Art Torrontegui on Makeup as Identity, Freedom, and Avant-Garde Art

Art Torrontegui was always destined for art.

He dreamt of becoming a painter—he loved Salvador Dalí. He was always sketching and drawing as a child. He wanted to study digital arts in college but he grew up in the ’90s, when creative careers were rarely seen as practical, and so he was encouraged to consider a more conventional path. Nursing was briefly on the table before he ultimately studied mass communications.

After college, he wanted to pursue photography and videography but ended up getting a corporate job instead.

The artist in him never disappeared—he was simply waiting to discover his medium. He found it in makeup.

“My love for makeup didn’t start when I was a kid. It started in 2014, 2016, when drag was already mainstream. The first time I watched a drag reality show, I was amazed. I was like, ‘Wow!’ The makeup style was so exaggerated.”

One Halloween, he decided to recreate a look by Berlin-based drag queen Hungry. It included a ruff, that dramatic gathered collar from the Elizabethan period, which Art recreated with a roll of tissue paper.

Art was watching a lot of YouTube videos back then. “Glam makeup was big on YouTube. That was my earliest memory of beauty.”

He began his own content creator journey in 2020, posting videos of himself dancing, sharing moments with his cat, and presenting makeup looks he created. Eventually, in 2023, one of those looks blew up on Instagram. “That’s when I started focusing on beauty content.”

Art noticed that there were a lot of Filipino beauty creators doing glam makeup and boys’ makeup. Thinking that the beauty content creator space was saturated, he decided to try and do something different. “I tried to create a troubled boy look. I mimicked the look of bruises on my eyes, my lips. It was a messy look.”

He experimented with unconventional and avant-garde looks, like his constellation-inspired makeup that went viral. “One thing I learned about being a beauty creator is that you’re like a painter. You have to explore different styles and then, you’ll find what you want.”

Kim Santos

Art didn’t just find his art form in makeup–in many ways, it also gave him his freedom.

He remembers watching the movie The NeverEnding Story II as a child and being mesmerized by The Childlike Empress and the evil sorceress Xayide. “I liked their makeup style, their clothes. Bakla na ako noon,” he said.

But Art grew up in a very strict, religious family. “My whole family used to be Jehovah’s Witness. When they saw how artistic I was, some relatives said, ‘Ay, baka bakla yan.’ Because of that, I had to be selective with the cartoons I watched and the drawings I would do.”

He loved Sailor Moon but only watched it when his sisters were also watching. “And I had to pretend not to be excited. What became my escape was ‘Naruto.’ I thought that they wouldn’t question my sexuality if I watched it but it was liberating for me kasi nandun si Hinata, si Sakura.”

That’s what he did—he watched anime like Fushigi Yûgi, Flame of Recca, YuYu Hakusho, and Ghost Fighter, gravitating toward the female characters while carefully managing how much of himself he revealed to the world.

What he couldn’t express before eventually found its outlet, its language—makeup.

Kim Santos

“Before, I became a toxic masc because I was closeted. I thought I had to mask my feminine side. But through makeup, I was able to embrace being femme. Sobrang na-appreciate ko siya. If you’re gay, you can definitely switch—if you want to be masc, be masc. If you want to be femme, be femme. There’s no guidebook. There’s no rule in being gay. Be feminine, be masculine, be both, whatever. As long as you respect yourself and you respect others.”

Today, he even gets to bond with his family through makeup. Recently, a relative in his 60s asked Art for tips. “He wanted me to recommend a moisturizer and he asked me what makeup he can use na hindi halata. I gave him tinted sunscreen. Natuwa siya. He also asked me to recommend something for his eyebrows.”

That comfort with beauty—in all its forms—has become part of how Art  moves through the world.

He arrives at the studio for his Allure Philippines shoot with his eyes painted to look like a butterfly.

“I’m inspired by butterflies, by metamorphosis. I chose the butterfly because it represents the rainbow community, the LGBTQIA. I have a butterfly tattoo as well. I love butterflies because they symbolize continuous growth.”

Kim Santos

There are a lot of beauty creators—what do you think makes you stand out?

I think what makes me stand out is my originality.

What’s one beauty detail you never skip?

Eye primer. As someone who loves using eyeshadow, I want people to know that eye primer is a must. Don’t just use concealer. Eye primer has a specific ingredient that will make the colors pop and last longer. If you use concealer as the base for your eyeshadow, it’s okay but it won’t last the whole day. It will crease.

