Lindsay Kastuk
What’s your name and where are you from/based?
My name is Lindsay Kastuk, I’m based in NYC
Can you describe your practice in a few words?
I’m a makeup artist that works primarily in the fashion and editorial industry. My work ranges from clean, natural makeup and gothic inspired, avant garde.
You started out in luxury retail, teaching teams about building client relationships. What lessons from that world have carried into your work as a makeup artist?
I definitely learned professionalism and to work with a lot of different personalities. Patience too. We have to be on sets with so many people all day sometimes and finding ways to connect and get along makes it much more fun and a better experience for everyone. Another great skill was listening and understanding. Being able to do this helps ensure your clients are always happy.
After moving to New York in 2016, you went through a complete restart of your life. What triggered that need for change?
Restarting my life was a “forced evolution” for me. I had moved to NYC with my then corporate job and a partner who was abusive. I went through a breakup, I turned 30, and then I was let go from my job. This was all in my first year here. I had a choice to find a new job in the same industry I was miserable in, or I could start over and find joy. I chose the scarier route but it paid off!
Do you remember the moment you first realized makeup was your form of creative expression?
Absolutely! I think there were a few of these moments actually. My first memory of enjoying makeup so much was in highschool. My friend and I used to go to her place after school, having just bought the latest drug store makeup release, and do our makeup for fun. We then reconnected later in life over makeup and doing it for fun! Then again, once I moved to NYC I was doing it on myself to get through the really stressful times. That’s why I realized makeup made me happy and I wanted to take the opportunity of losing my job to pursue a career as a makeup artist.
Do you see your artistry as a continuation of your past experiences, or as a completely new chapter?
I see it as a new chapter, but built off of past experiences. I might have never ended up where I am today without my past experiences, but they were pretty tough times so I really wanted to put them behind me. I’m big on acknowledging and moving on.
How do you approach skin as a medium, do you treat it more like canvas, sculpture, or something else?
I definitely treat it like a canvas. It’s super exciting because I get a different canvas every time. People’s faces and personalities tend to help me create something that I think suits them as well as the concept.
What details in a face catch your attention most when you begin working on someone?
Eyes! I am totally obsessed with eyes! I tend to work with a lot of shapes and textures around the eyes to draw attention to them and I think they are just so cool. They are all so unique like fingerprints!
Where do you think your signature looks come from?
I think it comes a lot from other art I like outside of the fashion industry. I’ve always been drawn to the dark and macabre so I think this sort of dark elegance can come through in my work when I do creative makeup. I mean I insisted I be Morticia Addams for Halloween when I was 6. I think my tastes were decided very young and they haven’t changed much!
Your work has been featured in Vogue US, Vogue China, The Violet Book, and beyond. Do you remember the first time you saw your work in print, and what it meant to you?
I do remember! It was a skincare beauty story for Harper’s Bazaar Arabia. I actually messaged my friend who lived in Dubai at the time frantic to buy it for me so I could see it one day! I still have it on a shelf in my living room.
Where can people find you?
My Instagram is @lindsaykastuk. That’s where I share all my recent work and you can follow along what I’m working on!
