Raisa Flowers Takes Us To The Limit And Beyond
New York, New York
Raisa Flowers
4/20/19
The Mt. Vernon based makeup artist, model, and muse has a unique vision that has made her a pioneer of beauty’s next frontier with big wigs like MAC and Pat McGrath as well as fashion juggernaut Rihanna giving her their stamp approval. Raisa operates within and aggressively challenges industry standards, forging a new path for creatives one beat at a time.
What does extreme beauty mean to you?
Extreme beauty to me is no boundaries, no filter, just raw. Real. It’s dramatic and over the top. It might be more simplistic to some, but to others in the real world what I’m doing is extreme because “regular” people aren’t out here popping contact lenses in their eyes and wearing the types of looks I create while walking around living life, people do it on instagram but I not sure they wear the looks out. I feel like extreme beauty is being myself and navigating that world. How I feel, my emotions day to day, and everything that I go through is reflected in the art.
How did you arrive at this aesthetic?
I think I arrived at this aesthetic because I’ve always been different as a child. I’ve always been the weird girl or the one who was into unique things. I listened to a lot of rock music. I was into a lot of artists that not a lot of other people were into. That’s not to say hip hop didn’t affect me because of course Lil Kim and Missy Elliot are some of my biggest inspirations when it comes to beauty, aesthetic and music but I’ve always been myself. I remember being young I didn’t wear foundation and I would try all these colorful eyeshadows. People would say “wow that’s so extra” and I realized that was the type of style I wanted to do. Working with friends like Alees Yvon helped me understand what I want to see in my art and how I want to project it into the world. I don’t care if it’s perceived wrongly or people hate it or whatever. It’s just me all into the things.
What inspired you?
I think seeing crazy makeup when I was younger like Janet Jackson’s “What’s It Gonna Be” video with Busta Rhymes or seeing Missy Elliot go all out with Da Brat in their videos and even Lil Kim. I feel like they took a different level of what it meant to be flamboyant and extra. Everybody else wanted to be tame or looked at as super beautiful. In the 90s it was more experimental but they took it to another level and you see the creativity in the art. It’s not only the makeup but the whole aesthetic of the art that really did it for me and I feel like that was really important for me as an artist to see at a young age.
What separates the professional makeup artists from the amateurs?
I think with Instagram, everyone thinks they’re a pro and that’s not the case. I remember when I first came on Instagram I described myself in my bio as an “amateur artist”. People don’t have to say or distinguish that but a lot of people are so attached to getting the money or reaching a certain level that they don’t understand that you have to work for. It takes a lot of time learning skin, learning how to properly execute an eye, learning how to create something that’s funky but still has a cleanness and poise to it so it reads well. Many people are talented on Instagram but some work looks amateur to someone like me because I’ve spent a lot of time honing my craft and I have a passion for it people forget that shows. I’m not the best but I aspire to be the best in the future and continue to work on my skill and practice. That’s important to me as someone in the beauty industry.
How do you feel the internet has impacted the industry?
Everyone cares about likes now. The industry is now jaded by Instagram because they see someone and they may look really intriguing but in reality they’re not. They’re not influential or giving you the dream they sell on social media. It’s a shield for a lot of people so that they don’t have to associate themselves in real life and really tap into getting to know people and learning things, so they use that as a copout. You really need to feel yourself, get into your work and practice. Stop posting just for content; post because you really feel something is lit. I see a lot of people who are creative and do great things but they post every day and then the looks become oversaturated. Then the industry hires people like that and say “oh this make up was terrible”. It’s because that person’s not good at makeup! They’re good at doing their makeup. This is where things go wrong and become a bigger problem.
Your work feels limitless. Do you have any boundaries or things you would object to?