In what ways do you use beauty today? Expression? Protection? Power?

You said the right words. For me, makeup is a form of creative expression. 100%. It’s my medium of art. Makeup is powerful. You can create a different persona. You can do drag. You can do unconventional looks. For me, makeup evokes different emotions. I consider makeup my art. And what I learned about art is that people should feel something about what you make.

What’s one thing you wish you knew when you were getting started?

I wish I knew that the beauty community is cruel.

Have you ever felt pressured to look a certain way online?

Yes. I love to take care of myself but I reached a point where I asked myself, “Ano ba, pogi-pogi lang ba ako lagi sa Instagram?” I realized that it’s my platform. Magpa-pogi ka, magpa-cute ka, magmukha kang alien, it’s up to you. I got too caught up in the stats. I said, “Oh my god, just let it be. Just post and enjoy.” It was only recently that I started enjoying being a content creator again. I’d post normal pictures—pa-cute, pa-pogi, pa-sexy, pa-thirst trap—and then I’d post femme makeup. That’s the beauty of being a content creator,you can post anything you want. And I don’t look at the views anymore.

Kim Santos

What’s your relationship with perfection when it comes to beauty content?

Ouch. I saw a friend post something like “perfection kills the creatives.” That’s the number one enemy. I 100% believe that. I’ve learned how to put down my brush, I’ve learned to say, “Tama na.” Being a perfectionist has its pros and cons. It will also teach you discipline but you also have to learn when to let go.

What’s a makeup trend that you think is being overdone?

I hate beauty trends that they’re just renaming. Like coffee makeup or cappuccino makeup is just a smokey eye, a brown smokey eye. I mean it’s cute, it’s fun but okay, what did you learn from it?

What’s a trend that deserves more attention?

Fun makeup. Colorful makeup. For so long, we’ve been doing everyday makeup, neutral makeup, glam. I think we are starting to get bored. I wish that the 2016 glam makeup would come back.

How do you protect your sense of self in a space built on visibility?

I tend to stay away from makeup trends. I’m not fully a hater, there are certain trends that fit my style and creativity. But I don’t adopt the style of other existing creators. I also don’t like it when brands try to dictate my tone of voice and when they give me a script. Through my years in content creation, I’ve learned to voice out. What I hate the most is when you become the product of the brand. Mali. The brand should be your product.

How do you approach brand partnerships while staying authentic?

I get a lot of offers that ask you to follow specific brand guidelines and scripts. I really hate scripts when it comes to collaboration. It kills your creativity and your individuality as an artist or content creator. I also hate it when they ask you to stitch another creator that you don’t have a connection with. You have to learn to fight for your individuality. Just because the pay is good doesn’t mean you should say yes.

Kim Santos

How do you decide which products or brands are worth sharing with your audience?

For me, quality is number one—it’s more important than the brand name or packaging. I’ve noticed that a lot of beauty brands, specifically locally, are prioritizing packaging over quality.

What makes Filipino beauty distinct?

People don’t understand that the products that we are creating are bulletproof. We are in a humid, wet country and most of the foundations here have really good formulation. They’re made for us.

Do you think the industry is becoming more inclusive or just performative?

I think beauty brands here in the Philippines are being inclusive. And I don’t just mean they’re widening the shade range and creating different colors. There are beauty brands doing philanthropy, and to me, that’s what being inclusive is. You are going beyond just creating beauty products for everybody. Like GRWM (Get Ready With Me), they are building a shelter for animals. They’re focusing on sustainability. Issy is working directly with creatives in the local scene, they are collaborating with DJs, with clothing brands like Randolf and Atomic World.

What’s something you’re obsessing over right now that we haven’t seen on your feed yet?

I like color correctors na cream. They perform better than the liquids.

When do you feel the most beautiful?

Every day.

What’s a beauty habit you’ll never give up?

Double cleansing.

Kim Santos

What’s one beauty product you can’t live without?

A tint. If you have a lip and cheek tint, you’re okay.

What’s one thing you’d change about the beauty industry?

Overconsumption.

What’s a beauty opinion you will never change your mind about?

Makeup has no gender.

If your face card could say one thing to your younger self, what would it be?

Never dim your feminine side just to fit in.

Photography by Kim Santos. Art direction by Nicole Almero, assisted by Mikiyo Ricamora. Makeup by Art Torrontegui.