back to LA, I got loads more serious in regards to the idea and decided to go to highschool for it. I graduated from the Cinema Make-up School about two years ago. I actually knew nothing about any special FX make-up before going there but any beauty make-up I did at all times felt very instinctual. The sort of beauty I do is at all times very avant-garde, nothing conventional.

Tell us a bit about your creative process. From initial idea to final image.

Malina Stearns: My creative process is different for each project. It really relies on what I’m doing. Sometimes I start with a prosthetic I would like to make use of and create a go searching it. Sometimes I’ve seen a picture that inspires me and I would like to create something around or about it. On the subject of my personal work I often have a vague idea of what I would like to do and I just type of run with it. I get my final product by actually working through it reasonably than planning. My ideas are also always changing so if I don’t do something soon enough, there’s an excellent probability I never will.

Is beauty something you are attempting to capture in your work or something that you just reject? What’s your relationship to ‘beauty’?

Malina Stearns: I would not say that beauty is what I’m attempting to capture in my work. I feel more often than not I’m attempting to capture sadness. Sadness is certainly one of the things I consider most beautiful in creatures. Perhaps I just relate to sadness and my work is how I attempt to overcome it. My personal relationship to beauty is sort of confusing. I feel a few of my work has a sort of twisted beauty, but I do not expect others to see that. I’d reasonably be feared than adored and I feel I often am. I get loads of people telling me I’m scary.

How does your work engage with notions of gender and sexuality?

Malina Stearns: My work doesn’t at all times have something to do with gender or sexuality but I’m sure it often comes out that way. I feel extremely in contact with being a girl and an offended one at that. We must always all be offended, most of us have been abused. Sometimes I’m attempting to work through something and sometimes I’m just creating to create. I occur to be a sexual woman and that is commonly seen in my work.

What’s probably the most significant thing you’ve learned over the course of your profession?

Malina Stearns: I feel all of us feel an infinite amount of fear, anxiety, and insecurity as artists. I do know I often don’t feel worthy. Learning to beat those thoughts, trying to only push through them long enough to maintain creating as a substitute of giving up might be really hard. I’ve at all times felt like such an outcast within the make-up world. I feel like I relate loads higher to the art world and it makes me doubt myself at times as a make-up artist. I just had to maintain telling myself to only keep doing me and there’s something special people will see. I’d refuse beauty jobs and still do as a protest to wanting to make art with my craft.

What was the moment that ‘made’ you?

Malina Stearns: I wouldn’t say there was anything that has ‘made’ me in my profession just yet but I’m beginning to get to work with more those who I have been admiring for some time, persons are beginning to take more notice, and it’s beginning to put me on the map.

Your creations are sometimes monstrous, very gory with plenty of blood. Where do these come from? Why are you drawn to those dark looks?

Malina Stearns: I don’t like the concept of creating something ‘pretty’. If it’s going to be pretty, it should be pretty in my sick demented way. I would like to evoke something greater than a gorgeous thought. I intend to make you are feeling or jump out of your seat and scream.

What’s it about bodies that fascinate you, human or otherwise?

Malina Stearns: I suppose I enjoy distorting the human figure. It’s more interesting to me that way, hence all of the prosthetics I have been making. I do not think my prosthetics are necessarily a commentary on anything. I’m rather more of a visually stimulated person and I’m often just making art because that is what I want to do to maintain going. I find it rather more interesting to listen to what other people give it some thought, reasonably than my initial intention. It’s often disgust and that is how I do know I’m doing something right.

You lately collaborated with Petra Collins and Sarah Sitkin on a prosthetics shoot, how did that come about?

Malina Stearns: Sarah is an excellent friend. I remember idolising her for years before I met her and I still do. We became friends the second I moved back to LA and he or she has at all times been certainly one of my biggest supporters. I actually have fortunately gotten to work along with her persistently. I actually cannot say enough about what a generous and immensely talented artist she is. I do know she has been a fan of Petra and was super excited to work along with her so I used to be greater than pleased to be an element of it. The experience was very laid back and lovely actually. Just just a few weird ladies hanging out making art in a weird little house.

What’s your dream project to work on?

Malina Stearns: I’m not one to idolise too many huge names but I suppose there are just a few, people like Guillermo del Toro. I would really like to get into doing more horror movies obviously. I’d also like to collaborate with more pornographic artists. One among my favourites is @inside_flesh.

How do you think that our understanding of beauty has shifted with the evolution of technology?

Malina Stearns: Our understanding of beauty has modified drastically with technology. With all of the Photoshop and cosmetic surgery today, it really makes it appear to be nobody might be as perfect as these pictures which can be painted. I just try to not pay any attention to things like that and live in my very own little freak world.

What advice would you give to young artists hoping to get into the industry?

Malina Stearns: I’d tell younger artists stepping into the industry to not quit.

What are you currently working on?

Malina Stearns: I’ve been super busy selling my prosthetics and trying to seek out time to create recent ones. I started off by selling my prosthetic lips and realised drag queens were going crazy for them. Pearl has been a daily customer of mine recently and I even sold just a few pairs to Cindy Sherman the opposite day.

Who would you prefer to shine a highlight on next?

Malina Stearns: I’d shine a highlight on @blkarmstron. He’s certainly one of my current favourite artists and has been for some time. His work is incredibly beautiful and dark. He’s an illustrator and make-up artist and every thing he touches turns into creepy perfection.