Juliana Horner
⤏ IN CONVERSATION WITH JOANNA SPICER
⤏ PHOTOS + MAKE-UP BY JULIANA HORNER
⤏ ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED JUNE 2018
With a following of nearly a hundred-thousand, Juliana is probably best known for her mind blowing makeup looks and intricate marker drawings on Instagram.
Over the course of a month, we exchanged emails to talk about all things beauty. We covered some of her earliest makeup inspirations (Avril Lavigne!), how she rose to Instagram fame (@claropsyche and @anominalia!), her favorite everyday makeup products (NYX BB Cream!) and her very own soon-to-be- released makeup line, Claropsyche.
JOANNA SPICER: So I think the most obvious question is, how did you get started with makeup artistry? Did you stumble upon it or was it something you were always into as a kid?
JULIANA HORNER: My first experiences with makeup involved Avril Lavigne, a lot of eyeliner, and tweezing my eyebrows very thin to the point where I was grounded and had my makeup taken away. I hid some in my closet, though, a little mascara and eyeliner. Nothing too flashy. Later in high school, as I was reading more magazines like Allure and Teen Vogue, I became obsessed with copying the makeup looks. I remember getting down my first cat eye and how proud I was of myself. It became an everyday thing from there. And when you spend enough hours doing something, you get good at it. Slowly, as I did my makeup everyday, I noticed where certain highlights and shadows existed on my face, and over time I cultivated ways to heighten the reality of them, bending what was true on my face. I simultaneously was very addicted to drawing, so the two went hand in hand. It wasn’t until after college (I attended Pratt Institute for Fashion Design) that I felt true freedom to explore my interests. I began posting pictures of my eye makeup in 2013 or 2014 and got a larger response than I expected. Once I had an audience, it was sort of a back and forth with my creativity being fueled by the enthusiastic response. I wanted to keep pushing and differentiating my approaches to changing my face. From there, makeup companies began to contact me for sponsorships. It’s been an exciting ride so far, especially when I never saw it coming!
JS: I wish my mom grounded me for over plucking my eyebrows in middle school. She was almost too supportive. When I first discovered bronzer someone should have intervened. It makes sense that as someone who draws and loves makeup that the two started to come together. It’s really a cool time to be an independent artist with so many platforms to express yourself it often feels like, if you’re persistent enough, it’s only a matter of time before people start to notice you. I think by now we all agree that makeup is a form of art, but your work resembles something that you’d typically see in a museum rather than on Kim Kardashian’s Instagram page (which also belongs in a museum if I’m being honest). Where do you find your inspiration for your intricate looks?
JH: I suppose it’s hard to narrow down what inspires me to a single source. I would say that I am inspired by observation. I enjoy making subtle connections between things, whether they are objects, scenes, or the makeup itself. That really gives me a limitless range of what I can be inspired by and how I can transform my inspiration into something new. If I’m in the mood to please, I will make connections with things that are currently buzzing in pop culture. Like, I did a look inspired by the game Animal Crossing: New Leaf very soon after it was released, and photoshopped myself into the game. If I’m in the mood to be in touch with myself, I will pick up something I saw in a book or walking down the street or a random memory to spark new shapes and lines on my face or on paper.
JS: A question I am dying to know the answer to, and I’m sure I’m not alone, is what are some of your favorite makeup and beauty products? I’m sure you have tons, but what would you say are your desert island products?
JH: Honestly it’s changing all the time! I am a huge proponent of using what you have on hand. Often it’s not about the tool itself, but how you use it! That being said, of course I can share my go-to’s with you! The face makeup I use day to day is NYX BB Cream. It’s super easy, medium coverage, and I like the not-dewy-not-matte finish. If I want more full-coverage I use NARS Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation. And guess what...I use Great Lash Mascara in Blackest Black, and I have been since middle school! I switch around mascara brands from time to time, but always come back to this one. I really love KVD Beauty’s Ink Liners for super precise lines. One of my favorite color liquid liners is NYX’s Vivid Brights in Sapphire. I use Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz for shape and their clear brow gel. Also, my all time favorite product right now is Stila’s Glitter and Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Diamond Dust. Who knew using a lip gloss brush to apply glitter to your eyes could be so satisfying? I use it almost everyday, I almost need a new one. Stila sponsor me!
