Рainting beauty

Ksenia Starchenkova is a make-up artist, stylist, make-up artist from Moscow, director of her own StarGrim Make-up Agency, make-up artist of the year 2020.

Several times we postponed the meeting, since Ksenia’s day is scheduled by the minute. We talked late at night and … drank coffee.

Ksenia, do you believe in miracles? I read about it on your Instagram.

Yes! I believe miracles! These are the most extraordinary phenomena that almost never happen. But they happen, and it shakes the mind and strengthens the faith.”

This is a great answer from a creative person who was able to literally turn his life around 180 degrees. Miracles do happen, of course.

Ksenia was born in the North of Russia in a teaching family, received a higher technical education and a diploma in the design and design of radio electronic equipment. And it turns out – not in vain. Only we had to design something different – appearance, hairstyles, makeup and various attributes of the creative elite – artists, musicians, fashion designers, designers.

It happened. Even as a child, she drew a lot, fantasized and surprised all her family acquaintances with her eccentricity and desire to be a leader.

She believed in miracles when creativity helped her overcome, perhaps, the most difficult life situation for her, connected with a break with a loved one. It was then that she felt a colossal surge of strength and creative energy and made this the meaning of her future life. Ksenia opened her own photo agency, which included a photo studio with a make-up area. Clients often asked to make them unusual, interesting images for shooting. This captured the “hostess” completely. Ksenia began to study as a makeup artist in order to “put her fantasies on a scientific level.” Yes, she confidently says that any creativity is a great science. And here she was successful.

       Now Ksenia is a public figure. She lives in the capital. She opened her own Makeup Agency, gathered a group of professional makeup artists who successfully work with famous artists and fashion houses. Her time is scheduled to the minute. She has enough for everyone.

Ksenia, how do you cope with such volumes of… people? Are you tired of working, working and working almost all day?

What do you! This is my calling and, at the same time, my continuous development. I feel happy because I am doing what I love. Yes, I have to constantly improve, learn a lot of new things. After all, working with filmmakers)) requires not just the ability to apply makeup. For example, there are times when you need to work with “artificial blood” … You need to know its properties. When you make a plastic combined make-up, castings, of course, you need to know what happens with latex, humus, and so on. This is our professional.

The work of a makeup artist, stylist is quite meticulous. You can’t make mistakes here, everything is like in the exact sciences.

Ksenia, it turns out that you are in charge of the artist’s emotions?

Do you come up with images for your “heroes” yourself? How does this happen? We, the audience, do not know at all what is going on behind the scenes, how you work there. We see an already “ready-made” artist on the stage or podium.

We work in the dressing room. It is there that an image is created, a mood that must be conveyed to the viewer on a live stage or in a film frame.

And here creativity is only half. There is a clear plan, references. That is, we, stylists, seem to receive a “task for the image.” Of course, we start from a specific case to a greater extent. For example, there is a musical project. Invented entourage and images. Next, we work with the face based on trigonometry (the location of the eye line, the shape of the chin, and much more). All our work, I emphasize once again, is strictly scientific.

(smiles)

Ksenia has the highest degree of qualification as a stylist, she is the holder of the International Makeup Artist Diploma and the Makeup Artist of the Year 2020 Award. Now she dreams of creating a YouTube channel and teaching new stylists and makeup artists herself … That is, teaching. It’s our family, she says.

Ksenia, your own image is so carefully thought out, you are so different at every event… Do you work on yourself? Or maybe your model appearance and skin condition is the result of expensive creams and super pills?

This question seemed to our heroine even ridiculous. The answer was amazing. Ksenia said that she is a deeply religious person, she treats people with kindness and respect, tries not to offend anyone and does a lot of good for others…

Yes, it’s all clear to me now. The recipe for beauty, it turns out, is within us… We just need to use it correctly. By appointment… Then inner beauty will become outer beauty. They say that some people “glow as if from within …”

She plays the guitar beautifully, loves to sing for friends, and her soprano – operatic and refined – adds charm to her carefully chosen self-image.