Using makeup to transform herself into an array of characters from an all-seeing blue alien to cartoon fave Betty Boop, @visiblejune is one of the most prolific and unpredictable MUAs on the ‘gram. Her unique style is matched by her sense of humour (she’s a self-described “punk makeup clown and mullet advocate”) and her strong politics, which see her platform anti-cruelty and ANTIFA beliefs. Intrigued, we slid into June’s DMs to hear more about why she wants to see the end of animal testing in the beauty industry and how Instagram has changed the game for makeup artists like herself.
How would you describe your approach to beauty?
My beauty is: unique, erratic and independent. Unique, because it’s entirely my own and no-one else’s. No-one’s beauty is exactly like mine. Erratic, because it’s become unpredictable! No one but myself knows how or when my beauty appears. Independent, because it exists in its own ways.
Who or what is your biggest influence?
I can never truly pinpoint who or what influences me! I think I’d say that my surroundings influence me. I surround myself with art, music, people that inspire me and what I create as an artist.
What’s the wildest makeup look you’ve ever done?
Thinking back to everything I’ve done, I feel like my “wildest” look is yet to come! I’ve definitely only scraped the surface. But for now, I did an “oil paint” look over a year ago where I caked on different makeup products like lipsticks and loose eyeshadows to mimic the texture of oil paint. I painted it all on with my fingers and even put it in my hair (yes it was an awful mess to clean up!!) so it definitely felt wild.
What’s one makeup product you couldn’t live without?
I think I couldn’t live without an eyebrow pencil. My favourites currently are Boldface Makeup’s Better Brows pencil and Colourpop’s Brow Boss.
How important is Instagram to your industry?
I’d say Instagram has definitely become vital to this industry. Things have definitely changed and it’s become a huge income-producing platform for creators and businesses alike. I personally couldn’t imagine this industry without the financial influence that Instagram brings.
What does beauty mean to you?
I could say that beauty means very little to me but I think that’d be going too far. Beauty means everything and nothing to me all at the same time. In my mind, beauty is art but at the same time, art doesn’t have to be beautiful.
You also mention that you’re cruelty-free in your IG bio. Why is cruelty-free beauty important to you?
Being cruelty-free is everything to me! I’ve been using cruelty-free makeup for about five years now and it’s mainly because I don’t want any innocent animal to suffer because of my vanity or my art. I’ve become very passionate and vocal about it! I think animal-testing is practically needless in this industry.
Follow June over on IG and check out some of our favourite looks of hers below.
