In a world of YouTube gurus, ‘Instabrows’ and Kardashian kontouring, putting on makeup has changed from being a way of bringing out one’s best features into a ‘paint-by-numbers’ routine. Today, the competition between wannabe online cosmetics geniuses is so fierce, that many professionals have begun churning out the same – albeit luminously strobed – faces just to stay on fleek. However, not everyone in the business has succumbed to this phenomenon. Enter Kate Mur, a Muscovite visionary who’s bucking the trend by pioneering a new era of makeup artistry focussing on the transformative power of beauty products.
Mur comes from humble beginnings, revealing that her first kit comprised only one foundation, a few lipsticks, eye shadow, and homemade setting powder. Undeterred by her lack of resources, she has tenaciously built a portfolio on Instagram that has since garnered a following of over 90k followers and led to work with Kenzo, Gucci, Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar. Her approach is an antidote to the cookie cutter looks of today, with Mur exhibiting a messier, almost sculptural aesthetic, featuring spidery lashes and abundantly applied lipstick. Indeed, while many of her cohorts seek inspiration through celebrity culture, one of Mur’s main source’s of inspiration is her hometown. Each vibrant face she creates is a coping mechanism for the Russian capital’s harsh weather. “My bad sense of humour serves as my main source of inspiration. Well, that and growing up in grey and grumpy Moscow.”
For this issue, SLEEK gave Mur the artistic freedom to create her most extreme looks to date, inviting her to go wherever her abundant imagination desired.
Left: Neckpiece by Gabriella Marina Gonzalez. Right: Jacket by JOSEPH
Left: Dress by Joseph. Right: Top by Nhu Duong
Left: Necklace and dress by Kostas Murkudis
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