Cover Vvnloll is one of Malaysia’s most talented make-up artists (Photography: Raisa Azzam)
Vvnloll is one of Malaysia’s most talented make-up artists (Photography: Raisa Azzam)
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See how she brings her nightmarish creature to life
A self-taught make-up artist, Vivien—better known by her Instagram handle vvnloll—has become one of the most talked-about creatives in Malaysia for her extraordinary make-up looks. Her talent is amplified by her charismatic on-screen personality, where she talks through the process of creating her masterpieces, sharing her inspiration, giving her take on the latest trends and shouting out her collaborators and peers in the industry.
Vivien’s obsession with make-up began early; she recalls voraciously consuming beauty creators Michelle Phan and Bubz Beauty’s videos on YouTube and later, Instagram, while spending her monthly savings on the latest eyeshadow palettes and lip kits. “I didn’t even know how to use them!” she laughs.
And she has come a long way in her beauty journey, honing her skills over the years with her own face as the canvas. “I enjoy putting make-up on myself because I don’t have to put aside my preferences or worry too much about meeting expectations, which can sometimes happen when you’re on the job,” she says, explaining her decision to pursue beauty as a passion, rather than a full-time career.
See also: How Malaysian beauty influencer Mei Pang learnt to love herself
Every October, Vivien participates in Peachtober, where she challenges herself to create 31 make-up looks based on prompts from Australian illustrator Sha’an d’Anthes. This exercise ends on Halloween, the perfect holiday for make-up artists around the world to show the full extent of their creativity.
In 2023, she gives us an exclusive first look at her Halloween make-up masterpiece.
Above A close up on Vvnloll’s creature of the dark
A close up on Vvnloll’s creature of the dark
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In line with Halloween, the Peachtober prompt is ‘spooky’. “My interpretation of the word is that it is less straightforward than the word ‘scary’, where you would imagine a monster that intends to instil fear. Instead, I see it as more of a sense of eeriness and mistrust,” Vivien explains.
With that distinction in mind, she conceptualises and presents a bone-chilling, unnerving creature devoid of the typical blood and gore most have come to expect. Inspired by visuals of fallen angels, she builds a compelling narrative behind the look. “Like the Bent Neck Lady on The Haunting of Hill House, it’s almost like this creature did not choose to be in this form; maybe you’d even feel sympathy towards her,” she shares.
Related: Tatlergram: The best celebrity Halloween costumes in 2022
Vivien works closely with photographer Raisa Azzam to bring her creature to life. Frequent collaborators since meeting in college, they constantly strive to raise the standard. “It has been amazing to really see the transition of our creative growth over time,” comments Raisa. “With Peachtober, there’s always a lot of pressure to get better every year because Vivien sets a high bar.”
Above "Her body is contorted and she is screaming, as if she has been tortured for a thousand years," says Vvnloll, describing her creation
"Her body is contorted and she is screaming, as if she has been tortured for a thousand years," says Vvnloll, describing her creation
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Raisa gives us an insight into their creative process for this particular project: “We put together a board of references and try to see what works best with Vivien’s make-up look. It’s a breeze working with Vivien because we fully trust each other. She gives me creative freedom on decisions relating to photography, whether it’s experimenting with different lighting, set design or editing styles.”
Movement and body language were important factors for the two creatives. “We both suggested and experimented with poses, thinking a lot about how spirits, ghosts and even zombies move and contort their bodies in film and other types of media like the Witch from the video game Left 4 Dead,” says Raisa.
She adds: “Then it’s the facial expressions to really portray the horror. Vivien had her eyes wide open, mouth distorted, screaming, lifeless eyes; I think that’s what makes the creature almost real.”
In fact, the few hours that they spent on the shoot with Vivien’s creature left the two creatives feeling spooked. “It’s so funny that the both of us end up absolutely terrified of whatever we shoot,” laughs Raisa.
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Watch the behind-the-scenes video below.
Credits
Photography: Raisa Azzam
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Based in Kuala Lumpur, Zue Wei Leong is the senior style writer at Tatler Malaysia. Read her stories on the latest in fashion, beauty and jewellery or follow her on Instagram at @fshnbrnr.
