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The surrealist details of Sasha Chudeeva’s make-up
Fashion photographer at first, make-up artist Sasha Chudeeva discovered the world of beauty through her camera. Fascinated by details and eager for challenge, she has developed a unique make-up style centred on working with skin and materials. For Numéro, she looks back on her childhood in Ukraine, her dreams, her thousands of inspirations and reveals her beauty routine, which she carries out every morning on the London Underground.
By Louise Menard.
Sasha Chudeeva, the surrealist make-up
Far from the big names in luxury Sasha Chudeeva has built a solid reputation thanks to an inspiring Instagram account where close-ups reign supreme. At 29 years old, the Ukrainian make-up artist, who has been based in London for a few years, leads a fast life, between her personal activities, her many passions such as sociology or old movies, and her work, that she cherishes more than anything else.
Sasha Chudeeva‘s spellbinding, surrealist style is characterised by a keen eye for details, with wild, textured, liquid, melting and glowing materials, and shades that are often orange-brown and graded into warm shadows.
First educated by painting then by photography, the young woman, who has always been self-taught, is very much inspired by the virtual environment in which she evolves. But she also draws inspiration from the constant flow of images imposed by social networks, while adapting to the personality and sensibility of each person to remind us that make-up remains an art of intimacy.
Sasha Chudeeva’s beauty interview
Numéro: What is your first beauty memory?
Sasha Chudeeva: A few days ago, I was just thinking of how my childhood had the biggest impact on who I am now. I have images from the past that come back often like illustrations in Ukrainian folklore books, my cousin making different characters from clay for me, ribbon movements in my rhythmic gymnastic classes or growing up amongst beautiful nature contrasting with brutalist grey concrete architecture…
How did your passion for make-up come about?
I have always tried to express myself through an artistic practice such as painting for example, or fashion photography, which I practised for several years. At the age of 15, when I got my first camera, I started to look at the world differently and especially at what I was photographing. I took the time to analyse the effects of light on the skin, to try to understand how the make-up would affect the image. As I didn’t have any make-up artists for some of my shootings, I started to do it myself. Then one day I had an instant click: make-up was meditative, challenging, creative and I really liked the fact that I can do every step of production myself, from the idea to posting it on Instagram. It meant more control, more joy and more satisfaction with the final result.
How would you describe your style?
Creative, neat and thoughtful is something I try to always stick to. I love more than anything to explore combinations of different shapes and materials as well as skin work and, I am obsessed with details.
What would be your dream job?
I have a long list of photographers, directors, stylists, brands and magazines that I would like to work with. I dream about it when I blow out the candles on my birthday cake…
What are your inspirations?
Inspiration and beauty are everywhere and I am constantly caught in a never ending journey of educating myself and improving my visual taste. Nevertheless, if I had to name an artist, I would say the American painter Mel Odom, who inspires me a lot at the moment. Fashion, architecture, photography, vintage magazine covers, painting, nail art, sculpture, jewelry, calligraphy, design, digital art…. All of this nourishes me enormously.
An express beauty routine
As I do my make-up most of the time in the tube, I often wear a hoodie in which I can slip all my products into my pocket. On a daily basis I use the BB cream from Erborian but also the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer, to make the skin tone look more even, a blush from Pixi and the Limitless Brown lip pencil from Make Up For Ever, which I also use as a blush.
Sasha Chudeeva’s three favorite products
I think my favorite product is the Makeup For Ever HD Skin Face essentials palette because it serves as a concealer, blush, contour, highlighter and color correction all in one. I also have a soft spot for Illmasqua Precision Gel Liner in black, which I think is the best eyeliner on the market, and finally I’d say the Lip Protectant Stick by Elisabeth Arden in Honey, very useful if I need something super neutral. In brief, can’t imagine my life without tinted lip balm!
