​Makeup to inspire, experiment, get to know yourself and discover your own style but, above all, to express yourself and your ever-changing personality. Between beauty tips and trend insights, the make-up artist and influencer Giulia Grandi - on social media Giulia Peculiar - shows us how makeup can become an essential tool and accessory for expression and self-discovery.

Giulia discovered her passion for makeup at a very young age. She did her apprenticeship ‘on photographic sets’ and then moved on to bridal makeup and special effects, until she reached the world of fashion and her collaboration with Rinascimento.

‘As a child, I was fascinated by painting and drawing and everything that is part of the world of art and creativity. These are the words of Giulia, who began discovering makeup at a very young age, first as a game, a creative way of ‘transforming oneself and transforming other people’ before she developed a passion for the world of fashion. ‘I have always been obsessed with fashion, I used to cut out all the photos of all the clothes I liked and turn them into collages. My room was completely covered in them’. Today, as an established professional in the industry, she has discovered just how much ‘in the world of fashion a make-up artist can have fun and above all truly discover their own style and way of seeing beauty’.

The world of fashion is a free space

Over the years, Giulia has found a tool for freedom and self-expression in makeup. This sense of freedom also drives contemporary fashion, which is far removed from the rules and norms of the past, promoting individual creativity instead. ‘You’re no better off if you dress one way or another’, says Giulia, for her, fashion must be ‘a way to fully express yourself and to create your own style’. With this mindset, makeup becomes an indispensable element. ‘It’s really the accessory of a look, I want to express myself in a certain way today, so I choose black smokey eyes because it reflects how I feel. Another day, I feel sexy, so I put on my red lipstick, because I feel like wearing it without worrying about what anyone else thinks’.

Make-up trends: the most innovative ideas come from social media 

From celebrity trends to those launched directly from fashion magazines, the world of makeup has undergone several transformations. Social media gives a decisive push for change, from the tricks of the trade to must-have products; it makes the secrets of make-up artists accessible to all, bringing makeup into everyone’s routine.

‘With the rise of social media, the approach to makeup has changed a lot, especially because we see so many people trying new things’, explains Giulia Peculiar.

Seeing so many videos on social media, on YouTube or Instagram for instance, of people we consider normal like us, who are not afraid to experiment, I believe offers new perspectives to so many boys and girls. People are increasingly trying out new things, wearing any makeup, even the boldest or most unusual ones. There is less judgement. It’s clear that we have not yet reached the point where I would like to be, but the situation has certainly improved a lot and I’m very happy about that, especially for the younger generation’.

How does fashion respond to this change?

Everything is changing along increasingly inclusive paths, ‘even the major fashion companies are evolving: everything must be affordable for everyone’. 

Giulia strongly believes the world of fashion and makeup has become a space of inclusion and diversity, engaging people of all genders and ages. ‘I’m followed by people even over 50 who ask me every day for advice on how to put on makeup, and these changes also affect gender. Many more young people want to wear different things, to put on makeup and break away a little from the patterns we were used to in the ‘80s and ‘90s’.

What is the role of makeup, should it cover or enhance?

‘It’s normal to have imperfections we wish to cover up, but makeup is always an enhancement of oneself. The goal of a professional is to enhance the beauty or uniqueness of any person, at any age and of any gender. Luckily, there is less of a need to hide today. Even on social media we see more and more people, even with their makeup removed, showing what they consider to be their flaws, which are in fact very normal features’.

This is precisely why there are ‘wildcard’ products and colours that are suitable for everyone and perfect for mixing and matching with different styles and personalities. We asked Giulia to tell us her favourite products that anyone can easily use to create sophisticated makeup in the run-up to the Christmas holidays. To start with, Giulia recommends ‘definitely the colour red, which is present throughout the history of makeup - it was used a lot in the ‘50s. It’s a classic colour that can be adapted to all skin tones and is perfect for getting glamorous makeup in one move’.

Giulia reminds us that to obtain perfect makeup sometimes all you need to do is use small tricks to enhance and highlight imperfections. ‘A small tip to put makeup on hooded eye lids is to apply it with the eye open. At first it will look a bit strange, but by applying the makeup with the eye closed, then opening the eye, the shape of the makeup will change. So, straight mirror and open eye are the secret to always get the perfect shape’.

Beauty tips and Christmas trends: from catwalk to beauty kits

Giulia tells us that first milk makeup, strawberry makeup and cherry cola lips went viral on social media this year, followed by the ’dark contoured lips that I have seen on a lot of people’. New trends from the catwalks also spread quickly, such as the glass skin, ‘the very shiny catwalk skin that has actually become an everyday trend. People tend to no longer want super powdered ‘90s skin that takes volume away from the face and also prefer very bright eyes or the no-mascara look’. 

But just like with clothes, it’s the details that make the difference, and among the must-have makeup products we cannot fail to mention eyeliner. We are all a bit obsessed with it especially when we want elegant makeup for a party or special dinner, but what really makes the difference when you choose to use eyeliner is to create the right shape for your eyes, but above all, to clean up the edges. Even when you put on lipstick you forget to make the edge sharper, cleaner, this immediately makes the makeup look professional. Another detail that makes a difference is respecting our face’.

But our tips don’t end here, we asked Giulia for advice on one of the most difficult parts in our beauty routine: choosing the colour of foundation. We know that every one of you has at least once bought a foundation in the wrong colour but how can you avoid making this mistake? ‘There is no set rule but my favourite place to test shades is on the jawline, we have to choose an area that is somewhere between the top of the face and the neck to create a realistic effect. It’s clear that if we only use one colour of foundation, it will never be 100% perfect, so I recommend using a bronzer or even a lighter concealer to ensure multi-dimensional shades’.

Make-up care

How many of you clean your brushes every day? We know that this is a sore point for everyone, but don’t worry, according to Giulia it’s okay to wash your brushes at least once a week. On the other hand, we have to be much more careful about product care to not run the risk of damaging our skin. ‘Cream products expire sooner than powder products, but I recommend that you always look at the PAO, the symbol on each packet that tells you the expiry date. Every product is different and creams are more problematic because the formula is less stable, so watch out for the expiry date! It’s good to know that the most delicate product is mascara, it tends to form more bacteria and therefore needs to be replaced more often.

Through makeup, we can find new ways of telling our stories, customising trends and creating new styles, looking at ourselves by learning to love even our imperfections and transforming ourselves, inspired by the courage of other women.