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14 Sep

Zoe Kim Kenealy and the rise of the hyper-niche

From the ‘drained cool girl spa selfie’ aesthetic to the ‘elegant hot mess’ look of an ENFP, the make-up artist is creating extremely specific content that speaks to our foremost character mentalities

Have you ever ever desired to capture the elusive quality of a foremost character in a coffee shop? Or master the ‘drained cool girl spa selfie’ vibe? Have you ever ever wondered the best way to achieve the aesthetic of a ‘vampy art hoe’ or a ‘chic one-night stand’ or an ‘espresso martini drinker’? The ‘understated academic’ energy of an INTJ, or the ‘elegant hot mess’ look of an ENFP? Well then do we’ve got a video for you. Welcome to the hyper-niche make-up tutorial.

With hundreds of thousands of make-up videos across social media, it was inevitable that the wonder category would splinter off into subcommunities and sub-subcommunities. Add this fragmentation to the increasing individualisation of society and the pervasiveness of foremost character syndrome, and it’s not surprising that hyper-specific beauty looks are taking hold. Leading the way in which is 26-year-old Zoe Kim Kenealy, whose make-up tutorials exploring area of interest character archetypes have tapped into something all of us love: being made to feel special and seen.

Just like the way in which astrology, Myers-Briggs and attachment styles take pleasure in the impulse to belong to a gaggle and to feel understood by others, Kenealy doesn’t just affirm your quirks, she tells you the best way to achieve the looks. It was her crying make-up look tutorial that kickstarted the sad girl beauty trend, and that completely exemplifies what she does: bring the play, fantasy and transformation back into make-up and make viewers feel like they’re the foremost character in a story of their selecting.

Kenealy freely admits she’ll never be the very best make-up artist on this planet. Nor does she need to be. “I don’t even really consider myself as a make-up artist, specifically,” she says. “And I don’t think that’s what my followers follow me for, either.” Introduced to the world of beauty through her mum, who worked as a make-up artist for movies and TV shows in her 20s, she would use make-up as a approach to feel more confident about going to highschool where she didn’t slot in. “That was my first experience of learning the thrill of pampering yourself, experimenting along with your look, and showing up looking your best even if you don’t feel like showing up.”

Dazed spoke to Kenealy about her tutorials, where she gets the inspiration for her area of interest aesthetics and her best beauty suggestions.

@zoekimkenealy The one night stand makeup look just in time for friday!! Lol jk – i used to be considering of the rockstar girlfriend makeup tutorial after I did this look in some ways, but just somewhat more disheveled in one of the simplest ways possible. The important thing to this eyes and the lips is the smudge. The eyebrows are messy as well #rockstargirlfriend #rockstargirlfriendmakeup #smudgedeyeliner #messymakeup #messymakeuplook #easymakeuptutorials #maccosmetics #benefitcosmetics #exabeauty #colourpop #oribe ♬ Love Me To Death – Ten Tonnes

When did you realise you desired to be in the wonder industry?

Zoe Kim Kenealy: I made my first YouTube channel, Lovelypink93, in middle school. The 93 was to persuade people I used to be older than I used to be because I believed nobody would want to observe a 13-year-old! Amongst other things, I did make-up tutorials on there – I believe I had one for Taylor Swift and a Miley Cyrus one, too [laughs]. I ultimately stopped, but all the time wish I’d kept at it. After one other failed attempt in college to start out a beauty YouTube channel, I frolicked working behind the scenes in influencer marketing, which I believe gave me the boldness and insights I needed to finally make it work. 

I actually have just a few theories, but I’d love to listen to why you think that these hyper-specific trends take off…

Zoe Kim Kenealy: If people can resonate with a hyper-specific video, specifically one based on their personality type, it could help them to see themselves in a unique light – perhaps through a more romantic lens. We’re so hard on ourselves. We consistently compare ourselves to others and spend hours day-after-day consuming the curated lives of other people, so a hyper-specific video that provides you just a few minutes to observe someone romanticise and understand, that makes you’re feeling seen and admired might be quite nice. But that is all speculation.