“I would say that 75% percent of the time I am wearing last night’s makeup. And I don’t care.“
JS: I have that Stila glitter, but I haven’t worn it yet! I love that you still use Great Lash mascara. That packaging makes me so nostalgic I’m so glad they’ve never updated it, it’s iconic. I love a small mascara wand. I feel like companies keep coming out with mascaras with massive wands, but the skinny wand is truly where it’s at. You can get so close to the roots of the lashes. If I ran into you at Whole Foods what kind of makeup could I expect to see you wearing? I’m a makeup junkie, but 75% of the time I go makeup free or wear very minimal makeup. Are you the same way or are you rolling up to the store with the looks we see on your Instagram?
JH: I would say that 75% percent of the time I am wearing last night’s makeup. And I don’t care. It’s usually something smoky that gets even a little more blended out when I sleep, [laughs]. I wish I was into good skincare, but the fact is, I’m not. Maybe I’ll regret it later. And the other 20% of the time I’m wearing nothing and it feels great, then 5% of the time I’m wearing something really crazy and it’s 11 o’clock at night!
JS: I’ve never been able to fall asleep with makeup on. First of all because I’d wake up with 20 pimples and nothing about my eye makeup would look smokey and sexy. So makeup aside for just a second, what is something about you that your fans might be surprised to learn?
JH: I feel like my fans would be surprised to learn I am not a trained MUA nor do I necessarily like to do makeup on other people! While I pick up a few MUA jobs here and there, doing makeup on other people gives me extreme anxiety. Being that physically close to someone you don’t necessarily know plus having to stay super focused and still are things that come easily and naturally for some people, but not for me. I always feel like I have to sleep for a hundred years after doing someone else’s makeup!
JS: That’s so funny, because I used to work as a professional makeup artist and eventually quit for the same reasons. When you’re good at makeup and enjoy it so much it seems like the natural step, but I truly only love doing it on myself. It feels therapeutic. I can really get lost in it for a while.
JH: I’m glad I’m not alone in that feeling! I agree, it’s therapeutic and you kind of get to turn into something else!
JS: So rumor has it you are developing your own cosmetic line. How did this come about and what kinds of products can we expect to see from you?
JH: It’s true, Claropsyche Cosmetics will soon be a reality! I’m so excited. It’s an idea that’s been forming in my mind for quite awhile now. What sparked it was the emerging visibility of makeup artists (and artists in general) interested in creating something beyond a cat eye or a cut crease. I also see that so many of the individuals following my work are people who do not wear makeup themselves. I want to make cosmetics that are approachable and fun enough for anyone, not those just interested in beauty as society may suggest it. I believe that makeup can be an incredibly transformative experience, and don’t mean in the sense of before-and-after pictures.
⤏ BUY THE PRINT EDITION OF JR HI THE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 002 HERE.
⤏ JOANNA SPICER (SHE/HER) IS A BEAUTY AND LIFESTYLE YOUTUBER. SHE IS BEST KNOWN FOR HER DOWN-TO-EARTH AND COMEDIC VLOG STYLE. GOING BEYOND JUST MAKEUP, JOANNA'S VIDEOS COVER TOPICS LIKE MENTAL HEALTH, HOMEMADE POTTERY, COOKING AND INTERIOR DESIGN. JOANNA RESIDES IN LA WITH HER TWO CATS, WIZARD AND MAEBY, IN A SUN-FILLED APARTMENT SURROUNDED BY HER BFGF BLANKET AND SELF-MADE POTTERY.