TikTok makeup sensation Payton Aquino (aka Payton’s Makeup) gravitated towards the arts as a teen. “I think I’ve always been really creative! I did a lot of art classes in high school and took a strong liking to detailed drawing,” she remembers. “I would spend hours of free time either painting or drawing for years before getting creative with my makeup and finding a brand new way to express myself on my face!” Her experimentation with makeup began gradually. “I probably started putting makeup on in eighth grade. My older sister would always do her makeup and I loved the way it looked on her. She had always inspired me. I started with always really simple makeup – small uneven eyeliner, lots of blush, or just packing on any color I could find! I loved the way it made me feel and enjoyed taking my time doing it even at such a young age.” She felt that beauty was her professional calling. “In high school, I knew I wasn’t meant to go to a university. I never found interest in doing so and I really didn’t know what I wanted to do. Toward the end of my high school career in 2017, I had started a makeup page on Instagram and began posting my small colorful looks there. I would do makeup for homecoming and prom every year. I knew if I wanted to do makeup on other people professionally, I should take the time to learn about skin and how to take care of my own and others for a perfect makeup application. I fell in LOVE with doing facials and makeup application and the extra knowledge definitely helped me to get to where I am today.”
Social media is raving – Payton has 2.5 million TikTok followers. She still can’t believe her reality. “I’m super thankful for everyone who has followed my journey. This was something I had always dreamed of – inspiring others and being inspired by others’ creativity. I’m so thankful to be part of such a beautiful creative community! All the people I have met through TikTok have been nothing but amazing to me and being mutuals with people I have looked up to for years is so surreal.” Her boyfriend is one of her biggest and most enthusiastic supporters. Payton notes he’s become a bit of a guest star on her account. “He does love to be in my videos. Every day I send him my makeup look and his reactions never disappoint! There have been times when I don’t feel like doing my makeup for a video so I ask if I can do his, and he always says yes! He will even wear it out with me too. He’s so great at giving a helping hand while filming, or just hyping me up to film or holding my lights correctly.” The success her TikTok has enjoyed motivates her to work harder and keep pushing herself. “Every day, I wake up excited to film and to just get creative. When I was a smaller account, I always looked up to people who posted almost every day with such beautiful makeup looks that I thought I would never achieve. I know I can be that person for someone and inspire them to keep going, keep getting creative, and to never give up doing what they love. Knowing one of my makeup looks could get someone to be more creative or confident in themselves is such an amazing feeling. I get such sweet messages about inspiring other creators to get back into or start doing more creative makeup, and just to be that for one person means so much to me.”
She encourages people to never be afraid to explore new horizons. If someone wants to try artistic makeup, the only thing stopping them is their imagination! “I would tell them to just go for it! It seems scary, trying something new and maybe out of your comfort zone, but if you don’t start now, you never will! If I didn’t start experimenting with colors and different makeup styles, I have no idea how I would express myself and my creativity. Starting to add some color here and there is always a good place to start. I would tell everyone to just go for it and to just try something new!” Payton envisions big things for her makeup career. “I hope one day, I can inspire young artists to be creative, step out of their comfort zone, and be strong. This is a form of art. I have used art to get out of many of my own life struggles, and I know a lot of other people do too. I want to show my followers that if I can do it, so can they! This is such a blessing to be where I am. Having an impact on the people who follow me is really important to me. I hope I can make an impact on this community, the people in it, and the people who want to be but aren’t yet. Everyone can do this – just don’t give up and follow your dreams.” In the beauty world, dreams are as bold as eyeshadow.
Read more Celebrity Interviews on ClicheMag.com
Payton Aquino is Making TikTok’s Beauty Scene Pop. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Payton Aquino.