What’s your creative process like?

Zoe Kim Kenealy: It’s different each time. Sometimes it’s based on a scenario I’ve created in my head, a world, a memory, a personality or perhaps a story. And other times, I just need to recreate a glance I’ve seen on an interesting person in a photograph. But almost all the time, a make-up concept I do relies on some a part of my life, past or present. A number of months ago I used to be going through a low period with my mental health and created a glance called ‘beauty in darkness’ which was presupposed to be cathartic. Considered one of the primary comments was a troll saying, ‘All her make-up looks are the identical.’ It’s pretty hilarious to place your heart into something and have a troll just totally crap on it in passing.

@zoekimkenealy Replying to @user026322852 #greenscreen the best way to do your makeup like an INTJ myers Briggs personality type! I created this person in my head to be a more casual tackle dark academia, somewhat little bit of French inspiration too for the makeup tutorial #frenchmakeuplook #nomakeupmakeuplook #naturalmakeuplook #effortlessmakeup #messymakeuplook #messymakeup #lancome ♬ Fuck Me Pumps – Amy Winehouse

What video were you most surprised about blowing up?

Zoe Kim Kenealy: I used to be very surprised to see the video I made about embracing chapped lips go viral. I used to be convinced I used to be going to get hate on that one. I get so many hyper-specific requests, you wouldn’t even consider. More often than not, they’re clearly concerning the requester’s life, like ‘Are you able to do a make-up tutorial that represents sitting on the beach and having the sunset shine in your face and feeling good for the primary time in an extended time after a period of being down?” I can’t get through all of them, but I really like seeing them are available.

What’s the one beauty hack you think that individuals are sleeping on? 

Zoe Kim Kenealy: Mix all the pieces in your hand with a brush before applying it to your face! Less is so way more in relation to product and TikTok encourages people to make use of a lot product lately. Your skin base will just look so significantly better when you’re not using your face as a mixing plate.

For individuals who don’t know much about beauty, or who’re the final word lazy girls, what’s your primary tip?

Zoe Kim Kenealy: A neutral lip liner to define your lips will take you a good distance when you’re using nothing else.

@zoekimkenealy HOLIDAY SLEEPY EYES – this makeup look turned out so pretty I believe. The glitter the glisten, a fantastic contrast with the darkness from the sleepy eye look. I can do a more in depth tutorial on the sanpaku eyes / sad eyes look when you guys want 🖤 #sleepyeyesmakeup #sanpakueyes #sadeyesmakeup #holidaymakeuplook #partymakeuplook #glittermakeuplook #milanicosmetics #maccosmetics #aboutface #benefitcosmetics ♬ Dance In Room Song – Sipper

What products do you swear by or think everyone should own?

Zoe Kim Kenealy: The KVD Good Apple serum foundation, which just got here out, is the very best foundation I’ve utilized in a really very long time. about-face Matte Fluid Eye Paints are so good, too. Get just a few colors and get the white one. That way you’ll be able to mix them and have all the colors you would like.

What celebrity do people appear to be most obsessive about beauty-wise?

Zoe Kim Kenealy: Hmm. Hailey Bieber?

Be honest, does slugging work?

Zoe Kim Kenealy: Yes, it does! I believe for obvious reasons… You’re literally coating your face in Vaseline. You shouldn’t do it in that outrageous clickbait way where you employ half a bath though, only a small pea-sized amount.

What’s next for you?

Zoe Kim Kenealy: I believe a lot of my followers are there because they appreciate what I appreciate, which is coming up with worlds and characters: the emotions behind each make-up look and telling stories. In that regard, working alongside brands on a creative direction front can be cool. I’d like to play a task in beauty and make-up becoming a more personal, even immersive experience for the buyer. There’s room for thus way more storytelling that inspires you and makes you’re feeling seen, and does greater than just sell on the brand side.

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