For me, there’s no limits. I’m down to try everything and try things I normally wouldn’t because I want to be versatile in my craft. There are certain things I’m very aggressive about like the way I project my work. If someone wants me to do something because they love my work but try to tame it, this is where I get mad. You’re hiring me because you see my work but you want me to scale back and that’s something I won’t do. I know some will say “you can’t be like that” but “can’t” doesn’t exist to me in a lot of ways. I’m open to do clean beauty looks because it broadens my spectrum, my quality, and my rate because they think taste is the most simple, basic things. There’s not a lot of things I won’t do but I definitely won’t change myself.
Are there any beauty eras or trends that are your favorite?
There’s not really a time I’m obsessed with- I appreciate it all. I love 90s beauty. I know I was really young but I remember seeing my mom’s aesthetic at that time. I talk about it a lot because Missy Elliot and Lil Kim were popular in the 90s but a lot of their work comes from the 70s and 80s so the inspiration goes back even further. I draw a little bit from every decade and give it my own take. I’m working on going into the archives and pulling out something people haven’t seen before. It’s hard because everyone’s on the internet but I’m trying my best to go back and study. A lot of the time I don’t follow other makeup artists because they’re so art forward and I don’t want it to clash with mine so I separate myself in that way and challenge myself to think of original ideas based on my own art or something really ancient.
In the spirit of trying new things, you’ve developed yourself as a model as well. How has that experience been?
Modeling has been fun. I wouldn’t say it’s a passion because I don't think some models are passionate about modeling. They do it because they’re beautiful and they make money doing so and I respect that hustle. Some use it as an avenue to fuel their true passion, 9/10 it is not even associated with the industry. I just do it to change the dynamic of the industry, to show that it can be versatile and someone like me can step in, do something more, and be a part of it. The only exhausting part is the clothes. Since I’m plus sized they don’t have the options as of yet. Some designers say they’re working on it...but I’m not enthused. I’m just here to inspire and show people that it’s possible. I didn’t think that I would be doing what I’m doing at this age, especially at this level. Sometimes it’s unbelievable to me and I think “wow this is really happening”. Especially opening the Savage x Fenty show and being on Rihanna’s radar because I know she loves me and I love her back. She wants change and you see it in her work as she progresses. People like Gypsy Sport who allowed me to express myself on the runway and other designers who have had me...it’s an ongoing thing. Do I want the industry to keep it up? Yes, and I want it to be a continuous thing where more girls like me are allowed to be in those spaces.
How would you describe the beauty industry for black people?
In my opinion, I think there’s a lot more to do. I think the beauty industry can be very disrespectful to black people in a lot of ways. When it comes to hiring makeup artists who are not knowledgeable about black skin, we’re always the ones left out on set for hair and makeup. I think they’re trying to push forward very slowly. Rihanna put the fire under people’s asses by putting out 50 foundation shades. Now some people are like “we’ve been doing that”. No, you’ve been doing ashy! They only say they’ve been doing something when a better product comes out and that’s a part of how strange the beauty industry is. Honestly, there needs to be a lot of changes. Personally, people need to respect me more as a black creative in the industry. When I tell people something, they should respect it and follow because when white people express the way they feel there’s no confrontation. I don’t like to be confronted about things that can be simply changed or that we can have a conversation about. I’ve noticed when it comes to a black person in the room there’s a lot of questioning. That to me does not resonate.
What does the future of beauty look like to you?
For the future of beauty when I’m there -and I AM gonna be there- it’s going to be more progressive and I’m gonna be pushing boundaries that have never been pushed, especially for black people. I’m down to bring everyone along for the ride but I want things to be more possible, flexible, and for AUTHENTIC weirdness to be the norm. Everyone thinks they’re a weirdo now because they wear colorful weaves or Dolls Kill but you’re not doing it like the real girls are doing it! You’ve never lived my lifestyle and judged me for it, but now you want it. Totes to them but I’m here. I’m taking over and I’ll always use my voice to weed out those people.
Any last words you’d like to share?
I just want to tell y’all stay true to yourself, stay true to your voice, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Don’t back down for anything. There’s a proper way to do everything but keep in mind that you’re going to take over and things will be different and better. Hold your head and your work to a high standard so no one can tell you anything about yourself.
Photos courtesy of Raisa Flowers